Preserved by paint: artist records Westmeath's heritage
Galway artist Bernice Cooke launches her exhibition ‘Stone Tape II The Westmeath Tale’ in Mullingar, this week.
“We are all custodians of the buildings we are fortunate enough to call home… We cannot bring them with us when we pass on to the next plane.” Bernice Cooke lives by this mantra, the idea that has propelled her upcoming exhibition, opening this evening, Tuesday June 27 at 5.30pm, in the Atrium County Buildings, Mullingar.
The artworks bring buildings to life on canvas; buildings of our history, some which are no longer with us, and others which have been given a new lease of life and are now family homes. With pen and watercolour, Bernice captures the detail and beauty of buildings, and that is the main focus of Stone Tape II The Westmeath Tale.
Bernice spent months researching, editing, reading and writing about each of the 25 buildings featured in her exhibition, getting a sense of the history and stories associated with each one, lifting the rug on the past and exposing, stone by stone, the magnificent structures in the Westmeath countryside.
Among those featured are Athlone Castle, Sean’s Bar, and Fore Abbey.
This is Bernice’s second solo exhibition, following a successful Stone Tape exhibit last year in Portumna Castle.
Bernice, a self-taught artist, has been sitting at her easel for more than 15 years and has only recently braved stepping out into the public to showcase her work.
Stone Tape II The Westmeath Tale will run until Friday July 7. All are welcome to this evening’s official opening.