Artist Lorna Smyth is this week preparing to present her new work 'Strength within fragility' which runs from this Friday, the 26th January to Monday, the 26th February. The official launch which takes place in Ferndale Country House and Restaurant, Enniskillen, at 8.00pm on Friday will be complimented by music from Scott Ramssey.
Since leaving NCAD in 1994, Lorna has been working as a professional artist, a career which became a full-time post in 2001. In November 2003, she decided to consolidate her gallery space at the Yellow Wood Art Gallery in Enniskillen.
Lorna uses handmade linen paper, which is painted using oils and acrylic, and then embroidered using silk and cotton threads. The embroidery is used as another form of a paintbrush, an effect that captures the strength and fragility of the Fermanagh landscape.
The Yellow Wood Art Gallery not only displays Lorna's work but also serves as her workspace. She uses an industrial sewing machine to highlight and emphasise different areas of her paintings with a multitude of different shades of thread. Lorna also makes the paper on which she paints as she believes the handmade paper adds further texture to her work.
"Originally, I experimented with handmade paper because I wanted to start recycling as much as possible," she explains.
"I think on the whole, we throw too much away but now, I like the idea that I can create an art form from pieces of paper that would otherwise be just thrown in the bin."
Lorna spends time considering each stage of the artistic process from creating individual pieces of hand-made paper to her choice of the types of paint to the shades of threads that are used to highlight her paintings, as well as the style and design of her picture frames.
"Each piece works out differently, so each one can either flow really easily or be troublesome. However, it's solving the problem so that the final piece works, that is the challenge. I am proud of my work and I find that your work can only improve if you challenge yourself."
For further information on Lorna's work or special commission, she can be contacted on 028 6632 6267 or 07792410498 or by emailing her at lornasmyth@eircom.net.
Gift vouchers are available at the gallery which is located at 3 Old Scotch Door Building, Sligo Road, Enniskillen.
