View from the Green Room: Tramore artists splash the colour
The annual Tramore Art Group August Exhibition has been running for over 50 years.
There’s an old worldly charm about the annual Tramore Art Group’s August Exhibition that’s been running for over 50 years now. The old Protestant Hall on Church Road has all the air of an old-world school hall about it with its lengthy floorboards and lofted ceiling and arched pendant windows that filters light and shade across the hall.
With its centre-of-town location, this quaint gem is really the perfect setting for an art exhibition that always has the warmest of welcomes. The artists here have the wisdom of generations and are delighted to engage in the work that covers all the yellowing walls of the century-and-a-half-year-old building.
Renee Power has a considerable body of work here. A colourful ‘Tuscany’ watercolour shares its warmth, as does a pod of ‘Lilypads’ that breathes peace and harmony, and you can hear the clucking of the waves that pound onto the weather-stained rocks below in the aural landscape of ‘Poulanassy Falls at Mullinavat’.
Terry Power’s work is quirky and fun and loaded with witty titles. ‘Bee Happy’ is a cluster of tiny bees going about their business and an alarmed puffin with hoisted wings does his best to startle an aloof and non-plussed companion. I loved the hikers setting off on their ‘Buen Camino’, although a dark and sombre ‘Brownstown Sunrise’ raises ominous warnings.
Paula Brackenenbury’s got questions. ‘What do I do now?... Where oh where?’ and some suggested answers in her natural world puzzleboard. Colourful, modernist stick birds search for direction and their pals point the way. ‘Wild Blossoms’ splash across a palate of vivid crimson and purple, and a charming angel-tot, complete with angelic smile and little princess halo, wins hearts.
Naturally, Tramore is everywhere in this exhibition. Why wouldn’t it be? Billy Bryant’s gentle watercolours of ‘The Strand’ and ‘Newtown Woods’ are among the first to be sold. Maria Delaney’s ‘Tramore’ is here, along with her vibrant foot-thumpin’ 'Seisiún’. Bernie Kane’s cliff-steep ‘Ballydowane Cove’ and panoramic ‘Tramore Sand Dunes’ are a visual delight and the ornate, yet simple Celtic Brooch is captivating.
Pauline Kennedy sees ‘Tramore from a distance’ and ‘Waiting for the rain to stop in Boatstrand’ brings back memories.
A brilliantly-blue peacock could look down at you from a bungalow when ‘Strutting his stuff’ and a ‘Can you believe this?’ painting of a tree in the desert reminds me of the only tree in the Sahara that was knocked over by accident during the war when he took his jeep out for a spin!
As always, Rosemary Chapman’s work astonishes with its vibrancy and movement. ‘Mountain Goats', lured by dense foliage, cling precariously to cliff tops, while ‘Storm Eowyn' blows the waves along in a swirl of froth, tossed seaweed and choppy grey seas.
I love the ‘Tree who lifts her leafy arms to pray’ where the movement of the light and vibrant verdant colours tell a story of life, love and exaltation.
Another super exhibition from Tramore Art Group.
