Painting the Nation, Episode 2 of 5, RTÉ One, October 1st at 6.30pm
This week inspired by artist Campbell Bruce’s watercolour entitled Clare Coast, featuring the rolling grey hills and flat flagstones of the coastal landscape, our amateur painters face two Clare inspired watercolour challenges as they take on Watercolour Week.
First stop for Pauline McLynn is Ballyvaughan Farmers’ Market where she sees what is on offer, meets the locals, and does a spot of shopping.
As always there is a warm up challenge and later, at the Burren College of Art the Judges task the painters with a still life from the produce Pauline has gathered. The painters have just ninety minutes to capture vegetables and cheese using the tricky medium of watercolour.
Warm up challenge completed, the painters move onto this week’s Exhibition Challenge which decides who will be judged Painter of the Week and who leaves the competition.
For this challenge the painters visit one of the most northerly points of Clare known as the Flaggy Shore. With a view of Burren limestone and Galway in the distance, our painters must choose a view to paint and capture it perfectly in watercolour in just two hours to keep their place in the competition.
What will the locals make of the six different interpretations of this place they know so well? And what will our judges make of their final watercolour work?
Who will our judges choose as this week’s Painter of the Week?
And which of our amateur painters will leave the competition?
Series Overview
Painting the Nation, series two, begins with a one hour special introducing the seven amateur painters who will compete to have their painting hang in the State Art Collection.
Presented by Pauline McLynn, Painting the Nation, produced for RTÉ by Independent Pictures, is an amateur painting competition to uncover and showcase the best amateur painting talent in the country.
Over the next five weeks, inspired by the works of great Irish artists including Mary Swanzy and Jack B Yeats, the series follows a group of seven talented painters travelling around Ireland finding inspiration at some of our most beautiful and iconic locations.
Pauline McLynn, whose CV includes a BA in History of Art alongside her roles in Father Ted, Shameless and on stage at the Abbey Theatre, is there every step of the way to shepherd the artists through the highs and lows as they compete.
In episode one, we meet the seven artists hailing from Dublin to Galway, Cork to Clare. These construction workers, baristas, full-time mums, computer programmers, community development workers, and teachers from across Ireland all share a dream of painting for a living.
Over the series, the painters take on painting and drawing challenges, with one artist leaving the competition each week. The winner’s painting is acquired by the Office of Public Works for the state art collection to hang on public display in Dublin Castle.
The programme features two judges, professional artists Una Sealy and Gabhann Dunne, who test the painters pushing them to their creative limits with challenges that include still-life, landscape and portrait.
Painting against the clock, the painters will showcase their talents in the hope of impressing the judges.
The final Exhibition Challenge each week is the true test of the artists’ skill and technique and determines who leaves and who stays in the competition.
The Exhibition Challenge subjects range from the rich foliage of the National Botanic Gardens, the unique coastline of North Clare to capturing the movement and energy of boxing, a portrait of a very recognisable face, and the historic Birr Castle.
Not only must our painters impress the judges to win a coveted place in the final – but they must also impress the people of the places they visit.
Weekly, the final paintings are exhibited to locals who are invited to give their views on the art, but ultimately the judges decide which painter will be named the Painter of the Week, and who will make it to the next stage.
The series culminates with an Exhibition Challenge set at Birr Castle Gardens and Science Centre. Which painting of this medieval castle will be judged good enough to take a place in the Office of Public Work’s state art collection and go on display in Dublin Castle?
BELOW IS STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL 1PM ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH
Joanne McAndrew
Thirty-seven-year-old Joanne McAndrew lives in Blanchardstown in Dublin with her husband Phil and four children: Sarah (18), Holly (11); Daniel (10); and Anna (7).
The full-time-mum always enjoyed art and says it was one of her best subjects in school. In her Leaving Certificate year Joanne was preparing her portfolio to apply for art college when she became pregnant. This news put her immediate plans on hold and she instead went on to train as a beauty therapist.
Joanne says that now the children are older and all attending school she has more time to concentrate on her art. To improve her skills, she has spent the last few years studying and doing painting and drawing workshops and classes at the National College of Art and Design and the Royal Hibernian Academy School. She also runs a life drawing and painting group and teaches at childrens’ art and craft camps.
Joanne enjoys painting plein air and drawing from life using oil paint, charcoal and pen. Her least favourite materials are acrylic and watercolour.
Keith Anderson
Thirty-nine-year-old Keith Anderson is a construction worker from Douglas, Cork who has two great loves in his life – his thirteen-year-old daughter Leah and art.
Keith is a self-taught artist who says he has been drawing since before he could write, but only took up painting seven years ago. He had hoped to study art in secondary school but his parents were deterred from allowing him to on the advice it was a ‘wasted subject’.
Keith has a huge passion for art describing it as the first thing he thinks about when he wakes up and the last thing before he goes to sleep. His evenings are spent painting, and weekly he reckons he spends as much time painting as he does at his full time job.
Keith particularly enjoys painting landscapes, portraits and figures with his medium of choice which is oil paint. His least favourite material to paint with is watercolour. Keith mostly paints from photographs and can spend anything from twenty to eighty hours perfecting a painting.
Warren Faye
Forty-two-year-old Warren Faye lives in Clonee in Dublin where he paints in his kitchen.
Warren has painted and drawn since he was a child, and following school he went on to study classical animation.
In the past Warren was kept busy running two shops which sold everything from stationary to toys. As a result of the economic downturn Warren was forced to close the shops. With his new found time and focus he has been able to concentrate on his art.
Warren finds inspiration in nature and the places he has travelled to. He has visited countries such as India, Southeast Asia and Ethiopia. In India he volunteered at a school to teach children drawing. His love of comic books and Celtic folklore also strongly influence his art.
Warren mostly paints from his imagination and photographs, and enjoys painting scenery, landscapes and portrait, but is not keen on still life. His material of choice is oil paints, and his least favourite paint is watercolour.
Elaine Gavin
Thirty-one-year-old Elaine Gavin hails from Clare where she is a primary school teacher in Lissycasey National School teaching senior infants and first class. She says she loves teaching the children art and it is always their favourite lesson. Elaine also teaches some children art locally.
Elaine was introduced to art at a very early age. When she was four she joined her older brother who was attending local art classes, where she says she spent her time drawing funny pictures.
When she was a teenager, she tested her skills in a community arts games competition several times and came away with two silver medals for her efforts.
Last year, Elaine began to really focus on painting concentrating on capturing local landscapes on canvas.
Elaine finds painting relaxing and says she ‘zones out’ in the moment particularly enjoying painting landscapes and animals in acrylic paint. She finds portrait tough and is not fond of painting in oils.
When she is not painting Elaine can be found practicing or performing with her beloved Ennis Musical Society and spending time with her rescue dog Tayto.
Teresa Butler
Originally from Coolock in Dublin, Teresa, aged fifty- nine, has been living in Leitrim for the past fourteen years with her husband Peter.
Working part time as a community development officer allows Teresa to spend time painting.
She has painted all her life and likes to work fast using acrylic paint and watercolour. Mood and emotion inspire her paintings and she typically paints from life or from memory. When the weather allows Teresa paints outdoors, and when she is not outdoors she can be found in her studio in the back garden.
The mum-of-five has painted over the years to record the children growing up and events such as family holidays.
Teresa says she particularly enjoys that painting allows her to have her ‘own space’.
Teresa has a degree in English and Art History, and has given basic drawing classes to a womens’ group.
Paul Grout
Forty-six-year-old Paul Grout, is a computer programmer, originally from Cheadle Heath in England, living in Galway.
Paul is married to Joan and they have two children: Cian who is eleven, and Aoife who is nine.
The children also enjoy art and their home is filled with the family’s paintings and drawings.
Paul enjoys painting portrait, and dislikes painting animals. He likes to work with oil paint and watercolour, and does not relish using pastels.
To further his love of art he has completed classes in the National College of Art and Design and Galway Arts centre.
When he isn’t busy with work, or painting Paul coaches mini rugby with the local rugby club.
Hazel Higgins
Twenty-four-year-old Hazel Higgins lives in Sligo with her parents.
Hazel, who has drawn since childhood, has recently given up her job as a barista in a local café to concentrate on art.
She spends her time painting and drawing in her shed at home where she enjoys working with acrylic and oil paint, watercolour and charcoal. Hazel likes to paint portrait and isn’t so keen on landscape painting, and using pastels.
Hazel likes to paint from life but finds it more practical to work from photographs.
Having done art in secondary school Hazel went on to study fine art and animation and take a drawing course- but she found her love and interest in art waning towards the end of her final year studying animation.
She hopes to reignite her passion for art by taking part in this competition.