John McCarthy’s Davitt’s Quay situated is the heart of Dungarvan was inspired by an evening walk around the town where the low setting spring sun illuminated the quayside building and the harbour. Drawing a quick sketch there he returned to his studio where he started on this painting, by building up layers of tones and texture to capture the evening in vivid colour.

John McCarthy is a Dungarvan based artist originally from Cappamore Co. Limerick and a graduate of Limerick College of Art & Design. The recipient of a scholarship to study art in Oslo, he later studied print making in NCAD. After qualifying with a Master’s in Education, he taught art to Leaving Cert level for over thirty years. Since recently retiring, John has returned with renewed enthusiasm to his two great passions of travel and painting.

He has visited many far-off corners of the world and is greatly influenced by his immediate environment both home and abroad. His use of bright colours gives his paintings a strong sense of storytelling and composition.

His love of drawing often working directly from life and what he sees is in front of him, is an import part in the way he approaches a subject or theme. His works are mostly a mixture of acrylic and oil, are an emotive response to capturing the spirit of his subjects.