From Brittas Bay to rustic cottages: Wicklow artists put unique work on sale in new exhibition

A joint exhibition at Arklow Library presents contrasting creative worlds by Stephanie Sloan and Pam Bowie. The works focus on the texture and atmosphere of Ireland’s coast and countryside, combining contemporary screen printing, intricate etchings, and watercolours. Stephanie Sloan, based in Arklow, brings experience spanning graphic design, publishing, illustration, screen printing, and fine art. Her practice connects commercial and fine art through composition, layering, and print techniques developed through professional design and publishing work. Screen printing is central, blending technical precision with experimentation and texture. Her recent pieces draw on the coastline around Brittas Bay and the wider Wicklow shoreline, emphasizing light, texture, and layered print methods, with blue playing a key role in the coastal works.

"A graduate of both the Royal College of Art in London and the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, she has built a career across graphic design, publishing, illustration, screen printing and fine art, experiences which continue to shape her artistic practice today."

"Speaking about the crossover between commercial art and fine art, Sloan explains that both disciplines continue to influence each other in her work, particularly through composition, layering and print techniques developed during years working professionally in design and publishing."

"Screen printing remains an important element of her artistic process, combining technical precision with experimentation and texture. She first learned the craft while studying at the Royal College of Art before spending 10 years working in the design industry and later creating textile prints within the fashion sector."

"Much of her recent work draws on the coastline around Brittas Bay and the wider Wicklow shoreline, with a strong focus on light, texture and layered print techniques. "The blue became very important in those pieces," Sloan says while discussing the coastal works now featured in the library exhibition."

Read at Irish Independent