Offaly woman returns from Cyprus with impressive artwork

TWO visitors from Cyprus attended the St Patrick's Day Parade in Kilcormac this year and told this journalist that they thought it was a wonderful event.
Elizabeth and Umit Akgonul, from the city of Nicosia in the northern, Turkish part of Cyprus, were visiting Kilcormac because it was where Elizabeth grew up many years ago. Many will know her locally as Lily Charles.
Lily left Kilcormac many years ago. She worked as an Intensive Care Unit nurse in Lewisham Hospital in south-east London before moving to Cyprus in 1997.
Lily (below) describes herself as a “self-taught artist” who finds it a very rewarding pastime during her retirement.

The day after the Parade her solo painting exhibition, called “The Voyage”, opened to the public in Kilcormac Community Centre. The exhibition features 22 of Lily's paintings and they deeply impressed those who attended the opening. Displaying excellent technique, their attractive subject matter would be a welcome addition to your home wall space. Sarvenaaz Ghafari, a well known artist from Nicosia, praised Lily's way of “depicting her thoughts, emotions, questions and observations. She cherishes nature, animals, and the moments in her life by creating her visual narratives.”
The exhibition is open each day in the Centre from 9am to 8pm until the end of the week.

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