23 Colours (Martin Maguire)

Story-telling has been my life.

As a writer, performer and producer for radio theatre and TV ...my career had been centred around telling stories.

And so it is with my art - relaying a story through a painting is what interests me most about the medium.  Creating a narrative, however simple, is what draws me to the easel every time.

My Still Lifes are often infused with humour - sometimes it's the composition, sometimes it's the subject matter - Lego figures for example. Coming up with a story using inanimate objects is what we did as children.  More often than not, we lose that ability as we get older and more 'sensible'.  Well, I like to relive that sense of wonder when it comes to storytelling.

My portraits also aim to tell a story. I work with video a lot - spending time with the sitter and getting a sense of their personality and character. It allows me the time and space to discover a moment that you don't always get with a posed portrait.  My intent is to catch the subject in mid-flow.

I started painting in 2020 -  and I'm always learning, problem solving and, hopefully, improving my art.

My portrait 'GameBoy' has been shortlisted for the 2024 National Gallery of Ireland AIB Portrait Prize.

I remain a work in progress.