About

I have been painting on canvas and more recently, aluminium composite panels for over twenty years and professionally for a decade.  I started with acrylics, painted with them for many years before adding oils in 2012 and gouache in 2019.  In the past I used to religiously pursue a kind of photorealist style, sometimes I still do that, but I’ve tried to go a bit looser more recently, relying more on experience and memory.

I live in a frontier landscape, less than 200 metres from Garryvoe beach in East Cork, our house is just one field away.  The beach, due to steady erosion of low, clay cliffs, is advancing towards home a little bit every year.  Living in a transient landscape because of this erosion makes me return to it as subject matter.

I grew up on a tillage and sheep farm, my father was a farmer.  He was an early, strong support to me having a go at art.  He died when I was 15.  About a year after his death, the once busy farmyard, now deserted, became the ground zero for practicing art.  I did a few scenes around there, enjoyed doing them and art became a hobby for a number of years.  Over the years since, there’s a poignancy when I paint some of the fields he once farmed, which viewers have no idea about.

I studied history and archaeology in university and for a few years practiced commercial archaeology, working on rescue digs in advance of motorway work around Ireland.  All that stopped in late Spring 2008 with the economic downturn.  With no future in archaeology and no desire to pursue advanced studies in it, I returned to painting, devoted myself to it and honed my practice over the following years.

I’ve had thirteen solo exhibitions so far, twelve of them in the Grainstore in Ballymaloe, a multi-purpose venue four miles away.  It has given me the opportunity to sell quite a few paintings as well as meeting people from all over the world and getting feedback on my work.  I act as art dealer and curator in setting up my exhibitions and taking sales whilst attending there, enjoying this DIY, hands-on approach.

Feel free to browse!

22 thoughts on “About”

  1. Hi Niall, just looking through your work and I gotta say it is amazing. I have always loved sketching painting etc. Though I stopped years ago. Lately though I have been trying my hand more and more. I would love to be able to paint like yourself, though I find I have no patience to sit for hours. I like to have what ever I’m doing done within a couple of hours, so I suppose this is my let down. Anyway I have waffled on enough, I just wanted to let you know that your work is really good. If you have any tips you would like to share then do let me know. Chat soon 🙂

    Reply

    • Hello!
      Thanks for taking the time to look at some of my paintings, I’m new to WordPress so I appreciate all feedback and followers! Ah yes, patience is the key. Like, the painting I’m working on now, I’ve been at it 3 months!

      Reply

      • Hey no problem they’re great. And I think I really do need to find my patience, we seem to be at loggerheads with each other!! Happy painting 🙂

  3. Hi Naill,
    I’ve been looking at your work for the past while after hearing about you through Tony the vet ( old school mate of yours? Glanmire). Absoloutely amazing! Id love to arrange a meet up at your convenience ( I work abroad during week but am usually back in Cork weekends). My mobile is 0834592704. Happy christmas and hopefully I’ll meet you face to face in the coming weeks ( xmas will be hectic probably).
    Thanks
    Keep up the amazing work
    Ray Corbett

    Reply

  7. Hello, Niall! I am writing you to ask whether or not you would be against the idea of me using your solar vortex piece for the cover of my album. I am engulfed in it and I feel that it reflects the atmospheric message I am trying to convey with my music.

    Reply

  8. Hello Niall,
    I only found out about you today, whilst at a workshop in Garryvoe Hotel. And am so pleased, as I also live in East Cork, on the peninsula beside you….Knockadoon. I have seen many of the skies and fields as you have seen them. I paint in watercolour.
    A couple of us started a little Art Group in Ballymacoda 4 years ago, and have just had our 3rd exhibition, we call ourselves the Capel Painters.
    Your work is beautiful, I love it. Do you paint en Plein Air?
    Best wishes,
    Paddy

    Reply

    • Hey Paddy,
      I paint plein air sometimes mainly in summer. Those oilseed rape fields were all plein air. Where did you have your exhibition? I’m having one, my sixth, in the Grainstore, Ballymaloe at the moment it’ll be there until the end of September, so you’re welcome to it.

      Reply

  9. Niall, I like your work (well much of it). I like the way you paint anything, the way you see anything as a subject worth the effort to paint. Your talent is very real, your subjects very real. Makes a nice change from much abstractions in art today that need fairy stories to support it. Hope you paint a lichen.

    Reply

  11. I googled you after watching Landscape Artist 2016.
    Your work is utterly stunning Niall.
    Took my breath away scrolling through your gallery!

    Reply

  12. Hi Niall just watched you on Landscape Artist of the year and loved your work so looked you up. My husband has just got into painting and loves your style of painting. Do you do any private tuition? Your paintings on this site are AMAZING!!

    Reply

  14. Hi Niall .. my Dad is a tillage farmer and will turn 70 soon would you have any paintings or prints along this theme ?

    Reply

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