Aly Harte is a city artist, country born, primarily inspired by evert day objects, colours and places. The 33-year-old visual artist and mother-of-three works from her studio in Belfast and recently exhibited a collection of her latest Seascape works at Hillsborough Village Centre.
Aly also writes a lifestyle and wellbeing blog called Darling Edna and creates her work around her family life.
Get To Know More About Aly:
How did you get started in the industry?
I studied my Masters in fine art after my degree then specialised in Community arts workshops. Progressing slowly into making and selling my own paintings and art prints after I had my first son eight years ago.
What genre / style do you create in? 

My work falls into abstract paintings and colourful soft pastel pieces.
What would you be best known for?
Recently my work featured in the BBC series The Fall but my Portstewart Promenade print is becoming the biggest seller on my online shop.
What would you consider your biggest achievement? 

Growing my career around my three children who are 8, 5 and 10 months. I would love to say the distinction in my Masters was my biggest achievement but really, juggling family life and business has to top this.
What would you consider to be the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your industry? 

Not to under value yourself. It’s easy to think that because creativity comes naturally and sometimes easily, we (creatives) undersell ourselves and our talent.
What has been your biggest challenge to date? 

The family, business juggle as mentioned before! It has been the most rewarding challenge but because babies turn into toddlers then turn into kids with homework and a social life (!), my art has had to grow organically around that.
Tell us a little about your personal life, are you married, kids, hobbies etc? 

Yes. I am married to Michael. We have three boys Elijah, Tobias and Abraham and a puppy called Mimi.
Tell us about your most recent work? 

I released my Seascape paintings in an exhibition in May. They are vibrant, thick oil paint and showcase Irish beaches from Galway through to the North coast of Ireland.
PLUG !! What would you like us to tell people about?
I have a wellbeing blog called Darling Edna which is like my voice and the best way an audience can get to know me. It has experts interviewed on there, recipes and tips for business, lifestyle and wellness.
If you had to describe your work to someone who has never heard of you what would 
you say?
I make art which places importance on everyday objects, colours and places. With the aim of provoking feelings of nostalgia, familiarity and enjoyment for its viewer.
What’s the funniest experience you’ve had in your business? 

Recently I left mounted prints which were too large to ship to a customer’s friend. The instructions were to leave them in the garage at the back of the house. I was caught literally red handed by the friend’s husband as I opened the garage door. He told me he had never heard of me or my customer and to basically (rightly so) get off his property!!
I was mortified and felt like such an idiot crawling around this man’s garden. Turned out he hadn’t heard me right and embarrassingly I returned later to hand over the goods. We were able to laugh about it safe in the knowledge I was not a criminal!
What would your advice be to young people hoping to pursue the same industry? 

Source all the knowledge you need, start small but don’t hold back on your dreams. Work hard and don’t compare your beginning to someone’s end chapter. It’s a fun journey.
Anything else you want to tell people about yourself or your work?
My work is made in my Belfast studio. I offer commissions to individuals and to corporate companies. Every mark I make is delivered with passion and a real desire to keep creativity alive.
Who do you look up to and why?
In terms of business I look up to Carrie Green who founded the female entrepreneur association. She is open, personable and clear in her vision. Artist wise – my Masters tutor Willie Doherty. He broke through moulds with his videos and has taught me about exhibition space and how to carry myself and value my work.
Find out more about Aly:
www.instagram.com/aly.harte/?hl=en