Artist Róisín O’Shea Visits Chicago
The Waterford artist featured on our cover this month, Róisín O’Shea, was flown recently to America, as special guest of honor at the grand opening of the new luxury Celtic styled Hotel set in 22 acres in Galena Illinois, The Irish Cottage and Frank O’Dowd’s Irish Pub. In January of this year Róisín met owners Jack Coulter and Basil Conroy at Showcase in the RDS, Dublin, where she was exhibiting her work. She was subsequently commissioned to supply over 500 large fine art prints of her paintings of the 32 counties for all the hotel bedrooms and lobby areas. The gala event was a huge success, with Jack, his wife Debbie and Basil rolling out the red carpet for many. “Galena was way way better than I expected. I think they should bring it back home. They do Ireland better than Ireland,” laughed Róisín.
It has been an exciting year in America for Róisín. In July she was again invited to be a ‘master artist’ in Busch Gardens for two weeks in Williamsburg Virginia, where she did ‘meet and greet’ and signed her work for her loyal fan base and new collectors of her work. Anheuser Busch then flew her to Seaworld Orlando Florida to enable Róisín to become ‘inspired’ and create a fine art print collection for them. “ It was an incredible experience to swim with dolphins and to snorkel with zillions of weird multi-colored fish and stingrays. It is an artistic challenge that excites me, taking me away from my obsession with Ireland,” said Róisín.
A.I.B. Bank in Ireland commissioned several paintings for their private collection and Róisín’s paintings have been presented to former U.S. Presidents George Bush Sr. and Bill Clinton. The Irish Government commissioned an O’ Shea painting for Queen Beatrice of the Netherlands. The British embassy presented one of her works to HRH Prince Charles and former U.S. Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith and members of the Kennedy family have collected O’ Shea prints and originals. Other celebrity collectors include Pat Kenny, John Hume and Oscar award winning actress Brenda Fricker.
In August Róisín flew to Philadelphia where she was invited to appear for the first time on QVC’s ‘Rose of Tralee’ show, which is broadcast across the United States for 24 hours, to approximately. 80 million viewers. It’s at home that her most exciting challenge lies this year. Róisín exhibited original paintings at ‘Art Ireland’ in the RDS in November. Her last exhibition opened by Norma Smurfit was in The Marriott Marque Hotel in New York in 1995, the show sold out and Róisín’s husband and business partner Donald Sutherland withdrew her originals from the market for the next few years. With one of the paintings ‘The Oliver St. John Gogarty’ Pub in Temple Bar already reserved by newly engaged owner Martin Keane, it is a good indicator that Róisín O’ Shea is set to become a collectible artist in Ireland too.
Róisín was born in Cork City in 1960, the second oldest of five kids. Her first home was The Ridgeway, Bishopstown, before she moved to Blarney where she remembers swiping carrots from the Castle gardens.
She went straight from school to The National College of Art & Design, financing her college fees, rent, and living expenses by selling her paintings to Pubs and to Combridge’s Fine Art Gallery, then based on Suffolk street in Dublin. She studied fine art, mixed media, and graduated in 1982.
She received a scholarship to the City Art Institute in Sydney Australia. “It’s got the craic of Ireland and the get up and go of America. I nearly stayed there,” said Róisín. After I left school, I promised myself that I would work as a professional artist for at least five years, and it worked. I owe a lot to Charlie Haughey who brought in the tax exemption scheme for artists and I got an exemption. I starved until almost the age of thirty. There were many weeks where it was very borderline for a long time, but I stuck with it. You put in a lot of work to get to the point where you can actually make a living. The tax incentive scheme is a good incentive for artists.
I met my husband, Don, in Dublin. He was asked to give me business advice, and he proposed to me three days later. I said yes the same day and we were married six weeks later.
Róisín Remembers Christmas
It amazed me sometimes as a kid this gift that I had to draw and paint. At Christmas time I always seemed to have a huge gift list with zillions of family members and friends, so creating something artistic was a ‘cost me nothing’ gift that I could bestow. Oddly enough my creations were always appreciated which told me that I was definitely on to something. My burning passion for painting started around the age of eight and has continued to consume my life as an adult.
Christmas was the best time for me to sell my original paintings when I was studying in the National College of Art and Design Dublin, many years ago. I managed to sell my first paintings in 1977, the year I left home, to a Dublin gallery for five pounds each, but it was Christmas 1978 when I struck gold-dust! I staked out a spot on Grafton St. and laid my poorly mounted watercolor attempts on the pavement. Looking suitably cold and miserable certainly aided the sympathy purchase, but I realized there was a real interest in my ability as an artist, people were willing to pay ten pounds a drawing which at the time was huge money to me. Throughout my Art college years you could always find me on Christmas Eve in the same spot on Grafton St. but my street art days ended with my first group Art Exhibition in December 1981, marking the beginning of my acceptance as a Gallery artist.
My studies as a post-graduate diploma Art student in Australia ‘84/’85 were also funded primarily by sales of my original paintings, my fees being covered by a Scholarship. I found a keen interest in my paintings of Ireland while in Sydney and had two successful Group Christmas shows that sold out. By now I was earning almost thirty dollars a painting!
As the years passed by I have continued to paint with as much enthusiasm and passion as I had as a child. Christmas was and still is a special time of the year for me, for several years I have created paintings for Irish Charity Christmas cards, this year my cards are created for The Irish Hospice Foundation. My personal Christmas gift list is still huge, and family and friends still prefer to receive something that I have created. While everything may seem to change some things never do!
Róisín’s incredibly detailed watercolor paintings are reproduced as fine art prints, as well as many other products which are sold worldwide under license. A large selection of her work, from stationary, calendars, collectible figurines to prints from around Ireland, limited edition prints, original paintings and her popular personalized prints, are available to purchase on the website.
Róisín has this to say on her website. “I owe much of my success today to some special people who in the early years gave me the support I needed. Brian Sibley who bought my first paintings, Publican Dessie Hynes who along with his friends bought paintings when Brian had enough!, Friend and publisher Redmond Walsh who had absolute faith in me but would accept nothing less than my best work at all times, and my husband and business partner Don who inspires me to continually push the boundaries of my creativity. Then of course there has always been you, who over the years have bought my work and given me the encouragement and feedback that gives me such pleasure as a painter, thank you. .................................................................................................. Back to News