Sonya Magill

Bangor based artist, Sonya Magill, adds to the long tradition of seascape painting and follows in the footsteps of and is influenced by the works of Manet, Monet and Turner. Seascape painting is a subject matter that ebbs and flows in popularity with artists, but it is a subject that many artists return to as if drawn by the mystery of the sea itself.   Magill has taken her childhood enthusiasm for art and yearning to experience local seascapes from the Northern Ireland coastline and added to this her adult enjoyment of cold sea swimming.  With this combination of influences she creates unique seascapes that are compelling and full of passion. There is a frenetic quality to her application of oil paint with forceful brush strokes, slicing palette knife and intense hand work.  She creates images reminiscent of Manet’s ‘The Wave’ and Turner’s ‘The Slave Ship’ using competing and contrasting colours and textures.  Sonya Magill’s painting can be enjoyed in many ways including the sumptuous application of paint and the entrancing quality of her images.