Artist Interviews: Niamh Eldridge-Barry

Niamh with one of her artworks

This month, we interviewed another artist from the Artists Collective: Niamh Eldridge Barry, from Rathmore, Nass, Co. Kildare. Niamh has had a passion for art since childhood and joined the Artists Collective in 2023.

How many years have you been an artist?

Niamh: I have enjoyed art throughout my whole life, but in recent years, since I’ve been with Connection Artists, I've felt like a professional artist. And so, in the last 3 or 4 years, I felt like, “Oh, I am an artist”. 

What tools do you use to create your art? 

Niamh: I have used a lot of materials over the years. When I first started to get into painting, I used oils, but I didn't like the fumes, and they just dried for such a long time. 

So I started to use acrylics, and I enjoy using the acrylics because they're fast-drying. 

I think, with acrylics, you get so much more texture in your paintings. I also paint with watercolour and gouache as well. 

Jenny: Yes, I heard that you've been doing our classes with D, and they're superb; you know, how you get so much detail into watercolour.

You also had some news; you were in a college! 

Niamh: Over the summer, I spent a week in the Burren Art College in County Clare. I wanted to do something like that for a long time. So my mom and I got grants to do it. So I took the ‘Landscape of the Burren’ course, and it was really exciting. We sketched and painted outside, and I haven't really done live painting before, in public as well, so that was quite daunting. 

I gained more confidence because we were taught to go back to using the primary colours, like we weren't allowed to use pre-made black or green. 

I really enjoyed learning all the colours again because you can get so lazy using all the pre-made tubes. 

What is your art all about? 

Niamh: A lot of my art is landscapes and animals. In my landscapes, I like to put some animals here and there in them as well. So I would often try to put a cat in it, everything, as much as I can, if I have an excuse. 

Jenny: It's like your signature. 

Niamh: Yeah, my art teacher finds it funny because she noticed I always have my animals kind of look like they're arguing or something like that in the painting. 

What are your biggest inspirations as an artist? 

Niamh: My biggest inspiration is the landscape. I live out in the country, so I'm very lucky to have it in my back garden. I also found an artist called Susanna Drury. She was an Irish landscape artist in the Victorian era, I think. She focused on so much detail in her paintings, like her Giant’s Causeway painting. 

The best part about nature is that there are no straight lines. That's what I enjoy about it the most. 

Where do you create your art? 

Niamh: I have a little desk just behind me, right in the corner of the room. I also sit outside on a nice day; I like to do some art outside when I can. 

Do you usually paint from photographs or from memory or from looking directly at something?

Niamh: Mostly, I paint from photographs, but in recent times, I've been trying to test myself more. Ever since I did the course, I've been trying to challenge myself by doing plein air sketches. And try to paint from memory as well. 

What is your favourite thing about being an artist? 

Niamh: Being able to observe nature a lot and notice the different colours and colour mixing. 

I enjoy capturing memories. 

When did you first join Connections Arts Centre? 

Niamh: I first joined CAC in 2023. I heard about Connection Artists through a family friend; I applied last minute, and the rest is history. 

What has your experience been like with CAC and the Collective?

Niamh: It's been a life-changing experience. I really enjoy the collective. We meet up once a month on Zoom, and an artist from the community shares their skills with a workshop. 

Being with Connection Artists gave me so much more confidence. I've made lots of new friends, and I've never experienced such a supportive, kind and non-judgmental community. 

Jenny: You have done amazing workshops, and you also got the chance to be a mentor!

Niamh: I did. I came back in 2024 as a mentor to give back. And I enjoyed that experience as well. It was a different perspective, coming back as a mentor.

Jenny: What a journey you have been on. 

Niamh: Yeah, I'm very grateful for the journey that I've been on. I remember when I first learned how important the RHA was to get into it. I remember telling my childhood art teacher that I got into the RHA, and she dropped her pencil in surprise.

Have you noticed a change in yourself or others since joining Connections Arts Centre? 

Niamh: I feel more competent within myself, and I’m more confident in showing my art to the public. 

Do you have a quote that you love, or that describes your journey as an artist?

Niamh: I quite like one that I remember seeing before that said, “Life is a colour” or something similar. I really enjoy having lots of colour in my landscapes and life.