Donegal visual artist and poet Maria Noonan McDermott lives and works from her studio in Kinlough, Co. Leitrim.
Heavily influenced by the impressionist movement, her work focuses on the study of light and form in Irish landscapes.
With a love of folklore and story-telling, Noonan McDermott's influences lie in rural Ireland, it is in these magical places that share a colloquial history where stories and the people are often ingrained into the landscape.
I began my artistic career in Dublin in 1985 and qualified in Fashion and Design. I returned to college and completed a certificate in visual education before continuing on to study Fine Art. In the year 1990, I had my first solo exhibition. The feedback and encouragement I received helped direct me on my current path.
My work has always been influenced by a deep connection with the natural environment, the beautiful rugged Irish landscape with its endlessly changing skies and dramatic seas. I am equally fascinated by the people that the land holds so tightly and am firmly bound in kinship with their poetic writing, their stories and soulful lyrics.
To date, I have participated in 27 solo exhibitions and numerous group exhibitions, both nationally and Internationally throughout my career.
My work is represented by galleries all around Ireland. They are also held in private and corporate collections throughout Ireland, the UK and in locations across Europe and America.
Website: marianoonan-mcdermott.com