Keith's Profile
My background is in construction, but my passion has always been in art.
When the recession hit Ireland back in 2010, I was one of many people affected. It was at this point that I made the decision to immerse myself in my art.
I am a self-taught artist working mainly with oil paints on canvas and graphite pencils on paper. I have a unique style, both in my approach to painting and pencil portraits.
As time passed, more and more people began to take notice of my work. In 2016 I entered and won RTE’s Big Picture competition with a landscape painting named “Pure Cork “. The following year I appeared on the TV series Painting The Nation. While I was not the overall winner of the show, the experience showed me I was on the right path in pursuing my passion.
My work has been described as contemporary realism. I’m fascinated with detail and have a burning desire to constantly evolve and improve.
Best known for my incredibly detailed cityscapes, which were described by The Irish Examiner as “stunning and like a virtual toytown” I have built up a unique collection of paintings of Cork City with many of the pieces taking well over 200 hours to complete.
I also work in pencil and am equally as passionate in creating realistic portraits, often spending up to 60 hours to create these life-like pieces.
Constantly evolving and growing as an artist, I believe the best is yet to come and am excited about the journey ahead.
What Inspires me
There is something quite magical about sitting in front of a blank canvas knowing the possibilities to create are endless.
I find inspiration as simple as looking at the sky and seeing how the colours move and the light changes the landscape below.
Often, I can be walking through Cork City and I will notice a view I hadn’t paid attention to in the past. I immediately get filled with ideas of how I can transfer what I am seeing into a painting on canvas.
I always say:
“Don’t wait for inspiration to create art. Create art and feel inspired”