Alex McGarry & Helen Brady - Original Landscapes

About

This month, No Naked Walls would like to introduce you to the work of Alex McGarry and Helen Brady. In keeping with the gallery's core identity, the artists present two distinctive interpretations of the landscape painting genre.
Alex McGarry is an award winning professional artist, who specialises in painting British Landscapes. In 2002 Alex successfully passed a National Diploma in 3D Design, following which she worked as an Interior Designer for three years. During this time she produced all the paintings for new show homes for an international building developer. In 2008 and as a direct result of her success, Alex launched a career as a full time artist and began exhibiting her work around the UK. She is a member of several art societies including the prestigious Marwell International Wildlife Art Society (MIWAS). In 2009, Alex's painting 'Horses in the Snow' won the public vote for 'Best in Show' at the Mottisfont Abbey exhibition from among 200 exhibited paintings. In May 2010 Alex took up residency for six months at the Weyhill Design Centre near Andover in Hampshire.
Alex's inspiration is primarily taken from the beautiful and tranquil rural countryside of Southern England. She has a deep fascination for the changing seasons and aims to capture the different lighting each season brings - from the warm, rich sunsets of summer, to the cool bluey hue of snowfalls in winter. Alex paints in oil on canvas, using the layering techniques of the old masters to achieve a special depth and quality to her work.
Helen Brady graduated from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, with a degree in Fine Art and Spanish. She also gained an MPhil through her thesis examining the relationship between poetry and painting, focussing on the work of Rafael Alberti. Her interest in this area stemmed from a year living in Madrid.
Helen initially pursued a career in languages, but continued to paint in her spare time. In 2010 she decided to return to painting full time, and started her own company, Inspired Spaces, working as a mural and decorative painter. This has allowed Helen to pursue her love of landscape painting once more.
Helen's work contemplates the landscapes that are familiar to her, be it through local knowledge, familial links or her love of travel. Closer to home, these include the North Yorkshire Moors and Surrey countryside, and further afield the landscape of the Himalaya, California and it's coast and parks, and most recently the awe inspiring vistas of Patagonia. These exciting and diverse locations allow Helen to explore her use of colour, movement and texture to bring the places which have inspired her to life.