Art and Ceramics
Elizabeth Petcu had the good fortune to start her 'clay play' many years ago with Peter Brennan (1916-1995) – the renowned sculptor, artist and potter. Peter was teaching night classes at The Technical College in Blackrock, County Dublin, at the time. The revival of studio ceramics in Ireland was largely due to his pioneering work through the 1950s and 1960s.
A wonderful aspect of being Peter Brennan's student was the privilege of receiving an invitation to the studio he shared with his wife Helena who is also renowned for her skills at the wheel. In 1966 Peter and Helena were the first to make and exhibit hand-thrown stoneware and porcelain in Ireland. The visits to the studio left Elizabeth deeply inspired and kindled in her an aspiration to one day throw pots with a similar balanced beauty and fine evenness of section. Helena continues to inspire and mentor Elizabeth to this day.
Since her retirement from the RTE Concert Orchestra in 2006, Elizabeth has been able to focus more on her ceramic and art work, alongside her flute playing. Elizabeth's current ceramics tutor is Paul Martin (also a former student of Peter Brennan) who teaches at The Bray Institute of Further Education.
As a result of an end-of-year exhibition at the college in the summer of 2009, Elizabeth was invited by artist Brian Merry to exhibit at The Kilternan Gallery near Dublin. Entitled 'Birds, Wings and Flower Rings', the exhibition opened in November 2009.
Birds, Wings and Flower Rings
Birds, Wings and Flower Rings consisted of Elizabeth Petcu's paintings, drawings, ceramics and flute performance. Opened by Helena Brennan, the exhibition was a huge success – the gallery ran out of red stickers on opening night!
Many of the pieces at this exhibition were musically inspired – most notably The Firebird, Variations on a Theme and the nursery rhymes in The Children's Corner. Passionate about music and ceramics, Elizabeth seeks to find ways of combining both and further exploring the crossover between music and art.
View images here: Birds, Wings and Flower Rings
Current Exhibitions
Sculpture In Context 2011
Elizabeth Petcu's work is currently being exhibited as part of Sculpture In Context 2011 at the National Botanic Gardens from September the 8th until October the 21st.
Above: Elizabeth Petcu's award winning porcelain Ghost Fruit hanging at the Sculpture In Context 2011 exhibition at the National Botanic Gardens. Elizabeth's Ghost Fruit won a Sculpture in Context Award – one of three awards offered for 'large outdoor works of distinction in any medium'.