Thanks for being with us Maeve! Can you tell us how your artistic journey started?
I grew up surrounded by art. I was lucky to have a great aunt and uncle who were artists and we had their sketchbooks in our house and their paintings on our walls. My parents were creative in their own way but they didn’t have time to really pursue art as they were too busy making a living and looking after us. When I was in secondary school I was taught by a printmaker so we were fortunate to have a big printing press and that was the start of my journey into printmaking. I loved the smell of the ink and the happy accidents that took place in printing.

How did you arrive at the theme of your work?
Like a lot of people during Lockdown I started to delve deeper into my ancestry and explored my family’s journey from the West of Ireland to Glasgow in the 19th century. My mum had told me that her family came over in the ‘Potato Famine’ to Scotland – as I discovered, it wasn’t a potato famine, it was a far more complicated and harrowing story. At the tap of a few keys on my keyboard I discovered the names of my ancestors, where they lived and what drove them to leave Ireland. It’s very hard not to try and join the dots and assume stories! However, it was plain to see in exploring documents that my family endured real hardships and prejudice yet endured and survived. As soon as I could I travelled to County Mayo where they had lived. This had a profound effect on the work that I was making.

How do you typically approach your creative process from initial inspiration to the completion of your artwork? 
I am continually thinking about my work even when I’m in my day job, which is working in the arts and heritage industry. I visit locations so that I get a real feeling of a place. Drawing, painting and photographing is my way of exploring an environment. I also pick up objects that interest me. I feel a bit like an archaeologist. When I start creating work I draw the image that I have chosen in reverse and then it’s a matter of tracing over and over the image on paper which is laid on ink rolled on perspex. I create textures from drawing, writing, blotting, placing the paper down and rubbing the back of the paper with my hand so it is a hand printed image. This can be done many times in many colours. ‘Ghost’ images are easily created through monoprinting this is achieved by drawing, printing and in doing so removing a layer of ink. I stop when I feel it is just right. I don’t always have a completed idea in my mind and often follow where the printing takes me.

How has your practice changed over time?
I have worked predominantly in printmaking. This developed into working with paper making, creating books, photography and installations. The possibilities of how paper can be shaped through etching led onto paper making. Creating narratives has always run through my work whether it is family histories or reminiscence. I’ve illustrated the stories of ballroom dancers and I’m very fortunate that my day job involves both art and collecting stories. Since having a child I have found there is an urgency in my work as I have a limited amount of time to create!

Which artists inspire you? Are there non-artistic influences such as literature or music that impact your work? 
I have long been inspired by the artist Jack B. Yeats. I first saw his work The Liffey Swim in the National Gallery of Ireland when I was 17 and I was determined then to go to Art School. More recently I have been drawn to the work of Victoria Crowe, I love her sense of place that she conveys. I was particularly drawn to her painting where she recorded her friend’s room meticulously after she had died because she knew it would soon be emptied. Christian Boltanski is also a life long influence, I’m interested in his archival approach to his work. Machal Magan has helped me gain a better understanding of the Irish landscape and language. If I’m struggling to get started I often pick up the poetry of Seamus Heaney and any writing by Andrew O’Hagan. Memory is extremely important in their work and that resonates with me.

Will your next project be a continuation of your current style or are you experimenting with something different? Can you share a glimpse of your next project?
I am currently developing monoprinting onto found textiles. I am continuing to explore my ancestors journey from Ireland to Glasgow. I have also learned two new methods of printing which is feeding into my work. Screenprinted monoprints are a really loose and expressive way of working. I find it easy to work with colour using this process. It means that you have to work quickly which allows happy accidents to happen! I have also just discovered the possibilities of gelli printing which is an extremely unpredictable way of creating monoprints using photographic images. This lends itself perfectly to my current work which has seen myself delving into archives and exploring old family photos and documents. Storytelling will always remain at the heart of what I do.

Gathering runs at Six Foot Gallery from 13th March – 27th March 2026. Connect with Maeve over on Instagram or on her website.