Between the Sky and the Ground

Artist: Veronica Dooley

Artist Statement: There is a feeling that I crave more and more.

I think it comes from living in the city and not being able to see anything but buildings most of the time. I miss the space, I miss the horizon – I miss seeing where the sky meets the ground. There’s a place in Wexford called Raven’s Point that I have been visiting since I was a child. It’s where the edge of the forest is bound in place on the beach. Every time I go there I take a long walk to the forest’s edge and sometimes I can just stand there for hours and soak in the view. I never get tired of it, no matter what the weather is. It’s different every time, and each time I see something new. It recharges me, it inspires me, it makes me just want to be still, it gives me space to contemplate. It’s this feeling that I wanted to capture in my work by creating an instinctual response to the landscape before me, to explore connections between the landscape and evoke a sense of belonging.

My practice begins in the landscape with my camera and sketch-book, observing the changing qualities of light and colour at different times of the day in all conditions. I have recently embraced the digital world allowing the manipulation of my photography by incorporating textures and layers into the stills, creating a visual language that relates to my experience of presence within the landscape which often goes on to inform the direction of my paintings.

My paintings are a reflection of my experience and intimate connection to this landscape. By using the texture and colours of the paint to explore and develop what I’m hoping to convey – being present and of the moment in this place. As the layers of the paintings build up they create a visual language that begins to reflect the subtle light and transitional beauty of the surrounding landscape. Bringing my personal experience to the work and creating an evocative and immersive landscape that lures the viewer into the piece.