Influences
Welcome to Shaun's Website
Artistic Influences:
Still me - but more mature..(older..)
The Irish artists Jack B Yeats, Patrick Collins, and Gerard Dillon are some of his favourite painters.
also interiors by Pierre Bonnard, Edward Vuillard, Claude Monet and Paul Gauguin Their control of colour, pattern and tone together with the expression of the narative. His longterm American favourites are Edward Hopper, Andrew Wyeth, Thomas Hart Benton, Charles Sheeler, Georgia O'Keeffe, Grant Wood and his former University of Washington studio mentor and nationally known painter, Jacob Lawrence.
Shaun and His Uncle, Nicholas Hayden (90) of Kilkenny -with The Sam Maguire Cup - the All Ireland Gaelic Football trophy - at his home in Kerry (2007)
Shaun met Jacob in his final years of his Undergraduate Degree, in the School of Art at the University. At that time Shaun was, and still paints narative work of Irish context (see collection B).
Shaun's induction to Art at the University was delivered by the likes of Spencer Moseley, Gene Pizzuto, Bill Hixson, Ken Pawula, Norman Lundin and Chuck Smith and Michael Spafford.
His unique irish and UK expriences have been the sources of his inspiration.These Washington artists prepared him for a variety of ways of working and interpreting these experiences by opening his eyes to American, other new world art as well as European. Shaun lives and works in Co. Kerry, Ireland.
The Collections
Collection A- West of Ireland
style : semi-realism
Content: Landscape and architecture
Exemplified by the landscape of the West, Shaun spends time travelling around with his easel to coastal regions and paints on location the scene before him. The immediacy of the scene as it plays itself out by its changing light and elements is one that he aims to capture. Working this way enables him to catch the essence of the place, as did the Irish impressionists of the 1850s. : Roderic O'Connor.
Shaun often wakes in the Castlegregory area of West Kerry at 5:30 am, to find the spot where he will best work. He often scouts the area with local people beforehand. Scenes of Castlegregory and Dingle in Kerry have been absorbing to him in 2007 and 2008.
Collection C-interiors and still-life
Style: semi-realism
Content: nature and architecture
This collection consists of work completed at his home at "Kingsland" in North Kerry, between the towns of Listowel an Abbeyfeale. Kingsland House where Shaun resides, is in a rural area. The house is of the Georgian period and was formally a Landlords house in the locality. It was built circa 1845 and retains much of the origianal features. Shaun Has lived here since 1999.
Collection D - Paintings of North Kerry
Style: semi-realism
Content: Interior and exterior
Completed at the artists home and his locality of Listowel and Abbeyfeale, in North Kerry. Many of the pieces are painted with an immediacy of working outside. The scencs depict the rural work of farmers as they affect the landscape with machine and also the of the natural beauty of the wild untouched
landscape and buildings of the area.
Content: nature and architecture
This collection consists of work completed at his home at "Kingsland" in North Kerry, between the towns of Listowel an Abbeyfeale. Kingsland House where Shaun resides, is in a rural area. The house is of the Georgian period and was formally a Landlords house in the locality. It was built circa 1845 and retains much of the origianal features. Shaun Has lived here since 1999.
Collection D - Paintings of North Kerry
Style: semi-realism
Content: Interior and exterior
Completed at the artists home and his locality of Listowel and Abbeyfeale, in North Kerry. Many of the pieces are painted with an immediacy of working outside. The scencs depict the rural work of farmers as they affect the landscape with machine and also the of the natural beauty of the wild untouched
landscape and buildings of the area.