FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sea and Sky: An exhibition of Donegal Seascapes by artist Norman Gibson
[Opens Lifford Old Courthouse 20th November- 18th December 2009]
The Lifford Old Courthouse,Co. Donegal will be hosting an exhibition of Donegal Seascapes painted by local artist Norman Gibson of ‘Gibson Gallery’entitled ‘Sea and Sky’. The opening night will be held on Friday the 20th of November at 7pm and all are welcome. Those who attend on the opening nightwill have an opportunity to enter a competition to win a highly desirable framedminiaturepainting. The exhibition will continue until Friday the 18th of December during normal opening hours at the Lifford Old Courthouse (Monday 9.30- 2.30, Tuesday- Friday 9.30- 5.30). Admission is free.
Norman is a self taught artist who grew up in the seaside town of Dunfanaghy.“I have always been drawn to and inspired by the coastline of my native county of Donegal. My guiding influence comes from the first twenty years of my life spent in and around Dunfanaghy, with its abundance of fine scenery framed by the majesty of the wild Atlantic Ocean. Attempting to capture the transient nature of sea and sky is a never-ending challenge to me”.
The path Norman took, which eventually led to him becoming a Donegal Seascape Artist, is an interesting one.Norman’s first experience ofpainting was at the age of 14 painting crosses on tombstones for a localundertaker!Later, histechnical drawing skills and reputation for accuracy and attention to detail were further put into practice when he ‘fell into’ painting signsforneighbouring businesses. It wasn’t until his mid 20’s that Norman’s passion and love for the Donegal coastline and his artistic drive led him to begin teaching himself art and ultimatelypainting the captivating seascapes he is known for today.
The title of the exhibition, ‘Sea and Sky’, was inspired by Norman’s most celebrated skill of being able to capture the ever changing colour, contrast and movement of the sea and sky that Donegal’s coastline is famous for. “Other ideas for a title were suggested, but they seemed a little too pretentious and ‘arty farty’ for me. I like to keep things simple.” Norman would be best described as a ‘straight- talking’, ‘down to earth’ artist who has a ‘no nonsense’ approach to art which probably stems from him being a self-taught, self-made and self-representing artist. He takes great pride in his work and enjoys what he does “I know what I like to see in paintings and that’s what I set out to achieve with mine. I am very pleased with the paintings I have selected for my upcoming exhibition and I am looking forward to sharing my work with the public”
‘Sea and Sky’ will feature over twenty paintings of Donegal seascapes from Glencolmcille to Inishowen and various places in between.Norman is best known for painting inoils and acrylicsbut has recently branched out into using pastels and will be exhibitinga number of examples of these in ‘Sea and Sky’. Another exciting development is his introduction of smaller sized pieces (canvas size 10 cm x 10 cm) as part of the exhibition. Being neater in size, these smaller pieces can easily work with any art collection. All of the paintings at the exhibition are framed using plain and contemporaryframes that will complement all types of decor. These style of frames serve to draw the eye into the painting and let the scene breathe and come to life. Those who are interested in a sneak preview of Norman’s paintings for ‘Sea and Sky’ can view a small selection on his website (
‘Sea and Sky’ will be the second opportunity for admirers of Norman’s paintings to attend an exhibition solely of his work. Hisfirst solo exhibition, ‘Donegal Seascapes’, was held in the County Museum in Letterkenny and was a tremendous personal success.Norman has taken part in many other exhibitions throughout the country over the last 30 years, notably in Letterkenny, Lifford, Glencolmcille, Donegal Town and most recently in An Clachan in Gweedore. His paintings have been sold locally, nationally and internationally.
For further information about the exhibition contact:
Norman Gibson
Gibson Gallery
Cavan Hill
Lifford
Co. Donegal
Tel: 0749141541/ 0035374 9141541
Mobile: 087 2150783/ 0035387 2150783
Email:
Website:
For further information on the Lifford Old Courthouse:
The Old Courthouse,
Visitor Centre,
Lifford,
Co. Donegal,
Ireland.
Tel: + 353 74 9141733
Fax: + 353 74 9141228
Email:
Website: