SIX artists from Rossmore have come together to create a community. The group consists of Lesley Cox, Eadaoin Harding Kemp, Anne Harrington Rees, Sara Hodson, Etain Hickey and Jim Turner.

Their aim is to explore their connections to the landscape, their environment and each other, to celebrate the diversity of work created, whether they are using clay, natural fibres or paint as a vehicle for personal expression.

Each is a professional artist with many years of experience and are widely exhibited nationally and internationally with work in many collections. Although each have different backgrounds, all are professional artists who share a love of nature and their West Cork surroundings. All six artists have a studio in a somewhat rural idyll that inspires them and their work. All have a passion for nature, and all are keen gardeners.

Eadaoin Harding Kemp is renowned for her ‘Smeara dubha’ textured oil paintings where you feel you could reach in and pluck a blackberry from canvas. She delves deep into the growing process of renewal, and the life cycle.  Her landscapes are full of colour, texture and deep-seated feelings for the subject matter.

Sara Hodson is the first Irish artist to be elected a full member of the UK Society of Equestrian artists.  She has completed several notable commissions including a painting for HRH Sheik Hamdan Al Maktoum and a life-size resin horse sculpture for a public arts trail in Ireland.

Jim Turner is a distinguished figure in Irish ceramics, celebrated for his pioneering contributions to the field over a career spanning five decades. A recipient of numerous honours, including the DCCI Excellence in Making Award and the Irish Ceramics Award for Outstanding Achievement, he continues to inspire through his mastery of form, deep material understanding, and lifelong advocacy for the ceramic arts in Ireland.

Lesley Cox is noted for her semi abstract landscapes which are evocative of West Cork with its beautiful light, rapidly changing weather and wilder remote places. Using a palette knife, Lesley layers oil paint and scrapes back to reveal hidden details.

Anne Harrington Rees makes award winning sculptural baskets and colourful textiles and prints; she creates so that people can experience the magic of nature in their own home. She constructs sculptural baskets from natural materials found growing locally, like Bramble, Honeysuckle and Rush, as well as using flax fibres and sea/sun bleached Kelp.

Etain Hickey is a renowned Irish ceramicist whose vibrant, intricately decorated works have become a hallmark of contemporary Irish ceramics. Her practice is deeply rooted in the natural world and draws inspiration from Japanese Ikigai philosophy, combining painterly surface decoration with joyful, nature-inspired forms. She seeks a meditative approach to working with clay—creating painted surfaces that explore the subconscious connection between hand, heart, and head.

Whilst the group is at any early stage, they have been successful in securing an exhibition in Cnoc Buí Art Centre, Union Hall in early April. Their goal is to present their varied work in an accessible way to people who would perhaps not usually visit a gallery.

They will host a group discussion about their practice and hold Meet the Maker sessions which they hope will engage the audience to help understand their work and their vision. Dates for the group discussion and Meet the Maker sessions will be announced nearer the opening.