|  John,
originally from Hacketstown, Co. Carlow, noe resides in Tullow with his
wife, four sons and two boxer dogs. He sat his Leaving Cert. in Newbridge
College, Co. Kildare.
He spent many years in the agricultural sector, working mainly with livestock.
This rural experience provides him with material for his art pieces. He
also worked in the timber industry designing and manufacturing wooden
products for supply to garden centres. His technical drawing skills developed
during this time.
John is self- taught and has been drawing since childhood.
 He
has acquired a high degree of skill through close observation of his subject
and fine attention to detail. From the Internet, John learned further
technique from English pencil artist Mike Sibley, (www.sibleyfineart.com),
and features on Mike’s guest drawing gallery, www.starvingartists.net.
For the New Millennium, John completed a book commission for the Catholic
Diocese of Kildare & Leighlin, for which he drew 117 churches and wrote
the history of 56 parishes. The book won an Irish Illustrators’
Award in 2001.
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| Carlow Cathedral |
Kilcock Church |
John has also produced corporate commissions such as a piece on Charles
Stuart Parnell, of Avondale House, Co. Wicklow, for Coillte Teo., the Irish
Forestry Service.
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| Charles Stuart Parnell |
Avondale House |
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To commemorate the 1798 Rebellion, John drew a ‘pictorial history’
of southeast Ireland, including drawings of battle sites and portraits
of participants involved. These 72 individual drawings were purchased
by Carlow County Council in 1998.
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| 1798 Rebellion Commeration |
John is a keen reader of history and his hobbies are fly-fishing and
playing Irish traditional music. The Traditional Music Archive in Dublin
houses 72 portraits of musicians drawn by John.
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| McPeak the Piper |
Crehan the Fiddler |
Purple Media
Web Ring |
