Artists Biography
Senan O'Brien
We’ve all dreamed of a special, golden day – walking a quiet lane, in a lush green landscape – or remembered a special moment when we changed upon a true slice of almost forgotten rural life. Awarding – winning Irish Senan O’Brien lives these dreams and memories daily – with his young family at his home in Shillelagh, Co. Wicklow. His bond with the nearby countryside and her people is more than just visual – it is a major part of his life.
Born in Co. Wicklow, Senan’s early artistic training was accomplished as a child at his father’s side. Denis O’Brien – noted landscape painter and sculptor, was firm in his insistence that his son attain a complete proficiency in drawing before moving onto other media. (Senan didn’t lift a paintbrush until he was 18.) His more formal education led him into an early career in graphic and structural design including study with portrait artist – Desmond Carrick (RHA).
Senan’s contemporary realist style developed over the past 20 years, even as he worked in a number of graphic design situations. Several years after his beloved father’s death in 1985 – Senan’s career passed through an unquiet period, which found him for a short time with a design department for a movie studio. However by 1996, the decision was made to devote himself exclusively to painting.
