Hannah Mooney: In Conversation

 

I grew up beside Lough Swilly which inspired a lot of my early landscape paintings and fostered my creativity. I've always been sensitive to my surroundings and as a child I was quite quiet. Painting suited my temperament. My parents are artists which influenced the amount of time I allocated to art. I found communicating difficult and had speech therapy for four years. This affected my confidence, thus art was a means of expressing myself. My first experience of using paint at school was painting nativity figures that we had made out of clay. I eschewed the bright, pre-mixed colours we were given and mixed up a muted palette of my own; a combination of warm browns, reds and golds. When I started working in oil I was drawn to its rich luminosity and enthralled by the potential for expression and depth. I enjoyed the freedom of mixing up my own palette, and watching shapes form on the surface before me. As a teenager, painting was a cathartic, emotional outlet. I kept lots of sketchpads, drawing from all sorts, trying to connect with my surroundings.

 

 

It depends on the subject I am exploring at that moment in time. In recent years I have been less influenced by other artists and more reliant on my own experiences and surroundings to guide me. Like most landscape artists, I was very influenced by John Constable. I've always admired the loyalty he had to his birthplace and unyielding adoration for English countryside. He was one of the first landscape artists to follow his own vision, reject the academic norms and stop painting generalised depictions of nature. Constable was curious and self-directed; he incorporated black trees, shadows, melancholy and mood into his work. 

 

One flower painting in 'Lightshift' marks a time when I was influenced by Ivon Hitchens. Throughout his life he painted nature with abundant energy, fluidity and passion. He often painted several versions of one subject, exploring all kinds of colour sensibilities; from rustic terracotta browns to washed out amber tones. I was drawn by the playful mood of his canvases and vibrant, unconventional compositions. Most of my recent still lives are less liberated and more constrained and formal. They seek the 'still' and a resolved calm. I find painting flowers on a larger scale challenging and for this reason many of my larger flower paintings are less abstract and more reliant on atmosphere and subtle suggestions of light. 

 

 

 

There are many things that inspire me; travelling to new landscapes, visiting notable art collections and having stimulating conversations with other creative practitioners. 

The west of Ireland offers extensive landscape diversity and stimuli for painters; from rugged coasts and crags, to ancient burnt sienna bogs, and turquoise waters off the Atlantic coast. Daily walks in my locale influence my colour sensibilities and remind me that the landscape is constantly evolving, season to season, day to day, hour to hour. My ambition to start a painting could be prompted by something as simple as witnessing a muted blue on an overcast day or watching evening light triumph across fields.

Spending time in a particular location, observing its unique topography at different times of day, helps me understand its character and inspires painting anew. The studio is a place to study empirical data I have gathered on walks or trips to landscapes and meditate on memories.

 

 

It is difficult to put painting and what it means to me into words, just as it is difficult to describe why music can evoke certain feelings and memories in us. Both art forms can make sense of experiences in a beautiful, cathartic way. For myself and many practitioners, creative expression is a means of moving forward. Art brings a special kind of magic and mystery to life.

 

 

I used to make a lot of drawings before painting a particular place. The drawing of Moorehall in the exhibition was inspired by walks near Lough Mask and Caher Pier in Mayo. I did a lot of sketches of that area before attempting to paint it. I believe this practice helps me as an artist as it reassures me I am still curious and following my own independent path.

 

My early landscape paintings were about emotion, achieving fluidity, expression and capturing essence of place. Since moving home to Ireland, I have thought more about trying to represent specific viewpoints such as Murrisk Harbour, Rosses Point, Bertra Strand, Lough Mask and Caher Pier to name a few. As a result, I have become more considered in my handling. The small paintings of Ballyglass are more sentimental. They represent my love of place; the warmth I feel there, affection for particular seasons; a remembered autumnal glow or golden, evening light. Moving forward, I would like to become more intuitive again, increase the scale of my paintings, draw more and step outside my own boundaries.

 

So many! I recently revisited the City Art Museum in Edinburgh and saw Joan Eardley's work again. I first saw her work in Edinburgh before I started painting landscapes at Glasgow School of Art and it made a huge impression on me. Eardley intuitively explores all kinds of colour harmonies and powerful sentiment in her work. She wonderfully captures the awe-inspiring feeling of being on the shore and spirit of place. I feel a rush of emotion and energy when I view her paintings. They transport me to another realm. 

 

 

It changes depending on the subject, my energy levels and state of mind at the time. I often listen to lo-fi, piano music or radio when I am cleaning my brushes or mixing up my palette. When my mind is clouded and I feel preoccupied, I prefer silence. Subtle glazes allow me to correct tonal values, achieve depth and suggestion of light. I work on several scales simultaneously which enables me to oscillate between representation and abstraction, varying my techniques, mark making and feelings through paint. Palette knives and rulers are useful when applying structure to organic forms. Walks at the end of the day refresh my eyes and help me remain open-minded and objective.

 

 

I choose subjects that resonate with me; it could be a landscape area that I have visited and has remained in my psyche. I sketch out the basic structure and composition. I think about the topography of a place and its atmospheric qualities. I often return to the same subject to transcribe a different feeling or light. 

It is hard to walk outside here and not develop ideas for paintings. The sky is perhaps the most inspiring element of the landscape, being the key source of light, drama and movement. There are countless skies that inspire me that I have not yet captured in painting. All subjects and times of day require alternate techniques, methods and creative stamina. Every painter has a different approach and learns through time. 

 

Put yourself in a bubble. Postpone criticism and step back from your paintings. 

 

Begin anywhere. Not knowing where to begin is a common form of paralysis. John Cage said that clarity does not come before you start; it arrives after you are in motion. Enjoy the process as it is more important than outcome. Be curious and ask questions as growth is fuelled by desire to learn.

An area called Ballyglass in Mayo, where I moved home to during the pandemic. My Mum and her partner converted part of a barn into a studio space for me so that I could work towards exhibitions and save up to buy a house. I couldn't drive at the time so walks and day trips were essential for gathering source material and to familiarise myself with landscape phenomenon. Life was very simple; I benefited from the uninterrupted studio time and natural environment after 6 years spent in Glasgow. 

 

I am fortunate to live near Clew Bay which offers a range of beautiful beaches such as Bertra Strand, Old Head, and Carrownisky to name a few. I enjoy visiting these locations at all times of year, either alone or with a friend, the peaceful waters bring me calm. Often completely empty, it reminds me that even the most desolate landscapes can uplift in the middle of stark winter. Observing the coastline and being beside water is key to my understanding of the sky and the spiritual, refreshing qualities of the landscape. 

 

I always wanted to be a vet or a fashion designer! As child I was either in the garden saving birds from my cats or indoors doing art or sewing.