Sam Maguire is back in The Kingdom - for 3 months anyway!

The #AIBPortraitPrize has moved to its new home at Killarney House And Garden. And what a location. The exhibition is open now so take advantage and enjoy the wonderful collection including the Young Portrait Prize.

Probably the most iconic sea-swimming spot in Co Louth.

And the views!!!

“Salterstown Pier” (2025)
Oil On Canvas, 30 x 15 inches.

Always love the wooden beach monuments that populate the Louth coast. These two were looking good on a February morning this year.

“A Couple of Waves Breaks on Port Beach” (2025)

Oil on Canvas, 30 x 15 inches

I've been too long away from the beach. So I've made myself a promise to 'up' my seascapes game with a series of coastal paintings.

"A Couple of Wave Breaks on Port Beach" (2025)
Oil on Canvas, 30 x 15 inches.

I needed to get some practice in to start the new year. So I did some monochromes portraits of the kids….
…from a single day 15 years ago.

Practice doesn't make perfect - it just makes incremental improvements. And that's all we can strive for.

I remain a work in progress.

Mother Nature wasn’t messing about when she built Donegal!

#portnoo #narin #wildatlanticway @visitdonegal

The final piece of the ‘If you live in my house, you’ll get painted eventually’ collection!

The youngest of the tribe (just by a few minutes from his sister) has already been on show a a different painting. This is the ‘GameBoy’ some 15 years ago.

“The Youngest”, Oil on Canvas, 14 x 11 inches.

No 3 in the collection 'If you sit still in our house, Dad'll paint ya!'

4 monochrome oils of my kids - from the same day 15 years ago.

I practice to learn and improve from one image to the next. As always, I remain a work in progress.

'Daughter', Oil on Canvas, 11” x 14”.

'You live in my house, I'll paint you if I want!'

It's the second eldest this time. I'm painting all four kids as they were on one day 15 years - we were on Achill Island as it happens). So I guess it's a kind of time capsule.

'Boy 2', Oil on canvas, 14 x 11 inches (unframed)

If you live in my house and sit still long enough, you may get painted. It's a hazard of being part of this clan. This week I dug thru some old video and stills footage of the kids to get a little bit of practice in. Wanna finish 4 in a week.

"The Eldest", Oil on canvas, 14 x 11 inches (unframed)

What a great night at the Talbot Hotel Stillorgan on Saturday for the inaugural #orpenprize2024.

Congratulations to the 3 winners:
1. Ciaran Taylor
2. Brian Gallagher
3. Catherine Barron

#Portraitpainter #portraitartist #irishartist #irishportraits #irishportrait #irishartist #portraiture

My son Sam visits himself at @nationalgalleryirl.bsky.social for the first time.

‘Gameboy’ is one of 26 portraits in Room 23 as part of #aibportraitprize2024 - alongside the wonderful #AIBYoungPortraitPrize finalists.

The exhibition runs til March 9 before moving to Killarney for the Summer.

Not so much a still life as a portrait of the King of Breads.

This is a focaccia from Coyles Bakehouse Dundalk. An homage to the art of bread making. Painted for an exhibition before Christmas and currently hanging in the Bakehouse.

Try the focaccia when you call in.

It’s no silk purse😜, but it’s been shortlisted for the inaugural #OrpenPrize 2025.

Probably should have called it “Resting Paint Face”.

Exhibition takes place Jan 25 - Talbot Hotel, Stillorgan

@williamorpen.bsky.social

Time to share some art.

AIB National Gallery Portrait Prize 2024

I love this - the collection of metal behind the plants, her expression, the yellows. And the single branch climbing up in front of the blue shed.

The exhibition runs til March..

Joy Kavanagh, Self-subject; in Bloom, 2024.

Last weekend was a good weekend☺️🤯

Room 23 (🤔) at the National Gallery. It’s a wonderful exhibition to visit. And it’s free.