Geraldine Leahy/ Drawings

The eroded coastline is marked with the residual detritus of severe weather events. My practice involves the observation of these traces and imprints in the littoral landscape, the marks of both natural processes and human intervention. I explore the impermanence and mutability of a coastal environment in flux due to climate change. My process begins with walking the shoreline, observing changes in the terrain and collecting found debris. This process is recorded in drawings, made on-site and in the studio. On- site work records the coastal terrain, the atmosphere and weather. Charcoal, ink and Art Graf quickly establish a connection with the beach and are effective in describing the marks that linger in the landscape. Watercolours capture the fragility of the landscape. Rapid on-site sketches record the mutability of the eroding terrain.

I use found manmade and natural debris in the studio as alternative drawing tools, for observational drawing and in monoprinting. Using natural objects such as grasses and seaweeds as drawing tools creates fugitive marks that capture the delicate, yet tenacious nature of these materials. I experiment with using a pipette dipped in seawater, sand and pigment to depict the unique character of these natural objects. Drawing directly with pigment from a dropper captures the flowing lines of manmade items such as plastic strands.

My drawings provide inspiration for my paintings, helping me to capture the mood of the environment and the character of the found debris. Noting how natural and manmade materials are entangled on the shoreline, my finished pieces consist of layered processes that include embedding debris into the painting surface through monoprinting, and then adding and erasing paint. Unexpected transformations often occur throughout the painting process, where manmade materials adopt organic characteristics, thus confirming the entanglement of mankind and the natural environment. I hope that these small found objects, which are the focus of my work, possess the power to inspire empathy in the viewer for our fragile world.