SHANNON artist Dominic McNamara is producing a series of art works inspired by the conflict in Ukraine, which will be sold to raise funds for the relief effort.
“My intention was to try and create pencil drawings, just capturing not necessarily violence or things like that, but to show Ukraine and the Ukrainian people the way they are at the minute,” he said.
“I have one of Freedom Square where you can see rubble, but there’s no violence to be seen as such.”
Dominic said that as well as doing pencil drawings, he also does pastel and paints in oils.
“I want to get a collection together, but I also want to try and figure out a way to sell them as a collection or to sell them as individual pieces.
“I’ve never done this before, so I don’t fully know what I’m doing yet. Unfortunately, I don’t see things there ending any time soon,” he added.
He was very moved by the terrible scences in Ukraine over the last few weeks.
“I’m absolutely disgusted that someone would even try this, in this day and age. Over the last 40 or 50 years you don’t imagine this could happen in the western world.”
He feels that drawings and paintings can be very effective in capturing moments in history.
“My grandparents and great grandparents were in World War I and II. What I’ve noticed over the years is that artwork stays around longer than photographs, art works get hung on the wall whereas they wouldn’t hang photographs as such.
“My own grandfather would be telling us about what had happened and he’d be able to find artworks that depicted things, but it’d have been very difficult to find photographs, although it would be easier now. I just thought this would be a more traditional form to show it in.”
The Inis Ealga resident is retired for a number of years, and he says he takes great pleasure from art.
“I think it’s really the peace and quiet that you get into your own head. Also every time I sit down in front of a blank page or a blank canvas it’s automatically a challenge and to overcome that challenge is the goal.”
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked with a number of other publications in Limerick, Cork and Galway. His first book will be published in December 2024.