Laura McMorrow

Laura McMorrow is currently working on a new series of paintings based on gardens. The work covers all aspects of gardening but focuses on our relationship with nature and our desire to control nature by weeding, trimming or containing it. She is interested in sharing her love of the natural world with young people under 13 years.

During her residency, Laura will explore themes connected to the landscape, both real and imagined. Investigating ideas around the concept of ‘a sense of place’ using different techniques such as collage, stop motion animation, drawing and assemblage and in a series of workshops, where sustainable materials will be used, such as repurposed, recycled and natural plant materials - from cardboard packaging to willow sticks and bits and bobs that Laura has collected over the years. Materials function as a natural starting point for the act of making and the act of playing, and their subsequent transformations become an intrinsic part of the creative process. This residency will provide a space for children to develop their creative voice in art, decision-making, and creativity. Laura shows in her exploratory workshops that art can be fun, playful and humorous, and that our natural storytelling skills are activated through making art together and working on a solo project, and that a young person’s innate curiosity is ignited by the natural world.

Laura McMorrow is a visual artist based in Leitrim. She holds a Masters in Fine Art from the University of Ulster. Her practice combines painting, sculpture, video, collage and installation. Laura is currently working on a new series of paintings based on gardens. She has recently been an artist-in-residence at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre.

In 2017, Laura was awarded the Burren College of Art Emerging Irish Residency Award and has worked in the National Drawing Collection of Ireland. Recent exhibitions include a solo show at Leitrim Sculpture Centre and group exhibitions at 126 Gallery in Galway and Catalyst Arts Gallery in Belfast