John Shinnors facts for kids

John Shinnors is an Irish artist known for his paintings. His artwork has become more and more abstract over time. He is a member of Aosdána, which is a group of Irish artists.

John Shinnors: Life and Art

John Shinnors was born in Limerick on April 14, 1950. His father was a skilled worker who fixed things. John went to school in Limerick City. As a teenager, he enjoyed drawing. He later joined an art class at Limerick School of Art & Design.

He only went to the class once a week. Soon, he lost interest and stopped going. Shinnors then moved to London for a while. He did simple jobs there and studied art part-time at Hornsey Art School. He came back home in 1969.

After returning, he went back to Limerick School of Art & Design full-time. He was influenced by his teacher, Jack Donovan. John Shinnors stayed there until 1972. He then left college to find his own way in art. Many people see him as an artist who does things differently in the Irish art world.

Shinnors' Painting Style

Shinnors is an abstract painter. This means his art doesn't always show things exactly as they look. Instead, he uses shapes, colors, and forms to express ideas or feelings. He often uses the same ideas or symbols in his art. These include scarecrows, lighthouses, cows, and boats.

While starting his art career, Shinnors taught part-time at his old art school. He first showed his art in small local galleries. He even showed his work in factories and outside in the open air.

His first big success came in 1984. He won the Guinness Peat Aviation Emerging Artists Award. This was a special award for new artists. Tony Ryan became one of the first people to support him by buying his art. Some artists who influenced Shinnors include Jack Donovan, Georges de la Tour, James McNeill Whistler, and Caravaggio.

Shinnors has often shown his paintings at the Royal Hibernian Academy. He also showed his work at the Oireachtas for the first time in 1977.

In 1987, his self-portrait was added to the National Self-Portrait Collection of Ireland. This collection includes works by many other famous artists. In the same year, Shinnors showed his art with his mentor Jack Donovan and Henry Morgan at the Limerick City Gallery of Art.

In 1997, other artists voted for him to join Aosdána. This happened at the same time as fellow Limerick artist Samuel Walsh and Ulster artist Dermot Seymour.

His surroundings always give him ideas for paintings. His art may also include personal stories. But for him, the paint, the brush, and the canvas are the most important things.

In 2014, Shinnors was in a traffic accident and broke both his legs. More recent work by Shinnors at the Gallery of Modern Art in Waterford shows a change. He used to paint with mostly dark colors. Now, his art is becoming more colorful and bright.

John Shinnors' Legacy

In 2005, John Shinnors helped create the Shinnors Scholarship for an MA in Curatorial Studies. He worked with the Limerick Institute of Technology, Limerick School of Art & Design, and Limerick City Gallery of Art. This award helps students study at Limerick School of Art & Design. It also lets them work at the Limerick City Gallery of Art.

The poet John Montague wrote a poem called Scarecrow. He dedicated it to Shinnors. The poem was inspired by Shinnors' frequent use of scarecrows in his art. John Liddy also wrote about Shinnors' work in his poem Three Paintings by John Shinnors. The Aosdána poet Theo Dorgan wrote Three Heterodox Sonnets for John Shinnors. Pat Boran was inspired by Shinnors' painting Lighthouse 1 to write a short poem (haiku) with the same name.

Michael Garvey directed a TV show about Shinnors' work. It was called Split Image – John Shinnors and was shown on RTÉ in 1997.

John Shinnors is married to Catherine. They have two sons. He still lives and works in Limerick City. The Taylor Galleries in Dublin have shown his work for many years. He also supports the Irish Chamber Orchestra.

Shinnors' art is part of many private and public collections. These include An Chomhairle Ealaíon, Bank of Ireland, Ulster Museum, the National Self-Portrait Collection of Ireland, the Irish Museum of Modern Art, and the Royal Hibernian Academy.