Press
Contact Magazine June/July 2009
Art communicates to man some of our most profound experiences, feelings and emotions. It may prod and provoke us, touch a chord of connection deep within our psyche or just simply, take our breath away.
When I visited local artist, Jim Scully in his Cabinteely Studio recently, I felt all of that, plus a new level of respect for his obvious talent, his commitment to form, his eye for finding those little details that make a scene come alive. His work is intricate and precise, with a seamless flow and continuity, suffused with dreamy layers of saturated colour.
Jim, who lives in The Park, with his wife Jennie and three school-age children, Zoe, James and Amy, has been working as a full-time artist since 1992. He displays his work each Sunday with the “Merrion Arists” on Merrion Square.
Guided by the excellent framework of Dublin’s landscape, this artist simply obeyed his instinct to paint what he loves - his native city. Jim uses the mixed media of pen and ink softened with watercolour, bringing warmth, depth and texture to his work.
“Dublin City is a constant source of inspiration for me”, he says, “from the 18th Century Georgian Squares to the more contemporary architecture of the modern city as seen around the Docklands. I am never short of material to paint in Dublin.”
As Jim’s ideas gradually unfold (sometimes taking weeks to develop), he devotes himself to the detail of the Dublin street-scape, giving every view its own history. His work also includes traditional sea and landscapes, in which the angle of light displays a delicate, yet distinguishable palette of colour, thus bathing each painting with a unique mood and personality.
Despite having his work displayed in many prestigious offices and boardrooms in Ireland, Jim is a very approachable, down-to-earth, local guy and would welcome anyone dropping by on a Sunday to his pitch on Merrion Square (near the Mont Claire Hotel). Alternatively, Jim has just launched his website -www.jimscullyart.ie, where you can view a full-range of his beautifully crafted work.
Cathy Murphy
Ireland of the Welcomes July/August 2009
Afterthought is where we share with our readers memories, thoughts and inspirations about Ireland, in words and images from different sources. Jim Scully is a Dublin-born artist who literally brings his work to the public along with many other artists, he and his paintings are to be found around Merrion Square on weekends, the Irish climate permitting.
Jim, a full-time artist since 1992, has developed a unique style of work, much of it based on his drawing ability. He uses a mixed media technique of pen and ink with watercolor, creating paintings that are vibrant and colorful, whilst rich in depth and detail.
His paintings are meticulously planned out in their composition. Using very fine nibbed ‘dip pens’ for the detail, watercolor washes are then applied to give balance to this difficult but most effective mixed media technique. Jim has become best known for his streetscapes, Georgian scenes and architectural renditions of many well known (and some lesser known) areas of Ireland’s built landscape. He also enjoys painting some more traditional watercolor seascapes and landscapes.
“He has become best known for his streetscapes, Georgian scenes and architectural renditions.”
In his blog on his website (www.jimscullyart.ie), Jim gives some insight into the evolution of his painting of the lower end of Grafton Street, from pencil sketch to finished work. “It’s a scene I particularly like,” he says, “as it provides some interesting and challenging features. I chose the Weirs building (a famous jewellery store) as a focal point, as I love the beautiful detail of the brickwork and windows. I also wanted the viewer’s eye to be naturally drawn down the street to Trinity College by using strong perspective in the roofline of the buildings.” Definitely the inside view of how art comes about.
The Southside people. April 22nd 2009
Dublin provides Cabinteely artist with endless inspiration.
WELL-known Cabineely artist Jim Scully is a familiar face around Merrion Square every Sunday where his work is regularly on view.
Now his ever growing legion of fans can check out his impressive output on a new website.
Jim is a member of the Merrion Artists and works full-time on his passion. His love for his home city is immediately apparent in his paintings, many of which feature Dublin street scenes and architecture.
“Dublin City is a constant source of inspiration for me” Jim says. “From the 18th century Georgian squares to the more contemporary architecture of the modern city as seen around the docklands, I am never short of material to paint in Dublin.”
With a keen eye for detail and an innate empathy for his subject matter, Jim’s paintings are full of colour and depth. He uses a mixed media technique of pen and ink with watercolours, producing art that has sold around the world.
“My paintings have gone as far a field as Dubai and Australia,” he reveals. “I love to think that they give pleasure to both the expatriate Irish or tourists who have fond memories of their time in the city.”
Jim’s work also adorns some of the most prestigious offices and boardrooms in Ireland. Companies such as Di-ageo (Guinness Ireland), Merrill Lynch, Irish Health and Safety Authority, the K Club and the American Embassy are just some of the big names to have purchased his work.
Samples of Jim’s work can now be viewed on line at www.jimscullyart.ie