Cavan's Michael Harding to open exhibitions in Solas

This Friday, June 18, at 7.30pm Cavan writer Michael Harding will officially open two diverse exhibitions by artists Carmel Baker and Aisling Blackburn in Solas art gallery in Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim. The Whole Wild World by Carmel Baker gives us glimpses and fragments of the animal world both wild and domestic whereas Aisling Blackburn's Hone is looking at life in a everyday, spiritual way. The Whole Wild World is Carmel's first solo exhibition. She moved from Dublin to Aughacashel, Co. Leitrim a few years ago to be closer to the wildlife and pursue her career as an artist. Carmel's love of animals and art are inseparable. From studying and photographing killer whales off the coast in Canada, volunteering at zoos in the US and Ireland, her love of all things furred, feathered and scaled has been a lifelong passion. There will be about 18 pictures, ranging from the exotic, like the Humming Bird and Cheetah to a beautifully soulful Red Setter and the eye-catching Watcher In The Water. Hone is also Aisling's first solo exhibition leading on from exhibiting successfully in the joint show Cuig last year The title refers to a need to go over and over an object or event until there is completion. This can be seen in the many facets of her exhibition and her work. Aisling came to Leitrim ten years ago and lives near Ballinamore with her daughter Niamh. She is involved in many community projects and her community writing project is part of Hone. She made a series of five books, sent them for contributions to writers and artists and they will be on display. The exhibition is in various media, watercolour, acrylic, pen and ink, photography, each piece showing progress, completion, part of everyday life. This is well illustrated with Pre Madonna And Child, a lively pen and ink study for the vibrant Native Madonna And Child painting. There will be about 30 works in all. Michael Harding was born in Cavan in 1953. He is a playwright, newspaper columnist and fiction writer and his work has been performed in Dublin, Cork, Edinburgh, New York and Chicago. He is a past recipient of the Stewart Parker Theatre Bursary and the Bank of Ireland/RTÉ Award for excellence in the Arts. His play, The Tinker's Curse, was nominated in the Best New Play category at the Irish Times Theatre Awards in 2007. Michael Harding is also an experienced actor and took the award for Best Male Performer at the 2003 Dublin Fringe Festival. He has published several novels Among other things he was writer in association at the Abbey Theatre in 1993, writer in residence at Trinity College in 1999 and became a member of Aosdona, the National Academy for Creative Artists, in 2000. He lives in Mullingar and writes a weekly column in The Irish Times. The exhibitions will be continue until July 10. • Contact Ben or Gail at 071-9644210, info@solasart.ie or see solasart.ie.