Hello! I am Barbara Monahan, artist and graphic designer. I live and work in Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland.
Although I grew up in this area, when I graduated from the College of Marketing and Design, twenty years ago, I emigrated as many did, to London. Having lived, worked, and completed further studies there for ten years, I returned to Dublin. I am now back in Dublin for almost as long as I had left it.
My passion is all things design, art and craft. But when it comes to my art, I feel it gives me a freedom from all restraints, allowing me to be as creative as I wish. I could happily spend all my days painting, but the realities of actually earning a living doing this mean that I also work freelance in the areas I trained in, graphic and book design.
Although my work is born of the landscapes that surround me, my work is an emotional response to that landscape, resulting in paintings that are colourful and vibrant. Acrylic is my preferred medium as it allows me the freedom to create interesting layers and depth to the canvas. I then build on these layers to create atmosphere and emotion. I enjoy experimenting, and the fact that I never know how the work will eventually reveal itself. I begin with a landscape, or close up of an interesting piece of nature, but ultimately, the work is an expression of my creative process, and may or may not eventually reflect the original inspiration.
I am very keen that art is accessible and affordable to everyone, and as such I have priced my work to reflect this. Everyone is entitled to enjoy a piece of art in their home as they would a book or a film, but sometimes price prohibits that happening. My work is very affordable, and doesn’t just provide a focus point on the wall, it brings it to life!
