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.
Subsequently she set up her decorative painting business, ‘Hand Painted Interiors’. And, while working on some of Ireland’s most prestigious 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. 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 many solo exhibitions at institutes such as the Cork City and County Archive, the Boole Library at University College Cork and at the Irish Georgian Society’s City Assembly House, Dublin.
Her paintings have been exhibited at the Royal Hibernian Academy, the Royal Ulster Academy, Visual Carlow and the Boyle Arts Festival. Many have now entered public collections, such as Ballinglen Museum of Modern Art, Tyrone Guthrie Centre, University College Cork and the Irish Georgian Society. Private collections include that of, Countess Dunraven, Ballymaloe House and further afield in Germany, Hong Kong, UK and USA
She works at her studio in Cork City.