I graduated with a B.Ed. Degree in 1982. I live and paint on that same land where my father and grandfather grew their produce in Clonmel, County Tipperary. My parents were greengrocers so I was always surrounded by the sights and smells of fresh fruit and vegetables.
These and the orchards and flowers are the subjects, which appear today in my
paintings. Jean Baptise Chardin, Luis Melendez and the Dutch masters are a continuing inspiration for my work. These classical painters have fostered my appreciation for the traditional principals of drawing, composition and colour harmony. My work is personal. I am attracted to simple and familiar things; kitchen ware, cloths, old curios, a quiet landscape or a single figure. My paintings are about stillness and calm, finding something in the ordinary; the integrity of simple things. I paint from life, and this vital connection enables me to paint with feeling. For me this is the most important part of painting, the spiritual part of the work.
I have shown my work, both in group and solo exhibitions in Ireland, Britain, United States, Austria and France. |