Life

An artist with persistence as second nature

Co Down artist Jennifer Fegan's new exhibition is a collection of paintings, ceramics and felt work - all inspired by nature. She talks to Brian Campbell

ARTIST Jennifer Fegan certainly isn't a quitter. As someone who was obsessed with art from a young age, she would regularly take part in Down Community Arts competitions. After doing so well in the contests, she admits with a laugh that failing to get through to the final round when she was in Primary Seven took her "a considerable time to come to terms with". Growing up on a farm outside Castlewellan in Co Down, Jennifer said her parents were always supportive when it came to her love of art. "It was always my favourite subject in school. I was encouraged to draw and be creative and praise was readily given from my parents for good and not-so-good paintings." After completing her A-Levels she went to BIFHE/Belfast Met to study art and design and developed a keen interest in textile art. "From there I completed a degree in Fine Art (Textiles) at the University of Ulster in Belfast, where I became adept in the art of felt-making," she says. "For me, felt-making was a natural progression within my textile art as I live on a farm with plenty of sheep's wool at hand." After exhibiting her work in Castlewellan and Newcastle, Jennifer this month has an exhibition of 30 pieces on display in the Saint Patrick Centre in Downpatrick, titled The Persistence of Nature. "It's a collection of paintings, ceramics and felt work - all inspired by nature, living in the country and being out and about and down to the nature reserve in Dundrum." One of the paintings is of steps at Dundrum Castle, while one of the ceramic/hessian pieces is inspired by the roots and trunk of a tree. "Spending time exploring the natural world you become aware of the organic way in which things grow out of control, be it an ancient tree with gnarled and twisted roots creeping over the ground or fungus and moss clinging to rocks. "Ceramics is kind of my new thing at the minute, so most of those pieces are from the last few months. "Then there are a couple of bits from university and a couple from my last exhibition at Newcastle Library last year." The artist admits that she's got even more into creating art since graduating from university. "Art college was great but then when I left I wasn't restricted to deadlines, so I've probably been enjoying it more."

? The Persistence of Nature runs at the Saint Patrick Centre in Downpatrick, Co Down until August 30.