Artist Background
Connor Maguire is an Associate member of the Royal Ulster Academy. He is an Irish artist that works in all medium, painting in oils, watercolours, drawing in charcoal and graphite. He is a professional picture framer also. He also makes limited edition prints in the form of woodcuts, linocuts and Giclee. He has won many visual art awards over the years exhibiting nationwide.
He has exhibited with the Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin on several occasions and his work is displayed with the Royal Ulster Academy annually in the Ulster Museum, Belfast, Northern Ireland. He has been shortlisted on two occasions as Artist of the year in association with Artist and Illustrators magazine where he exhibited in the Mall Galleries, London.
The Cross: Oil on Wood painting
The Cross is a painting that was partially funded by the Arts Council NI in 2025. The painting is in the shape of a cross. The Cross, being a religious symbol, is meant to be recognised as a gesture for the burden that everyone carries in some form or another. Struggles trying to make a new home after moving house. My son, finding his way in a new School. My family dealing with social issues within the community where challenges that we have had to face. My son took up boxing. He represents the spirit in our family opposing the burdens imposed. The painting that you see is supposed to be a painting of "The Cross" that we carry. Everyone carries their own. I was fortunate enough to be able to paint ours.
Another reason for the custom shape of this painting was inspired by an Artist called Robert Ballagh that I admire. I remember seeing his painting in the National Gallery of Ireland many years ago. He completed a painting in 1985 entitled Portrait of Noel Browne. I loved the shape, composition and colour palette. I liked the way the painting wasn't restricted to the stereotypical square/rectangle format. I always wanted to paint something in a custom shape for years. So even though our experiences were very negative I was able to switch mindset and turn things around focusing on producing something positive in the form of a painting from these events punching back.
Techniques/Construction:
All my paintings start and begin with me from construction of the canvas or panel, then painting and finally framing. The Cross painting was constructed in marine ply. It was sized and cut into equal portions to form a cross shape. It was sanded, primed and sealed to protect from moisture and warping. Using a selective colour palette in oils I then use cross hatching techniques like that of a tempera painter. Sometimes I use fan brushes to smooth out areas. This painting was gloss varnished this time rather than a satin finish which I usually do. As a professional picture framer, I then finished this painting in a deep float style moulding. I might add this was quite a technical frame to build in regards of measurements so very challenging.
Artist Background:
Connor Maguire is an Associate member of the Royal Ulster Academy. He is an Irish artist that works in all medium, painting in oils, watercolours, drawing in charcoal and graphite. He is a professional picture framer also. He also makes limited edition prints in the form of woodcuts, linocuts and Giclee. He has won many visual art awards over the years exhibiting nationwide.
He has exhibited with the Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin on several occasions and his work is displayed with the Royal Ulster Academy annually in the Ulster Museum, Belfast, Northern Ireland. He has been shortlisted on two occasions as Artist of the year in association with Artist and Illustrators magazine where he exhibited in the Mall Galleries, London.
The Young Irishman: Oil on Wood
As a kid, I would travel to the west coast of Ireland with my family. My dad has a passion and love for Connemara, Dingle and Roundstone and the surrounding landscape. With his love for John Wayne in the film, "The Quiet Man", he would inscribe in our minds the great things about the Irish west coast of Ireland.
Now at an age where I have my own family, I now revisit my own childhood and bring my own family to the west coast of Ireland to the same and new locations. I did a painting of my dad called the, "The Irishman" which was exhibited last year in the Royal Ulster Academy 2024.
The Young Irishman is a painting about passing on Irish culture, knowledge and family tradition to the next generation with a love for the Irish Arts, storytelling, folklore and poetry in the Irish Arts.
Techniques/Construction:
All my paintings start and begin with me from construction of the canvas or panel, then painting and finally framing. The Young Irishman was constructed as a panel using birch. It was sanded down to a fine finish, sealed and primed with gesso using many layers.
The painting was completed in oils blocking in colours. I let the paint dry and work back into it again. Sometime applying washed down layers of oil by mixing linseed oil when applying final layers.
For this painting I applied a Satin varnish and finished the presentation with a tray frame. I like to keep things simple and not over complicate things when complimenting a finished piece. Unless it needs it of course.