February Return for Bernadette’s Art from Scratch Classes

In the first week of February, Bernadette O’Sullivan will be starting weekly, evening art classes for adults and children in Castleisland at the NEKD offices and at her studio in Currow.  Saturday classes for children will also be available.

Bernadette will travel on request to any of the surrounding towns and villages. She invites group or club organisers to feel free to contact her for further information on classes in their areas.

Ms.O’Sullivan has been resident artist at Kerry Airport for over 12 years.

Just last summer she launched her latest exhibition there. Born in The Glen in Ballinskelligs, the self-taught artist now lives in Currow.

Growing up on a hillside farm looking out over the cliffs to a vista of the great Atlantic and the majestic Skellig Rocks – this, she says has been her greatest creative influence.  Her greatest creative motivation was the boredom of being bed bound and at home from school with an illness as a very young child.

A plain pencil and copybook were the only items available and this was the beginning of a life-long love of creating art. Years and years of persistent learning and practice shows in the standard of illustration she displays in her work.

She is also very passionate about empowering children very early on with the proper tuition in illustration, technique and colour.

“All children love creativity and if you get those basic skills in place at an early age they will be ahead of the game when they reach secondary school where good illustration skills can gain you extra points in many subjects,” said Bernadette.

Bernadette O'Sullivan Art Class 18-12-2013While some places are taken up in the February classes by returns students, there is a handful of spaces still available.

Bernadette, an art column contributor to The Maine Valley Post,  teaches adults and children – in groups or individually.  She can be contacted on 087-2804574 or via her website:  www.kerryartgallery.com

*Artist and class tutor, Bernadette O’Sullivan (standing) pictured with her ‘Art from Scratch’ class at the NEKD buildings on their final night before the Christmas break. Included are, from left: Angela Kelliher, Bina O’Connell, Catherine Griffin, Marie Brosnan, Sheelagh Brosnan and Marian McGillicuddy. ©Photograph: John Reidy

*Inset:  Bernadette O’Sullivan pictured with Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan, TD and Kerry Airport manager, Noel Ryan at the opening of her most recent exhibition there. www.kerryartgallery.com