Michael O' Cleary's BARN OWLS comes to Samhlaiocht
The landscape of Kerry is a defining feature in the lives of most of its populace and this is doubly true for many of its wonderful artists and writers. One such artist is Michael O' Cleary, the landscape of Kerry and, in particular, its feathered inhabitants feature strongly in his art. The Exhibition will be opened by Eric Dempsey. Eric is a professional bird tour guide and is a regular panelist from the Derek Mooney Radio show on RTE 1 radio.
"Nature and art are inextricably linked for me and have been, I suppose, since I was 13 years old," says Michael. "I've never really been able to explain it, but I think art is something that every child loves and I think I just pursued it more that others."
Another passion that Michael has followed since childhood is a love of ornithology. "When I first began bird-watching it was easy to incorporate my love of art and it's something I pursued right through to college."
Michael attended the NCAD and, under advisement from his lecturers, his degree show featured his work with birds. It was from this that he was commissioned to work on his first book, The Complete Guide to
Despite the time commitment it developed into a career and Michael now works full time as a wildlife artist, designer, author and illustrator, in
Michael who hails from
"The Samhlaiocht Gallery is delighted to welcome well known freelance bird and wildlife artist, author and illustrator Michael O' Cleary and his 'Barn Owl's Hidden Realm' exhibition to the Gallery," said
The exhibition features barn owls, one of
"I spent a year seeking out Barn Owls throughout Kerry, and have been privileged to witness them at first hand on many occasions, in many contexts," says Michael. "With the paintings in this exhibition, I hope to reflect the strange beauty of these animals, mostly within a variety of settings created by man, and also places in slow decay."
Barn owls inhabit human landscapes, nesting and living out their unobtrusive lives almost exclusively in derelict cottages, ruined houses, old castles and neglected farm buildings. The paradox is that, for a species which is so elusive and shy of humans, it is utterly dependent on us for secure nest sites, albeit in the places which we have abandoned.
Most people have never seen a barn owl or have only had the briefest of glimpses and this latest
The exhibition opens on Thursday 25th of June and runs to Friday 17th of July in the New
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