Elizabeth Cope has returned from a productive season painting in South America; Alannah Hopkin previews the chromatic results to go on view this autumn at the Origin Gallery, Dublin
I paint anywhere and everywhere, and always from life’ says Elizabeth Cope. ‘The painting evolves as I work. I usually paint what’s around me, I just paint serendipitously, if you like.’ The result is, not surprisingly, characterized by spontaneity and energy, often with a humorous touch. Decorative and figurative, the domestic interiors, animals, plant life, streetscapes, portraits and self-portraits are a record of Cope’s world, a world in which there are no boundaries between her everyday domestic life and her art. She cites Matisse and Raoul Dufy as influences, and reveres Monet, but over her long career her own flamboyant style has become unmistakable.
With the recent passing of Ronald Tallon, Seán Ó Laoire reflects on the end of an era and remembers Michael Scott, founder and charismatic figurehead of Scott Tallon Walker
Catherine Marshall assesses the unwavering artistic journey of Maria Simonds-Gooding in advance of her retrospective in Dublin
The class of 2014 is looking anew to the tangible joys of creativity, in contrast to its documentation, writes Gerry Walker of the trends emerging from this year’s graduate shows.