Marie Coyle from Downpatrick launches her first exhibition at the St Patrick Centre
Marie Coyle’s first art exhibition was launched at the Grove Gallery in the St Patrick Centre on Wednesday 1st September. She lives in Downpatrick with her husband Greg and her four sons.
Speaking at the event Marie said: “Due to Covid restrictions I was not able to have all my friends and family there.
“I’ve always felt very arty and I could paint and draw before I could talk. When I left school I studied graphic design at college in Letterkenny and shortly after that I went on to study business with the aim of setting up my own graphic design company. But circumstances took over and I ended up working in the world of accountancy.
“It was around this time that I began to have anxiety problems and panic attacks. (My first panic attack was on a double decker bus in Dublin city centre. It was the scariest experience) I was diagnosed with depression and anorexia nervosa. It took 12 years of therapy with a lovely woman in the Eating Disorders Service in Belfast to get to where I am now.
“On the long road to recovering, I found that my eating disorder was about controlling something when everything in my world felt out of control. It was only when I was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder that everything, all my actions and reactions made sense. I finally understood why I am who I am. I’m not a mental health diagnosis.
“I am a strong, courageous woman who has dealt with fear and trauma the only way I knew how. It was joining the local charity LCCL Pop Up Art that transformed my fear and self- loathing into love and healing. With the wonderful help from all the people in Pop Up Art, I came back to my one true love.
“The Artist in me was reborn. This is my first ever exhibition. Trees have always held a natural healing power to me. Go hug a tree and I dare you not to feel a little better”, Marie smiled.
“I’ve been working on the theme of trees for over a year now. This is my first exhibition and I’m really excited about it.
“I paint in acrylics and use gouache sometimes. I enjoy the textural effect of the paint and my style is quite impressionistic. The reason I picked ‘trees’ as a theme for the exhibition is that they have a healing effect on us and the world. My style was largely inspired by my son Oisin who has autism.
“My paintings represent what I see in nature…strength, rebirth and inner beauty. I hope you enjoy my journey.
“Art to me is a very healing process. I was fortunate for me to meet up with Ailish and Manus Teague at the mental health charity Pop Up Art at Life Change Changes Lives in Downpatrick where I have lived now for 22 years.”
Marie explained that Pop Up Art at Life Change Changes Lives in Downpatrick is focussed largely on up-cycling and repainting furniture and other items with other beneficial activities, and said: “I have spent some time at Pop Up Art and I really hope to get back again and do more work there. Ailish and Manus are so committed and they have been a great support to me and many others who have experienced mental health issues.”
Ailish Teague, coordinator of Life Change Changes Lives, said: “I am really encouraged by Marie’s artistic accomplishments. She has managed her mental health and portrayed it so accurately on canvas.
“We have really enjoyed her time with Pop Up Art and benefitted so much from her artistic talents, and we have missed her participation over the past year or so. Marie has been a great encouragement and support to many.”
With the full mental health, longer-term impacts of Covid-19 still to emerge, Manus Teague, LCCL, coordinator, said: “We have already noticed a significant increase in uptake of our services and we expect it to be busy going forward.”
Life Change Changes Lives is based at a street front premises in Market Street in Downpatrick, and was previously based at the Grove Shopping Centre.
Distinguished Guest.
And also enjoying the exhibition was one on Northern Ireland top artists, Gary Devon, who is also a director of Life Change Changes Lives. He holds a BA from Goldsmith’s College in London and is a member of the Royal Ulster Academy. He is Bangor based.
Gary has painted commissions for Kensington Palace for HRH Prince Charles, actress Diana Rigg and golfing commentator Peter Alliss. He has also created a 200 square feet canvas for the North Down Heritage Centre. Among his accomplishments are, he is a winner of the 2002 William Connor Prize; the Paul Henry 2010 Landscape Prize winner; and he has shown his paintings at the Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin, the Royal Ulster Academy Belfast, the Gordon Gallery in Derry and the Mullan gallery in Belfast.
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The exhibition which opened on Thursday runs through September at the St Patrick Centre in Downpatrick during opening hours.
