:BEHIND THE PUB Painting

I had always been drawing since very early childhood. In 1957 , I enrolled in a commercial Art course with the London Art College. This course had obvious limitations but nevertheless was of benefit as i was encouraged by the comments of my tutor; consequently gaining a sense of direction as to how I should proceed in order to become a painter. I began to study the anatomy of the human figure and drawing from life. As regards to my study of anatomy, I used books which I received through Monaghan County Library in Clones. However, Art materials were practically non-existant in Clones during the 1950's; nevertheless one shopkeeper informed me that she had a small box of oil paints for sale; and it was with this paint that I painted my first oil painting (1958) titled "˜Landscape with figure'. However on having to find work, which I managed to do in a textile factory in Clones in 1959, my efforts at painting ceased; even though I still maintained my interest in reading about developments in Art. This interest continued during my years working as a supervisor in the textile factory; where I was also involved in various aspects of textile design. Then after getting married to Claire in 1966 I began to paint again. My interest was to some extent stimulated on seeing some very fine paintings in the collection of a Mrs. Ellen McCabe. At this time Claire and I were living in a small mews flat on the grounds of Mrs. McCabe's home "˜Sunnymeade House'. Some of the paintings were family portraits; but there was one Dutch impressionist painting by Johann Hendrik Van Mastenbroek and two large watercolours by Josef Israels. I was informed that these two watercolours were painted by Israels in preparation for his large oil painting "˜The Frugal Meal' which I believe is in the National Gallery of Scotland. I continued to develop as a painter while still working in textiles. However, when the factory closed down in 1967, I went to work in another textile factory in Portadown, Co. Armagh. It was in Portadown that I sold my first painting to a commercial outlet namely Edgar Antiques. I was also contacted at this time by another commercial outlet namely Pinewood Products who were involved in framing and selling fine Art prints through their gallery. However they also wanted to become involved in selling original oil paintings. They bought my work on a regular basis.