Greetings and welcome to my website. I am a self taught artist specialising in contemporary portraiture.
For some background, I was born and raised in Athenry in County Galway, Ireland. After a number of years working abroad, I am now back living and working here.
July 2021 - Work in progress Tricia Fahy
Art has always been close to my heart, and I remember being fascinated from an early age with drawing. We did a little bit of art at primary school level, and I took art as a subject in my first year in secondary school. However I didn’t keep up the art for the remaining 4 years as in those days academic subjects took preference and I thought it best to leave art as a hobby. However I decided to take art as a Leaving Certificate subject and lo and behold I got a B grade.
I had always really wanted to study art so I applied for the Galway third level visual education course which I was accepted onto. The visual education year was very enjoyable! We did life drawing and painting and photography and sculpture, textiles and history of art. It was a terrific experience to be introduced to such a broad spectrum of specialisms. I really enjoyed all aspects of the course.
My ambition at that time was to study fashion design. I did apply to the NCAD in Dublin, but unfortunately I was unsuccessful. I changed tack after that and decided to go get qualified as a Computer Programmer - there wasn’t much money around at the time and a more financially stable career beckoned.
However, art has never left me, and over the years I have become more and more interested in portraiture, and completed a number of part time life drawing and portraiture courses whilst I traveled the world working as a software engineer.
Since 2009 I have been working in oils, and it was around then I began discovering and refining my own style. My artistic influences would be the figurative painters of the 14th and 15th centuries especially El Greco and Velasquez. Other primary influences are Vermeer, The Scottish Colourists, John Singer Sargeant, John Lavery, Edward Hopper, Henry Scott Tuke, Ethel Carrick and David Hockney.
John Lavery's 'The Artists Studio'
John Singer Sargent 'Mrs. Hugh Hammersley'
John Lavery - 'A Street in Tangier'
Due to work and family commitments there has not been much time to devote to art, so the works I have produced are very special to me and I don’t particularly like to sell my originals. A couple of commissions are in the hands of friends of mine alright!
I’ve also set up my social media channels in Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. I find that marketing and social media is my most challenging task. However, more of that later. I’m hoping to improve that aspect!
I’ve also set up my social media channels in Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. I find that marketing and social media is my most challenging task. However, more of that later. I’m hoping to improve that aspect!
For NFTs I have these listed on the Solsea platform and on the Holaplex platforms.
By the end of 2023, my goal is to have my first solo exhibition. So I need to keep busy and make more paintings.
Wish me luck!