BELFAST-based Fermanagh artist Eimear Campbell has both photography skills and a way with a paintbrush.

Working primarily on canvas using acrylic paint as her medium of choice, she creates stunning landscape art using rich colours and bold brush marks.

Recently venturing out as a full-time artist and photographer, Eimear has plans to develop her work into larger-scale pieces, to really showcase her artistic style.

Here she talks to The Impartial Reporter about her artistic background, her favourite project, to date, and what art means to her.

What is your artistic background?

MY ARTISTIC interest began at a young age; I was always creating art, and in school I was one of those pupils who never left the art department!

I knew I wanted to pursue a career in art, so I went on to study a Foundation Degree in Art and Design, followed by a Ba Hons Degree in Photography at the Ulster University Belfast.

Since then, much of my practice has been self-taught, –there’s so much you can learn from online courses and from other creatives now; Instagram has been fantastic for this.

You can follow my account to see how my process has developed at @eimearcampbell_art_photography.

What inspires your art?

MY ART is inspired by everyday experiences, mostly from nature and the effect it has on our senses, from smells to textures.

I express these feelings of being out in our beautiful landscapes through the colours and mediums I use in my painting.

Who/what are your biggest influences?

RECENTLY there has been a fantastic boost in support for local businesses. With this I have discovered so many inspiring small local businesses and Irish creatives that I feel have influenced and encouraged me personally.

I find my painting is influenced increasingly by modern contemporary Irish artists such as Ciara Gilmore, Sharon Millar and Anna McKeever.

I also find interiors and design influence my choice of colours and textures, depending on the look I feel influenced by at the time.

Is there a specific place that you do your work? Do you have a studio?

MY DREAM is to have my own studio with the space to create large artworks; however, for now I work from the spare room in my home in Belfast.

What has been your most ambitious piece, to date?

RECENTLY I created a series of paintings, entitled ‘Darkness Into Light’ – this work was influenced by the intense feeling of unknowing and looking towards the future, hoping for brighter days during this past year living with the Covid-19 pandemic.

The largest piece for this series was a painting of the Mourne Mountains.

This piece took several weeks to complete and many chops and changes, but ultimately I loved the challenge and was delighted with the piece once I’d finished.

What different artistic media do you use and which is your favourite?

IN TERMS of media I use acrylic paints and thick mediums to create texture and dimension to my paintings.

What are you currently working on?

THESE past few months I have been really busy with commissions, which has been fantastic.

I’ve also released a new product – painted bookmarks – which have been really popular especially for gift ideas.

I’m looking forward to starting some new work for the summer.

Do you exhibit your work anywhere?

YOU can find a few pieces of work for sale in the ‘2020 Art' gallery in Whitehead.

With new work planned for summer, I am also hoping to distribute some more pieces to other galleries and shops.

Any new artistic ventures planned for 2021?

I HAVE just recently ventured into full-time employment as an artist and photographer, so I am really excited to see what this year will bring.

I plan to create some larger artworks that really showcase my style and work on new products to accompany the bookmarks.

I would also love to collaborate with other local creatives and hope to exhibit my work in a few more galleries and shops, particularly in the Fermanagh area.

What has been your favourite project, to date?

MY FAVOURITE project has to be the recent ‘Darkness Into Light’ series I mentioned previously.

With these paintings, I feel like I really found my style and was a bit more ambitious with the colours and textures I used.

For this series I created four mini A5 paintings and the large Mournes piece.

What are you up to when you aren’t creating art?

I LOVE the sea, so I find cold water dips and surfing are a great way to recharge the mind. Any spare time I have I’ll head out for walks; exploring Lough Navar or anywhere around the Fermanagh lakes and countryside is my 'happy place'.

How would you describe your artistic style?

I WOULD describe my painting style as free and atmospheric.

What does your art mean to you?

WHEN creating art I feel like I can disconnect from everything around me and just get lost in the brush strokes, colours and movement. It’s a form of meditation for me and expression of my personality.

You can see more of Eimear's work on Instagram, @eimearcampbell_art_photography; find her Eimear Campbell Art & Photography page on Facebook, or see www.eimearcampbellartphotography.com.