Louise Reid

Through my practice, I attempt to depict the eerie, emptiness and demise of the Irish rural village. The research is undertaken with a specific focus on one of the communities I am part of. Capturing weather beaten structures in need of maintenance, my work seeks to invoke the spectator to question what these structures add to the landscape rather than what they take away from it.

Working in the medium of oil pastels, my paintings capture the vibrancy of the community in the light and through the inanimate objects within the landscape. To achieve realism and texture, I employ different techniques such as masking, scumbling, sgraffito and stippling. Spending time in the area and working from photographs allows me to take my time and focus on the details. In doing so, I hope to create a place that can be easily experienced by the viewer. One that offers a sense of nostalgia and comfort of a time gone by; one that is protected and one that has been forgotten.