Martina Furlong

I was born in Galbally, Co.Wexford, Ireland in 1974, graduated from Limerick School of Art and Design in 1996 with a BA (hons) in Fine Art Painting. My landscapes are inspired by the beauty, ruggedness and magical quality of the Irish countryside. My abstracts are influenced by my surroundings and the things I encounter every day;nature, books, buildings, songs, people, etc., In my work I like to mix reality with memories and imagination and paint my own interpretation of it. I exaggerate colour, apply layer upon layer of paint, then work back into the surface with cloths, rollers, scrapers, plastic knives and twigs as well as pallet knives and brushes to create heavily textured scenes. I am constantly experimenting with texture and colour in an effort to make my work more interesting and exciting to create and view.