Olive
“My inspiration comes from observation. An idea behind the vision becomes an expression.
A simple interpretation with a bit of imagination to convey enough information
in a mixed media composition.”
Olive working in her studio on a mixed media Dolmen in acrylic, graphite and sand on canvas.
I am fascinated by exploring different ways of using and combining media, embracing the process of discovery as an essential part of my practice. While I usually begin with a clear sense of the subject matter, I rarely know exactly how it will be represented in the final work.
This unpredictability is what makes mixed media so exciting. It sparks my imagination, encourages experimentation, and gives me the freedom to incorporate my poetry alongside other materials and techniques, creating connections that often reveal themselves along the way.
Stone circle copper plate etching and art print
Olive Murray, painter and poet, was born in Co. Westmeath, Ireland in 1951. She is the fourth of a family of eight. Her love of poetry came from her fathers side Dan Leavy, a head master, and the love of painting from her mother Joan.
Olive studied art and wood sculpture in the early seventies. Her first solo exhibition took place in the Brown Thomas Gallery Dublin 1982, and subsequent solo exhibitions abroad in the Chadwick Gallery London and the Olin Galleria Brussels.
Her work has also been selected for numerous group exhibitions including the RHA, an tOireachtas, the Metropolitan Art Museum Tokyo, The Vorpal Gallery New York, The RHA Banquet Academy exhibition, the Grand View Fine Arts, Brisbane and Queens University Belfast.
Olive is now living in Wicklow and is constantly inspired to paint and write. She has received awards for both her painting and poetry.