Lucy O'Donovan

When I, Lucy O’Donovan started with oil I was searching for the perfect colours and textures to depict flesh, muscle and skin tone of the human form. Working with oil was considerably different from the other mediums that I had worked with, and I started to develop a fascination with the surface qualities and colour richness of the oil paint.

As my paintings evolved, so too has my technique and I often work primarily by building up layers of thick, rich and multi coloured textures. I find that constructing a three dimensional surface in this way not only allows me to depict tissue the way I want, but that as a result a much more visceral piece of work emerges.

My painting in the present day is driven by fascination with the human body and the feelings that this invokes. For me it is important to portray the body in as honest a way as I can, irrespective of whether it would be considered classically beautiful or not. I am aware that the motivation behind this is probably a kick back against the social pressures of achieving the perfect figure.

The shape, colour and quality of flesh are something that I constantly try to attain. It is always a battle to manage the colour and texture of the oil, a balance of which I feel is ne...

Several workshops at Glasgow School of Art, Scotland, including Life Drawing and Figurative Painting

Woodcut Printing course at Trongate 103, Glasgow

Art Therapy workshop at the Department of Adult and Continuing Education, University of Glasgow in 2010

D31 Art Prize 2023 - 3rd Edition
​D31 Art Gallery, Doncaster
​June 2023

Figurative Art Now 2021
Mall Galleries
Virtual exhibition
7th July - 20th September 2021

SELF 2020
Dundas Street Gallery
Edinburgh
3rd July - 9th March 2020

Threads 2019
Dundas Street Gallery
Edinburgh
13th - 24th March 2019

Summer Fine Art Exhibition 2018
508 Kings Road Art Gallery,
London,
10 - 24 August 2018

Royal Scottish Academy Exhibition 2017
The Royal Scottish Academy Building
Edinburgh
22 July - 1 October 2017

Portraits
The Brick Lane Gallery,
London,
6 April - 13 April 2017

Interpretative Realms
Agora Gallery
New York, US
31 July - 20 August 2015

Mélange of Milieu
Agora Gallery
New York, US
March 6 – March 26 2015

Portals of Perception
Agora Gallery
New York, US
14 January - 4 February 2014

Portals of Perception
Agora Gallery
New York, US
17 January – 5 February 2012

Glasgow Art Meet Up exhibition
Big Mouth Café,
Glasgow, Scotland
2 October – 20 November 2012

People and Places
Big Mouth Café,
Glasgow, Scotland
2 September – 31 October 2011

The Body Show 2007
BSG Gallery
Australia
14 September – 27 September 2007

Coelvm
Palazzo Cesi, Italy
1 June – 30 June 2007

Land for Free Men
Palazzo Martinengo, Italy
1 December – 28 December 2006