"Living Colour" Painting

JOHN NOLAN VISUAL ARTIST
“I try to create, celebrate and embrace the power of colour”
John Nolan was born in Dublin in 1958 and lives and works in Dublin. He is a second-generation artist, having been exposed to art from an early age by his father. Over the past 40 years John has established himself as an international artist whose work is characterized by his use of vibrant colour.
As an artist he has worked with fellow artists, poets, musicians, designers, on various commissioned artworks. He collaborates with a fashion designer in Canada, his stylised motifs are reproduced on their garments. An international cruise company commissioned his artwork for three of their ships which were launched in June 2016 and 2019 on the Danube. The 2019 ship is the biggest river cruiser in the world displaying John’s unique paintings. The Vincent Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam displayed his painting “homage to Vincent Van Gogh “, in the summer exhibition featuring Vincent’s sunflowers.
John’s artwork “Nora Barnacle and James Joyce” features on the cover of “James and Nora: A Portrait of a Marriage” by Enda O’Brien. The book was published by Orion Publishing Group in June 2020
He shares his passion for painting with many, his mantra is “Paint what you feel, not what you see”. In addition to teaching adult painting classes, John also participates in special projects at several elementary schools in the area. His work is easily recognizable, and is known throughout Ireland and internationally, having been exhibited in many countries.
In 2003, he won the distinguished honour of representing Ireland at the Biennale Internazionale Dell ‘Arte Contemporanea in Florence, Italy. His work is in many public and private collections throughout the world.
The subject of John’s work is colour. He explores colour through his stylized, contemporary and abstract styles. John moves from one style to another, always with the same vibrant palette. Each artist has their own unique modus operandi, for John, switching styles keeps his work fresh, and allows one painting to mature in his mind, while working on another in a different style. In 2007 he created a series of stylised paintings “Paying Homage “this is a work in progress, which pays homage to the great masters. John’s paintings transmit a positive, upbeat feeling to the viewer.
For John, art is a visual language, an important means of communication. He creates each piece as a unique experience. “Art is for everyone.”