About

 

Geraldine O’Riordan’s interest in painting began at an early age. She attributes the Crawford Gallery, known as ‘The School of Art’ in those days, as initiating her interest in historic buildings and their interiors. She recounts the joyous experience of the building and its collections, en-route to the lofty classrooms, as inspiring.

 

 

 

Subsequently she set up her decorative painting business, ‘Hand Painted Interiors’. And, while working on some of Ireland’s historic buildings she gained a deep knowledge of the skilled crafts that were intrinsic to their creation and also an admiration for the private owners who care for this important aspect of our heritage.

 

 

 

She turned to full time easel painting in 2005. As a self taught artist she suggests that much of her skills have been gleaned from investigations into the ‘Old Masters’, in Ireland and on her many gallery visits across Europe and further afield. Their compositions, materials and techniques resonate with her own practice, especially those of the ‘Dutch Masters’ of the Golden Age, such as Vermeer, Metsu, Maes and de Hooch along with the Danish artist Hammershoi. These artists are also of particular interest for their interior depictions.

 

 

 

She has had solo exhibitions at, for example, the Cork City and County Archive, the Boole Library at University College Cork, ‘Visual’ Carlow and the Irish Georgian Society’s City Assembly House, Dublin.

 

 

 

Her paintings have also been exhibited at the Royal Hibernian Academy, the Royal Ulster Academy and the Boyle Arts Festival. Many have now entered public collections, such as Ballinglen Museum of Art, Tyrone Guthrie Centre, University College Cork and the Irish Georgian Society. 

 

 

 

Awards include the Arts Council of Ireland ‘Visual Arts Bursary’ in 2021 and 2022, when she achieved the maximum amount given on both occasions. Other awards include Cork Co. Council’s Tyrone Guthrie Centre Bursary, Ballinglen Foundation Fellowshipand Heinrich Boll Cottage Residency.

 

 

 

She works at her studio in Cork City.