EXHIBITION OF NEW WORK BY JANET FITZGERALD & JJ SHEEHY
JJ Sheehy and Con HoulihanWork inspired by the People and Places of Kerry, exhibition titled Kerry: People & Place, Opens in Samhlaiocht, Thursday, October 2nd
Kerry is an exquisite, enchanting place and those of us lucky enough to live here can easily conjure up pictures of colourful characters and beautiful landscapes. It is these that form the basis of new work by Janet Tvedten Fitzgerald and JJ Sheehy.
Janet, who hails originally from Kansas City in the U.S., and JJ, who hails from Lyreacrompane, have, despite the differences in their birth places, an outlook on life and on art that is as similar as those two places are different. Each draws inspiration from Kerry and from the beautiful landscape, the countryside and from the personalities that live here.
"I have a natural love of what we see all around us," says JJ, "it's the magical things in every day life that I love. For instance, later on this evening, I'm off to the pub to play a game of 45 for a euro! It's those simple pleasures, those every day things that I love most and are closest to my heart."
It's this simple love of everyday things that creates a truth that shines from his work. Janet, who has been living in Ireland since 2001 and in Dingle since 2003, is similarly enamoured with the people she meets or comes across on a daily basis.
"My portrait drawings in the exhibition focus on people that live and work in the Dingle area," says Janet.
Yet from such seemingly ordinary inspiration, both artists have created work that is anything but commonplace. "The people in my portraits come from all walks of life," adds Janet. "A well know Kerry Politician, a respected writer and artists, an elderly gentleman often seen walking the streets of Dingle who never fails to offer a friendly smile, a salute, and a nod. A person's face is a window to the soul and a record of their life, loves, desires and experiences. What interests me is the humanity, honesty, integrity and, sometimes, pure 'character', shinning through each face. And that's what I endeavour to capture and relate to the viewer."
She succeeds in spades. JJ is equally fond of the characters that he comes across and well known, and better loved, Kerry writers feature strongly in his work. Men such as Con Houlihan, Brian McMahon and John B Keane. JJ's proud of the international renown in which these authors are held and prouder still to have known some of them personally, his love of portraiture comes to the fore in his treatment of his subjects.
"I love strong features," says JJ. "For example Brian McMahon had such striking features, yet really calm eyes. My father and mother told me about meeting him in Listowel. He was a man that loved to stop and chat. He liked to talk and to pass the time of day."
While inspired by similar traits the artists use different techniques to portray their subjects. JJ uses generous layers and applications that combine to form images full of character representing the great writers in a powerful yet subtle way while Janet uses sensitive, personal pencil drawings to capture the personalities of her subjects to perfection.
Both artists believe that their upbringing had a huge part to play in their artistic undertakings.
"I was involved in the arts from the time I could hold a pencil," says Janet. "My Father's method for minding his children was setting up a still life arrangement and passing out paper and pencils. I often accompanied him on sketching journeys to rural areas around Kansas City. And it's been a life long passion ever since."
"My father was a writer, a farmer first and foremost, but also a writer. He wrote a lot of songs and poems and many of them were printed in the local papers years back. If you saw where I was born and reared you'd know immediately why he was a writer and I'm a painter!" adds JJ with a laugh. "When you're surrounded by such beauty on a daily basis, it's hard not to try to express it in some way – either through writing or through art."
Two artists, one from Kerry and one from Kansas, despite all the differences, it seems both places are practically the same!
Kerry is an exquisite, enchanting place and those of us lucky enough to live here can easily conjure up pictures of colourful characters and beautiful landscapes. It is these that form the basis of new work by Janet Tvedten Fitzgerald and JJ Sheehy.
Janet, who hails originally from Kansas City in the U.S., and JJ, who hails from Lyreacrompane, have, despite the differences in their birth places, an outlook on life and on art that is as similar as those two places are different. Each draws inspiration from Kerry and from the beautiful landscape, the countryside and from the personalities that live here.
"I have a natural love of what we see all around us," says JJ, "it's the magical things in every day life that I love. For instance, later on this evening, I'm off to the pub to play a game of 45 for a euro! It's those simple pleasures, those every day things that I love most and are closest to my heart."
It's this simple love of everyday things that creates a truth that shines from his work. Janet, who has been living in Ireland since 2001 and in Dingle since 2003, is similarly enamoured with the people she meets or comes across on a daily basis.
"My portrait drawings in the exhibition focus on people that live and work in the Dingle area," says Janet.
Yet from such seemingly ordinary inspiration, both artists have created work that is anything but commonplace. "The people in my portraits come from all walks of life," adds Janet. "A well know Kerry Politician, a respected writer and artists, an elderly gentleman often seen walking the streets of Dingle who never fails to offer a friendly smile, a salute, and a nod. A person's face is a window to the soul and a record of their life, loves, desires and experiences. What interests me is the humanity, honesty, integrity and, sometimes, pure 'character', shinning through each face. And that's what I endeavour to capture and relate to the viewer."
She succeeds in spades. JJ is equally fond of the characters that he comes across and well known, and better loved, Kerry writers feature strongly in his work. Men such as Con Houlihan, Brian McMahon and John B Keane. JJ's proud of the international renown in which these authors are held and prouder still to have known some of them personally, his love of portraiture comes to the fore in his treatment of his subjects.
"I love strong features," says JJ. "For example Brian McMahon had such striking features, yet really calm eyes. My father and mother told me about meeting him in Listowel. He was a man that loved to stop and chat. He liked to talk and to pass the time of day."
While inspired by similar traits the artists use different techniques to portray their subjects. JJ uses generous layers and applications that combine to form images full of character representing the great writers in a powerful yet subtle way while Janet uses sensitive, personal pencil drawings to capture the personalities of her subjects to perfection.
Both artists believe that their upbringing had a huge part to play in their artistic undertakings.
"I was involved in the arts from the time I could hold a pencil," says Janet. "My Father's method for minding his children was setting up a still life arrangement and passing out paper and pencils. I often accompanied him on sketching journeys to rural areas around Kansas City. And it's been a life long passion ever since."
"My father was a writer, a farmer first and foremost, but also a writer. He wrote a lot of songs and poems and many of them were printed in the local papers years back. If you saw where I was born and reared you'd know immediately why he was a writer and I'm a painter!" adds JJ with a laugh. "When you're surrounded by such beauty on a daily basis, it's hard not to try to express it in some way – either through writing or through art."
Two artists, one from Kerry and one from Kansas, despite all the differences, it seems both places are practically the same!
Janet Tvedten Fitzgerald
The exhibition, which is titled 'Kerry: People & Place', opens on Thursday, October 2nd, and runs until Friday, October 24th, in the new Samhlaiocht Gallery which is located in the Old Presbytery on Lower Castle Street in the heart of Tralee. The exhibition will be opened by Mike O' Shea, the well known west Kerry author and personality. Mike's portrait will form part of the exhibition. The Gallery is open from 10 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, is free to visit and all are welcome.
For more information on Samhlaiocht please log on to http://www.samhlaiocht.com/
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