Connected: Connemara, a joint exhibition from artists Siobhán Moore and Elaine Cunningham that celebrates friendship, shared journeys and their creative expression, is currently running in the Visitor Centre of Connemara National Park.

The title reflects  the women’s personal bond, as well as their sensitivity to the natural and observed world, says Siobhán, who explains that they first met years ago while working as medical scientists, and became friends through their shared love of painting.

They went on to study art at GMIT/ATU, graduating with BA degrees as they developed their practice  in oil, acrylic and encaustic media. “Distinctive, yet complementary,” is how they describe their work.

Elaine, a puppeteer and abstract painter, has a studio in Claregalway and she also continues part-time with lab work.  That’s reflected in her art, as she finds echoes between the miscropic patterns and structures of science and the largescale landscapes of the West of Ireland.

Siobhán’s calm, abstracted seascapes and landscapes capture the rhythm of the Atlantic coast and the western landscape, evoking emotion, time and place.

This celebration of connection “between people, nature and creative expression” in the National Park at Letterfrack offers people “an authentic and accessible encounter with contemporary art, surrounded by the natural beauty of Connemara”, the women say.

“Our artworks are influenced by the landscape and sea of the West of Ireland and it is a particular privilege to be asked to show in the National Park,” adds Elaine.

Connected is on display in the exhibition space beside the café at Connemara National Park Visitor Centre, Letterfrack, (H91 K2Y1) until Saturday, January 31, from  9am to 5.30pm daily.

Pictured: Weathered by Siobhán Moore, acrylic on canvas.