Blackwater

“I create atmospheric landscapes that blur the line between reality and memory, drawing inspiration from the dark, tannin-rich waters of the River Blackwater. My work is built on layers—granulated textures, liquid charcoal washes, and deep, moody watercolour tones that shift like the river itself. Each painting is an exploration of light and shadow, where pigment settles into organic patterns, mimicking the way nature shapes the land. I want my art to feel like a place you’ve seen before, but only in a dream—familiar yet just out of reach, like something the water might reveal… or take away.”

In my current series, Blackwater, I explore the themes of memory, transformation, and collaboration with water's transient and unpredictable nature. Building on earlier work investigating water’s molecular ability to retain memory through ice sculptures, this series takes a more dynamic and immersive approach through my painting.

I intuitively and dynamically paint pictures of the surrounding area, farms, sheds, fields, woods, and trees of the River Black Water that leads into the Lough Neagh. I prioritize the free fluid organic textured watermarks over the rigid drawing. The expressive power of watermarks is harnessed through soft drops, sprays, blobs, and spontaneous run-off. how water shapes the landscape is mirrored on the canvas. In Blackwater, I collaborate with river water as both medium and subject. While I initiate the process with memory-driven mark-making and painting, water’s unpredictable movement—through splodges, paint runs, and transparent layering—takes over, creating an uncontrollable, evolving narrative. The water always has the final say.