My new collection is here! 2022 has been the best year for my business and I want to celebrate it. This exhibition is called ‘Feels like home’ and it is a collection of paintings which are abstract in their style and I would love you to read more about them in the description below.

To find out more about specific paintings please e mail hello@alyharte.com and I will be in touch with further details or to arrange a viewing.

‘Feels like home… changing the language of loss’

Grief made a mark on my life when my Dad died in 1991. It was exactly one week before my 8th birthday and a distinct memory I have is when he promised to make my party in a wheelchair.

I have a strong interest in psychology and how the human brain works. The age of eight is a pinnacle age for kids’ awareness. So, from my eighth birthday, although I only remember Mr wimpy’s striped suit (the Northern Ireland equivalent of McDonalds in the 90s) and my Mum’s calf skimming flowery skirt ( evident appreciation of good costumes) I knew my life had changed.

M

Change is something I want to bring about with this exhibition of paintings. Specifically changing the language of loss. For many years I was pitied and sometimes teased because of the fatherless existence that I lived. My Mum held the candle and to this day she is my hero .Nonetheless, grief overshadowed a bit of who I was. I tried endlessly to make people laugh because it was a better fit for me than watching them cry. I’d rather please the masses than cause disruption or  fuel a fire of concern.

There is good in the language of loss also. I am able to recognise empathy. I know that someone dying is so very real. I’m not afraid to help you talk about the everyday moments you shared with them. The t shirt they wore, a day trip to the coast, their song on the radio, an ice cream with chocolate sauce or Saturday newspaper that makes you look twice.

I  journey my loss through the application of paint. I would love you to join me and to recognise placing importance on everyday moments, memories, places and things that weave together this thing we call life.

Thick paint, expressive brush marks and scores of graphite make up my latest body of emotionally rich paintings. The paintings are aptly named ‘Feels like home’ because they are an extension of me. They hold the beautiful tension between loss, humour and joy that I have grown up in. Abstract in style and uplifting in their display.

Enjoy the association and nostalgia that each piece carries. Make sure to check out the name of the painting to provoke your own memory..

A stunning piece which would hold space on any wall.

A great gift for art lovers.

All original artwork is shipped free of charge.

Personalised gift notes can be added at checkout.

If you are interested in any of my original paintings viewings can be arranged by clicking HERE

The inspiration behind the painting

I made this over a few months. The final layer was in April 2022 when inspired by the blooming cherry blossom trees in my area.

About the artist

Aly is a Northern Irish based Artist, Writer and Educator.  One of Northern Ireland’s top artists, widely known for her Belfast prints and impressionist techniques. She has several accolades to her name, most recently:

> Nominated 40 under 40

> Listed as top 100 / Small Business Saturday

> Finalist in the East Side Awards

Aly works from a studio near Belfast which is conducive to her family life with her husband and their three young boys.

She is passionate about placing importance on everyday moments, objects and places in her oil paintings and pastel work.This is one of the many reasons Aly is a well established artist in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the United States of America.

Her practice is influenced heavily by her own childhood memories of growing up in a smallholding in the Irish countryside.

Themes of the familiar and familial can be traced back as far as her degree show in 2003 when her installation “Daddy’s bread” used 795 empty bread bags (of her father’s favourite loaf) to represent each week from when her Father passed until the opening of her final exhibition.

Aly was awarded a first class honours degree and a distinction in her Masters in Fine Art which she completed following her degree. Specializing in Acrylic, oil and Mixed Media Aly has a love for creating stunning vibrant paintings.  Along with a love of monochrome and simple sketches.

Find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn 

Click here for my linktr.ee

And don’t forget to check out my BLOG

Here is a place where you can find recipes, information on physical wellbeing, travel and home ideas as well as life ramblings.

I use art in all it’s mediums to express my love for the “everyday”. Coffee cups, familiar landmarks, colour associations. All of these, I believe, contribute to what is known as our “everyday”. Not only do I love drawing them, I think they are worth placing importance on.

This blog is an extension of my creativity.

I convey a realistic (the good, the bad, the funny, the sad) view into the life of a family woman, a homemaker and a business woman on a journey of physical and mental wellness.

Have fun navigating the site and don’t hesitate to send me a note if you want to know more.

All images are copyright @alyharte     

Thank you for browsing my work.