The Folds of Loughshinny Art Exhibition

Maeve McGowan is a contemporary Irish painter based in Balrothery, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin. Her work inhabits the space between observation and wonder – where the earth’s deep history meets the expressive voice of paint and material. In her latest series, Strata & Stories, Maeve turns her gaze to the dramatic geological folds and joints of Loughshinny Harbour, exploring how time, pressure, and form can be translated into visual rhythm. 

Loughshinny’s cliffs – with their sweeping folds and stark fractures – speak of eons. Shales and limestones, once layered with quiet regularity beneath ancient seas, were later twisted and buckled by tectonic forces. These forms, rigid yet flowing, became Maeve’s muse: structures that mirror both the dynamic forces of nature and the emotional landscapes of human experience. 

To channel these elemental energies, Maeve developed a bold, tactile approach. Each canvas begins with hand-applied plaster, built up and carved to evoke the undulating folds and sharp joints that define the harbour’s ancient rocks. Through texture and relief she captures not just the shape, but the gesture of geological movement – the push and pull of strata over time. 

Over this sculpted surface, acrylic paint flows and pools in luminous layers. Maeve’s palette – muted greys, warm ochres, cool blues, and hints of fossil black – is drawn from the natural tones of Loughshinny’s stone. She works with both precision and spontaneity: sweeping strokes that suggest broad geological sweep, and fine lines that echo the delicate veins and fractures of rock. The interaction between plaster and paint creates surfaces that both reflect and cast shadows, inviting viewers to feel the depth and dimensionality of each piece. 

In Strata & Stories, the geological becomes personal. Maeve sees in these ancient folds echoes of memory, tension, and resilience. “The cliffs,” she says, “are like compressed narratives – layers of time made visible. I want my paintings to be felt as much as seen, as if you can sense the slow heartbeat of the earth under your fingertips.” 

Maeve’s practice is rooted in place and process. Living and working in Balrothery, she often walks the coastal paths near Balbriggan and Loughshinny, sketchbook in hand, tuning her eye to the contours and textures of her surroundings. The resulting works – rich in surface and steeped in narrative – invite audiences to reconsider the silent stories beneath their feet. 

Through plaster and paint, Strata & Stories doesn’t just depict geological forms – it honors them: as archives of time, as sparks for imagination, and as bridges between the material world and the human spirit.