John Dinan

John Dinan was born and raised in Glasnevin, Dublin.

His college degree was in Engineering and he worked in this field for many years. However he was always more in tune with the Fine Arts, and every spare moment was spent painting and drawing and studying the styles of the painters he loved – such as Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne, Matisse ….

 

He took various evening courses in the College of Art – Where he met Henry Healy RHA. Henry gave John private lessons and encouraged him to join a number of his other students who painted with him in the West of Ireland every year. They were known as the Black Lane Painters, and for the next 20 years he travelled with them painting various parts of Ireland and France and holding Group Exhibitions.

 

In 2001, after 30 years of painting in his spare time John moved to the West of Ireland where, along with his wife Sheila, he established his Studio and Gallery in the village of Cong in County Mayo.

He has exhibited in the Royal Hibernian Academy’s Annual Exhibitions, and the Oireachtas Annual exhibitions, and his work is now also represented by numerous galleries around the country.

“What captures my artistic imagination is usually a strong tonal design, whether it be in landscape or still life, a simple interesting pattern of light and dark is the prerequisite to, and an essential foundation of every good painting.

After tonal design comes colour harmony. Colour is such a powerful visual stimulus that, on top of a good composition, and tonal design, a harmonious colour arrangement – matching the mood you wish to convey puts the icing on the cake”

 

“In a world where younger artists must find increasingly Social/Political/Psychological reasons to put paint on canvas I am satisfied with, and constantly inspired by nature.”

 

In Spring and Sumer John paints ‘En Plein Air’ as much as possible, while in autumn and winter he focuses on still life’s and portraits”.

 

John also has a busy Summer schedule running Painting Workshops.