‘The Stillness’

Written By Maria Noonan-McDermott

This is my new painting, 'The Stillness', inspired by my feelings and experiences during the pandemic and the aftermath.

At the time, It felt like a darkness descended. There was an eerie sense of foreboding. A stillness mixed with shock and disbelief when we, as a nation, were plunged into the unknown and an entire world came to a sudden halt.

It's still surreal to imagine that we are living through history.  A time that will be documented and recorded for generations to come. 

Eight months on and it feels like a never-ending road with no destination in sight. The initial temporary uncertainty has altered, the constant fear has subsided,  but the unease remains. Also true, our vigilance, our awareness of surroundings and our examination of boundaries in relation to personal health and safety,  all remain precarious. This, we know now, will be our new norm for the foreseeable future. 

If there is a silver lining, in my case, it's learning to focus on the here and now and appreciate the people who are most important in my life. 

The lock down and subsequent months gave me time to pause and reevaluate other aspects of my life too, including my art practice. I realised my total reliance on the physical galleries to work on my behalf.  It was time to pull my weight in this area too.

I made a conscious effort to push myself forward in regard to business and promotion.  It wasn't that long ago, I was asking my son, how to work Instagram! Now, I am at a stage where I’ve researched, learned to design, create content and publish my own website.  

The goal posts may have moved but I am not going to sit on the side lines feeling left behind, excluded and undervalued. I am actively learning to embrace new technologies and approaching them with a different viewpoint. Changes are what’s called for and as creatives, we are no strangers to struggling and adapting.

Don’t get me wrong, I still feel like an 'New-Age crooner' and still find it challenging but I'm grasping with both hands, this new way of working and learning.  I relish the collective sharing of ideas and support from other artists through new online platforms and forums..  

I have no idea what the next year will bring but I'm sure it will pose its own particular set of challenges. We must continue to be strong in the belief that there is a light beyond the horizon.

‘The Stillness’ Oil on canvas, 51cm x 61cm.

‘The Stillness’
Oil on canvas,
51cm x 61cm.

Maria Noonan-McDermott

Irish Artist Maria Noonan-McDermott Bio


Originally from Donegal, Irish artist and poet Maria Noonan McDermott now lives and works from her studio in Kinlough, Co. Leitrim.


Heavily influenced by the impressionist movement, her work focuses on the study of light and form in Irish landscapes.

With a love of folklore and story-telling, Noonan McDermott's influences lie in rural Ireland, it is in these magical places that share a colloquial history where stories and the people are often ingrained into the landscape.


I began my artistic career in Dublin in 1985 and qualified in Fashion and Design. I returned to college and completed a certificate in visual education before continuing on to study Fine Art. In the year 1990, I had my first solo exhibition of paintings. The feedback and encouragement I received helped direct me on my current path.


My work has always been influenced by a deep connection with the natural environment, the beautiful rugged Irish landscape with its endlessly changing skies and dramatic seas. I am equally fascinated by the people that the land holds so tightly and am firmly bound in kinship with their poetic writing, their stories and soulful lyrics.


I've always been in awe of the storyteller, those gifted people who so fluidly guide you into their fantasy worlds, who submerge you so deeply, you cry, laugh and often seethe with anger and frustration. To me, this is true magic, possessing the rare skill of creating something from nothing, evoking such passion and emotion.


Growing up I found words didn't come so easily to me, art and writing became my outlet. I was transformed into the 'Cailleach Feasa', the storyteller. I recorded and recollected all the tales from times gone by, breathing life back into places and quirky characters I met along the way.


I was raised in a small village in Donegal and like most small communities in Ireland, it was filled with the most amazing characters.


As a child, my head was filled with fantastical stories told and dramatised by neighbours and family, the gatekeepers of local history. These tales, were, of course, exaggerated and embellished with such fun and gusto, like only true Irish seanchai can, that I couldn't help growing up with a great love of the people around me and all their fascinating antics.


In my work, I narrate the stories with colour and humour as over the years they've formed and shaped in my memory.
My paintings become the text and you the reader and as the reader, you are challenged to participate and choose your own journey. Thus, enabling the story to live all over again!


This attachment is ingrained in my work and I strive to bring forth its warmth in the most honest and pure way I know how.

https://www.marianoonan-mcdermott.com
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