About the Artist…

Born in Donegal, Irish artist Maria Noonan-McDermott now lives and works from her studio in Kinlough, Co. Leitrim. She is ideally nestled between the Sligo, Donegal and Fermanagh borders. a constant inspiration for her work.

She exhibits throughout her native Ireland and has been represented by galleries in Dublin, , Leitrim, Sligo, Donegal, Clare, Fermanagh and Antrim. Her work is held in private and corporate collections throughout Ireland, England, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Canada and America.

With a love of folklore and story-telling, Noonan McDermott's inspirations lie in rural Ireland, it is in these magical places that share a colloquial history where stories and the people are often intermingled with the landscape.

My work is 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.

I've always been in awe of the storyteller, those gifted people who beguile you with their fantasy worlds, who immerse you so deeply, you cry, laugh and seethe with frustration. To me, this is true magic, possessing the rare skill of creating something from nothing, evoking such passion and emotion.

Growing up I found words didn't come so easily to me, art became my outlet. I was transformed into the 'Cailleach Feasa', the storyteller. I recollected and resurrected all the tales from times gone by, breathing life back into places and quirky characters I met along the way.

I was raised in a small village in Donegal and like most small communities in Ireland, it was filled with the most amazing characters.

As a child, my head was filled with fantastical stories told and dramatised by neighbours and family, the gatekeepers of local history. These tales were, of course, exaggerated and embellished with such fun and fervour, like only true Irish 'Seanchai' can, that I couldn't help growing up with a great love of the people around me and their fascinating antics.

In my work, I narrate the stories with colour and humour as over the years they've formed and shaped in my memory.

My paintings become the text and you become the reader and as the reader, you are challenged to participate and choose your own journey. In this way, enabling the story to live all over again!

Over the years my paintings have developed and evolved. The sense of who I am, my personal philosophy and spiritual growth all contribute to my belief that we are all bound in kinship to each other and to the land.

This attachment is ingrained in my work and I strive to bring forth its warmth in the most honest and pure way I know how.

Hope you enjoy this little introduction and I trust you’ll find my paintings better than my technical skills with the camera!. That will have to be my next online course.