Ireland’s most successful artist

Born in Dublin, the painter has now sold over 10,000 works, capturing the attention of collectors around the world. “Last year, 40 of my paintings were purchased by this man who owns a Francis Bacon, two Picassos, and a Lucian Freud, which is fascinating, because all the artists in his collection are dead”, he told The Portugal News. “It’s an honour and humbling as an artist to be recognised while you’re still alive.”

He began pursuing his artistic career about 30 years ago, when a dinner guest stumbled upon his paintings and said he’d never seen anything like it before, encouraging him to sell them. “That person happened to be an art teacher”, Sharkey recounted, “he asked me if I had gone to school, where I learnt how to paint, and I replied that I hadn’t, I just used to make things that I liked”.

“I’ve experimented in lots of ways over the years – drawing, charcoal, oil, acrylics – all different mediums”, he elaborated on his journey. “That’s the beauty of not being trained, because you make mistakes, but that’s how you learn. Whereas if I’d gone to college, I’m sure I wouldn’t have made as many mistakes, but I would’ve ended up painting like everybody else.”

The frequency of creativity

Sharkey started painting at the age of 12, describing the process as being less about the finished work and more about the momentary relief it offered. “I was very sad and lonely as a kid”, he shared. “The family that adopted me sent me back to the orphanage, so I was heartbroken, and the only thing that worked was escaping how I was feeling.”

That’s when the artist turned to creativity as an outlet for the struggles he faced, transforming the grief into purpose. “I suppose it became a form of therapy, a lovely habit I had”, he reflected. “If you come up with an idea and follow it through, you’ll never be lost.”

He considers himself a strong believer in the power of thoughts, living in the present moment, where you can decide what you want and be creative. “I try every day to keep my thoughts about the future positive and not dwell on negative aspects of the past, because it doesn’t change anything”, he stated. “Whereas the temptation is to plug into Netflix, and then when you wake up in the morning, you have nothing to show for it.”

“I love being able to contribute something, bringing beauty into the world, there’s a certain connection to people when they experience my art, and their appreciation is all the payback I need”, he explained. “I try and incorporate energy into my paintings, because creativity is like a frequency, and most people feel art more than just see it.”

For Sharkey, the most rewarding thing about art is that it can last a lifetime and beyond, “there’s an eternal sense to it, because when I’m dead and gone, these won’t be. They’re going to be looking at the paintings for the rest of their lives, which they can leave to their kids, and there’s not many things you can do that with”.

A conversation piece

His technique consists of using a paintbrush, spatula, and even pouring directly from the bottle. “I work flat on the floor, so when you put this paint on the canvas and stop, it does its own thing overnight, and it’s very exciting, you never know what to expect”, he expressed. “It’s taken me around 25 years to learn how to do this, but one of the things that sets me apart is that I never do the same thing twice, I don’t think I could repeat it even if I tried, there’s this tick in my brain, once I get it right, I want to do something different.”

But it’s not just the creative process that makes his work unique, as the durability of the finished piece is also a defining feature, and each canvas is treated with a carefully selected combination of materials designed to prevent and withstand both time and elements. “There’s an art varnish I use, which is designed to prevent the colours from fading, and the glass paint that I use too, that is designed for windmills, it’s got a built-in UV filter, so there are two layers of protection”, he revealed. “In countries like these, people are going to want to put them in bright places, so you need to make sure they’re imperishable.”

The final layer, a yacht varnish, serves both a preservative and practical function, as it forms a robust coating that can handle the occasional mishap – be it children’s sticky fingers or spilled wine. “You can just wipe it down with a baby wipe”, he added. “I went out of my way to ensure that it’s all at the highest standard.”

From the paint and varnish to the choice of canvas, every component is incorporated with quality and longevity in mind, resulting in a body of work that not only sparks conversation but is also animated, tactile, and resilient, much like the artist himself.

For more information on the painter and his upcoming works, please visit the newly opened Kevin Sharkey Gallery at Quinta Shopping in Almancil or https://kevinsharkeyart.com/

A journalist that’s always eager to learn about new things. With a passion for travel, adventure and writing about this diverse world of ours.

“Wisdom begins in wonder” -  Socrates

Kate Sreenarong