Ballyroan Library:3rd April-30th April

Ten years ago Derrick O’Connell first started to paint, beginning to paint on bread boards and using household paints mixed with other media to create large, powerful statement pieces. These first pieces, ablaze with colour, formed his first show “A Colourful Life”, at Tallaght Village in 2008. Derrick has developed his technique at St Michael’s House Training Centre Templeogue and in Red Rua, Tallaght Art Centre.

Derrick’s second show in 2012, “Believing in Dreams” took place in Tallaght Library. The show sold out in less than an hour, as many of his ever growing admirers snapped up two or three pieces;  transfixed by Derrick’s unique style and perfected technique. At present, many of his work can be seen in colleges across the globe, proudly displayed in such locations as Denmark, New York and Trinity College.

This new show, “The Hometurf” comprises of 50 new works which invite you to explore the landscapes of the Dublin and Wicklow mountains, where the turf runs wild and gorse and bog cotton envelope the windswept hills. In these pieces, Derrick has incorporated an entirely new level of texture into his works. He has gone so far as to incorporate the bog into his pieces, grounding up fresh turf and dusting it in between the layers of varnish to achieve an entirely new level of depth and density into his colours.

This exhibition is a testament to the dedication Derrick has to his art and represents how a person with special needs can become an integral part of their community.

LAW