A new solo exhibition from city based artist Helen Caird will open in the Oughterard Courthouse Gallery next Friday, February 9, and will run until Sunday, February 18.

Nature is to the fore in An Ode to Roots, Vessels and All things Golden – something that won’t surprise those who know Helen through her involvement with the Terryland Forest Park Alliance in the city. She’s been involved with the group since 2014 and her drawings on the information boards of this urban forest park illustrate the native wildlife that’s found there.

Helen who is a member of Artspace Studios, where she serves on the board, graduated from the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology in 2011 with a BA (hons) in Fine Art.

Her pieces for this exhibition include drawing and collage and there’s a hint of playfulness as she explores the interconnection and beauty of all things in the natural world.  Much of her work is inspired by her local surroundings, as she seeks to demonstrate “how all living and non-living organisms are vessels in one way or another”.

She also works to create roots –  physical and metaphorical.

“The vessels provide safety, nourishment and warmth, and roots provide sustenance and stability,” she explains. Gold features large in Helen’s work as it represents “the beauty and preciousness of nature”.

Her colleague in the Terryland Forest Park, Brendan ‘Speedy’ Smith, will officially open the exhibition in Oughterard Courthouse next Friday, February 9. The opening is from 7-9pm and all are welcome.

The show is open 10am-5.30pm daily at Oughterard Courthouse until February 19.

Pictured: Two hares in a field of gold, one of the works on display in Helen’s new exhibition.