Guest blog by Aisling Drennan

Hi all,

I hope everyone is minding themselves during this surreal time and that everyone is staying safe. I became a member of  WIN late last year and it has been a really fulfilling experience for me so far. Meeting so many successful Irish women has been inspiring. Once the virus has passed I hope to get to meet more of you! 

I am a contemporary abstract painter and came to London to do my Masters in Fine Art at Central Saint Martins. Since graduating in 2014 I’ve been selected for solo and group exhibits, art residencies, commissions and free-lanced as a teacher. Unfortunately due to Covid 19 all upcoming work has been cancelled. Times like these require some lateral, outside of the box thinking and so ‘artistsupportpledge’ has been established. 

If you are not aware of this it’s a simple concept that is happening internationally to support the creative industry. Artists commit to selling work at a reduced rate of £200 (plus p&p). Once they reach sales of £1,000 they pledge to buy another artist’s work thus creating a support network. 

Working in the arts can be precarious at the best of times but it’s also hugely fulfilling. I have a studio at Delta House Studios in Earlsfield which is a creative hub of artists, musicians and designers. These people are my community; we support, debate and are constantly learning from each other. Working in isolation highlights the importance of this community and the brilliance of us coming together in a caring commerce collective that both promotes and protects art and artists. 

Below is a selection of work I have pledged to this initiative. All are for sale at the reduced price of £200. I think ‘artistsupportpledge’ is a fantastic concept because first of all you are supporting the arts and secondly it’s a great way to build your art collection!

Money On You, 2018, oil paint and charcoal on canvas, 30×30 cm

 Give It Stick, 2018, oil paint and charcoal on canvas, 30x30cm 

Look Out, 2018, oil paint and charcoal on canvas, 25×25 cmStumbling Rotations, 2018, oil paint and charcoal on canvas, 40x40cm

A Pause, A Happiness, 2018, oil paint and charcoal on canvas, 30x30cm

Please look up artistsupportpledge to see more available work from a wide range of artists. Thank you in advance for your generosity to the creative community during these difficult times.All the best, Aisling

Aisling Drennan holds a Masters in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins, UK and a BFA (First) from CAMM, IRE. 

Accolades include: 2019 Selected artist in residence at Cill Rialaig Artists Centre (IRE); 2018 Shortlisted for the John Moore’s painting prize (Liverpool), Jacksons Open painting prize (London) and the Visual Art Open (Chester); 2017 selected Fujitsu artist for global ad campaign; 2017 State Magazine (issue 23) listing as ‘one to watch’; 2011 winner of the Freyer Award in recognition of excellence for painting from the Royal Dublin Society Art Awards (IRE). Drennan was the cover artist for Risk magazine (Feb 2015/ March 2017) and the Good Art Guide (Sept 2016)

Drennan makes abstract oil paintings about the variable properties of oil paint, how it can be structured and the consequence of mark-making on canvas.

Working analytically the paintings are visual dialogues seeking the delicate balance between chaos and structure with a ruthlessness in how information is selected and deleted.

Each painting is constructed to a point of completion through a process of paint layering and specific application of vinyl tape. It is then deconstructed through the removal of tape, revealing painted under and over layers; a practice of finding and losing the painting until visually robust.

Her practice is influenced by the abstract expressionist movement and the expressive content of her own experiences as a professional dancer.  Artists such as Joan Mitchel, Sean Scully, Fiona Rae and Willem de Kooning have informed her development arriving at its current state where the onus is on the physical act of painting. Drennan’s approach to painting is playful, even irresponsible at times; a concoction of ultimate strife and ultimate indulgence.

If you are a WIN member and would like to write a guest blog, please get in touch at info@womensirishnetwork.com