Taking inspiration from the Romantic Era painter, J.M.W. Turner, these mixed media paintings attempt to encapsulate the Romantic style which was driven by the immediacy of personal experience, emotion, and the boundless power of imagination.
Nautical art has been a long established motif, which for many has been used to convey a connection to the beauty and hardships the sea provides. For Heaney, these paintings accentuate the abstract upheaval often felt during transit, evoking the resilience and strength of those who persevere and dream. This is a call back to the memento mori theme commonly found in Heaney’s earlier works, which references her experience of paternal loss.
Influenced by her dad’s love of history and naval vessels, Heaney adds detailed pen and ink illustrations of ships from both historical and fictional seafaring tales. A nod to Turner’s lesser known forays into printmaking, these illustrations are used to help ground the turbulent, expressively colourful and often violent marine paintings.
