o r i g i n a l
”I hope you enjoy viewing my work as much as I enjoy painting it.” “For me, a successful painting is one that stands on its own visual merits. It requires no verbal explanation or justification. The image reflects an understanding of composition, shape, relationships, and color that is inherently obvious. The skill of the artist’s brush is evident in every stroke, and the passion that went into creating the work is captured on the canvas and emanates to the viewer. This is what I am drawn to as an art enthusiast and what I strive for as a painter.”
5 East Washington Street, Box 2084, Middleburg, Virginia 20118 . (540) 687-6653 . www.t-lgalleries.com
Martin Driscoll is represented by Trowbridge-Lewis Galleries © Martin Driscoll 2007. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher.
M a r ti n
w o r k s
b y
D r is c o l l
“
All my paintings are a prayer, a song, a laugh, and tell old tales.
“
Inspiration for a painting starts with an emotional tug towards a subject matter. Frequently it begins with a gesture I see in an old photo or when observing someone in a restaurant, a museum, bookstore or where ever. I see a gesture, and I am immediately transported back in time to remembering my aunt, uncle, grandmother, mother, father or some relative who had that same way of standing, or tilting their head. Suddenly the image leads me into a daydream story about the imagined person. I begin to wonder what they may be talking about or, what their lives are like.
Her Pup, 16x20
All my paintings tell a tale. The tale is for my amusement. It’s my story. I paint it, but then it becomes someone else’s story when they view it. Imagine the beauty of that! I love to think that I have touched another’s heart when my painting becomes someone else’s story.
Study For Women Gathering Straw, 14x12
Page 1
Cover Image: Yer All Wet, 18x24
There You Are, 20x16
Page 10
I vividly recall one of my very first days at the Art Students League in New York. I was twenty three years old and I had never painted. I only drew and then only with pencil. I observed the students dipping their brushes into a liquid mixture (which later on I discovered was half paint thinner and half linseed oil) and then dip the brush into a mound of raw umber. They proceeded to draw with a brush on the canvas. They went through a series of adding darks with the raw umber and then with cloth and brush rubbing away paint to various degrees and then all of a sudden, like magic, achieve a complete full value drawing. Of course I was devastated knowing full well this was far beyond my ability. I later on became quite good at it. I hope you see that in my Sepia studies.
William Butler Yates, 14x11
Dublin Dock, 20x24 Young Woman Cutting Kelp, 20x16
Obviously, I grew up in an Irish Catholic household. My mother and my father’s mother were born and raised in County Kerry Ireland, which is in the western part of Ireland. This part of Ireland, is very rural, and all of my relatives were farmers. I grew up, hearing many tales of life in Ireland from both my mother and my grandmother. My grandmother lived with us in a five room apartment in Astoria Queens. We called her Nanny. At least once a month, my mother’s brothers and my grandmother’s brothers and their wives and children would come to our apartment in Astoria to have food, drinks and to share in singing, story telling, poems, dancing and all kinds of fun. Everyone took turns at either singing, playing a fiddle, accordion, a penny whistle or the piano. I loved these visits.
James Joyce, 14x11
Page 9
Study For Woman Carrying Kelp Basket, 20x16
Page 2
Cutting The Hay, 11x14
The Family, 20x24
Dany Boy, 14x11
Road Gossip, 18x24
Basket Maker, 20x24
Page 3
Basket Maker Study, 14x11
The Hurling Match, 11x14
Will Ye Have A Pint?, 11x14
Page 8
After a successful business career and raising my family, I returned to art full time in the 1990’s – teaching painting, giving art demonstrations, and selling original work. But, from about 1992 to 1997, while I painted many paintings and many portraits, I felt somehow not as connected to my work as I wished. In 1997, I went to visit my cousins in Ireland. I had been to Ireland many times in the past, but this trip changed me utterly. Memories of my youth, my folks, relatives, the singing and the stories washed over me. I wanted others to share my memories of Ireland, and the wonderful Irish culture, that I fear will be lost. So I hold onto it. All of my paintings of Ireland, be it a cityscape, landscape, or seascape have people in them. It’s those people that I want to capture and remember. I want people who see my paintings to feel that there is a story that they are witnessing. I love stories and if I were a gifted writer, I would tell stories. I am not a gifted writer, so I tell the story, the best way that I can. I could tell people about why I painted particular paintings, but I somehow feel that I want the person who is looking at a work of mine, to see his or her version of the story. Who knows, maybe their story is a better one than mine.
The Belt Weaver, 14x11
Playing Marbles, 20x24
Man Gathering Kelp, 12x16
Quiet Moment, 11x14
I distinctly recall a very serious conversation that I had with my mom when I was perhaps eleven or twelve. I asked her, “Mom, were you happy when you were growing up?” She looked at me in kind of a strange way, and said “Ah, Martin we didn’t think of things like that, we were busy taking care of the farm.” I pressed her somewhat asking her if she ever had time for herself. She kind of smiled and said, “Yes I did. Behind our farm was a mountain and I found a special place there that I would go to, to be all alone.” I asked, “What did you do?” She said, “I would sit in my special place and talk to the faeries.” I of course assumed my Mom was having me on, but she always seemed serious about this and I never pursued it. Okay, now you have a slight picture of what my life was like … steeped in things Irish!
Today’s Catch, 11x14
Page 7
Do You Know What He Meant?, 11x14
Feeding Chickens, 24x20
Page 4
Page 5
Making Hay, 12x16
Aran Islander Preparing His Spillet, 14x12
Spinning, 20x24
The Welcoming, 12x16
Woman Carrying Kelp Basket, 24x20
Page 6
Page 5
Making Hay, 12x16
Aran Islander Preparing His Spillet, 14x12
Spinning, 20x24
The Welcoming, 12x16
Woman Carrying Kelp Basket, 24x20
Page 6
After a successful business career and raising my family, I returned to art full time in the 1990’s – teaching painting, giving art demonstrations, and selling original work. But, from about 1992 to 1997, while I painted many paintings and many portraits, I felt somehow not as connected to my work as I wished. In 1997, I went to visit my cousins in Ireland. I had been to Ireland many times in the past, but this trip changed me utterly. Memories of my youth, my folks, relatives, the singing and the stories washed over me. I wanted others to share my memories of Ireland, and the wonderful Irish culture, that I fear will be lost. So I hold onto it. All of my paintings of Ireland, be it a cityscape, landscape, or seascape have people in them. It’s those people that I want to capture and remember. I want people who see my paintings to feel that there is a story that they are witnessing. I love stories and if I were a gifted writer, I would tell stories. I am not a gifted writer, so I tell the story, the best way that I can. I could tell people about why I painted particular paintings, but I somehow feel that I want the person who is looking at a work of mine, to see his or her version of the story. Who knows, maybe their story is a better one than mine.
The Belt Weaver, 14x11
Playing Marbles, 20x24
Man Gathering Kelp, 12x16
Quiet Moment, 11x14
I distinctly recall a very serious conversation that I had with my mom when I was perhaps eleven or twelve. I asked her, “Mom, were you happy when you were growing up?” She looked at me in kind of a strange way, and said “Ah, Martin we didn’t think of things like that, we were busy taking care of the farm.” I pressed her somewhat asking her if she ever had time for herself. She kind of smiled and said, “Yes I did. Behind our farm was a mountain and I found a special place there that I would go to, to be all alone.” I asked, “What did you do?” She said, “I would sit in my special place and talk to the faeries.” I of course assumed my Mom was having me on, but she always seemed serious about this and I never pursued it. Okay, now you have a slight picture of what my life was like … steeped in things Irish!
Today’s Catch, 11x14
Page 7
Do You Know What He Meant?, 11x14
Feeding Chickens, 24x20
Page 4
Cutting The Hay, 11x14
The Family, 20x24
Dany Boy, 14x11
Road Gossip, 18x24
Basket Maker, 20x24
Page 3
Basket Maker Study, 14x11
The Hurling Match, 11x14
Will Ye Have A Pint?, 11x14
Page 8
I vividly recall one of my very first days at the Art Students League in New York. I was twenty three years old and I had never painted. I only drew and then only with pencil. I observed the students dipping their brushes into a liquid mixture (which later on I discovered was half paint thinner and half linseed oil) and then dip the brush into a mound of raw umber. They proceeded to draw with a brush on the canvas. They went through a series of adding darks with the raw umber and then with cloth and brush rubbing away paint to various degrees and then all of a sudden, like magic, achieve a complete full value drawing. Of course I was devastated knowing full well this was far beyond my ability. I later on became quite good at it. I hope you see that in my Sepia studies.
William Butler Yates, 14x11
Dublin Dock, 20x24 Young Woman Cutting Kelp, 20x16
Obviously, I grew up in an Irish Catholic household. My mother and my father’s mother were born and raised in County Kerry Ireland, which is in the western part of Ireland. This part of Ireland, is very rural, and all of my relatives were farmers. I grew up, hearing many tales of life in Ireland from both my mother and my grandmother. My grandmother lived with us in a five room apartment in Astoria Queens. We called her Nanny. At least once a month, my mother’s brothers and my grandmother’s brothers and their wives and children would come to our apartment in Astoria to have food, drinks and to share in singing, story telling, poems, dancing and all kinds of fun. Everyone took turns at either singing, playing a fiddle, accordion, a penny whistle or the piano. I loved these visits.
James Joyce, 14x11
Page 9
Study For Woman Carrying Kelp Basket, 20x16
Page 2
“
All my paintings are a prayer, a song, a laugh, and tell old tales.
“
Inspiration for a painting starts with an emotional tug towards a subject matter. Frequently it begins with a gesture I see in an old photo or when observing someone in a restaurant, a museum, bookstore or where ever. I see a gesture, and I am immediately transported back in time to remembering my aunt, uncle, grandmother, mother, father or some relative who had that same way of standing, or tilting their head. Suddenly the image leads me into a daydream story about the imagined person. I begin to wonder what they may be talking about or, what their lives are like.
Her Pup, 16x20
All my paintings tell a tale. The tale is for my amusement. It’s my story. I paint it, but then it becomes someone else’s story when they view it. Imagine the beauty of that! I love to think that I have touched another’s heart when my painting becomes someone else’s story.
Study For Women Gathering Straw, 14x12
Page 1
Cover Image: Yer All Wet, 18x24
There You Are, 20x16
Page 10
o r i g i n a l
”I hope you enjoy viewing my work as much as I enjoy painting it.” “For me, a successful painting is one that stands on its own visual merits. It requires no verbal explanation or justification. The image reflects an understanding of composition, shape, relationships, and color that is inherently obvious. The skill of the artist’s brush is evident in every stroke, and the passion that went into creating the work is captured on the canvas and emanates to the viewer. This is what I am drawn to as an art enthusiast and what I strive for as a painter.”
5 East Washington Street, Box 2084, Middleburg, Virginia 20118 . (540) 687-6653 . www.t-lgalleries.com
Martin Driscoll is represented by Trowbridge-Lewis Galleries © Martin Driscoll 2007. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher.
M a r ti n
w o r k s
b y
D r is c o l l