We’re delighted to welcome local artist and fellow Pentagon Centre resident Daniel Donnelly back to Six Foot Gallery for an inspiring retrospective of his work. This lively collection of oil paintings and etchings covers a broad range of subjects including portraiture, landscapes, and striking geometric works. Though seemingly disparate in subject matter, the deep pool of influences and inspiration that Daniel draws from ensures that the works all sit comfortably beside and in communication with each other.

Thanks for being with us, Daniel! Can you tell us how you arrived at the theme of your exhibition?
Yes, I have always (since inception) been interested in and taught the importance of exhibiting. My most basic practice is based on this.

How would you say your art has developed since the start of your career?
It’s developed at the same pace as the rest of me. I’ve kind of lovingly gone backwards, rediscovering foundations while refining my approach. My environment has changed to allow me to focus more intently on the elements I want my art to embody. My outlook is broader. My patience during application now plays around in a new joyous philandering. The significance of this exhibition lies in its expression of growth, or evolution, from egg to hatch, or from seed to plant.

I have to say that through all the time I’ve devoted to painting my style has become distinct. Tangibly recognisable. My work drives forward with every piece, a progression I both allow and encourage. I currently divide my work both between structured time periods, where I immerse myself in research, drawing from the most compelling books, and observational work. In time, this gradually becomes a picture built from the momentum of creating opportunities. Practice remains the most important element, alongside the loosening of ideas to make plenty of room for new ones, and then making sure to notice the streams that drive me forward.

How do you typically approach your creative process from initial inspiration to the completion of your artwork?
The application process puts me in a deeply internal state. I have my plan to seek and express within the rivers of fluency, following them on to the source’s mouth, the source’s being. Perhaps working on an easel and canvas, set it to the right angle and as I sit or stand the tools take over and show me where I’m at. They guide and direct me in flourishing flows; jagged marks appear and through these meaningful marks the layers of paint interact, sometimes opposing one another. In this exchange, I my original idea is refreshed and transformed.

What challenges did you experience during the creation of your work and how did you overcome them?
Great challenges have arisen in the course of my work, especially in my early practice (for clear reasons, ie. inexperience). Time itself played a role in this in that though I could only draw rudimentarily, a fact I was aware of, the inspiration was there and just needed the space to grow. Motivation moved me and taught me the staying power needed to hold everything together. When I go down a tricky path the choice for me is, do I stop or keep it up? I choose to keep going, allowing refreshed ideas to reformulate so I can carry on.

Are there specific advantages or challenges associated with working in your chosen mediums? Have you experimented with other mediums or techniques?
The personal advantage of painting, for me, is simply in its quality. The benefits of using it are infinite. It has so many ways to treat brush stroke, direction, thick or thin application, reaching expressive and forgiving terrain. Through my development of techniques I’ve come to the understanding that in this work I am sculpting the drawing, shaping it, polishing it. Revealing what perhaps is already there.

How do you overcome creative blocks?
Time can kill a painting or enrich it – I step back and remind myself of what I have: a brush (well, twelve brushes); a space to work, leading to the potential for interesting and immersive productivity; and learning to feel your work without fretting when things unexpectedly merge.

What emotions or reactions do you hope viewers experience when they see your artwork?This is for me a highlight question. I place it at the head of my creative table. Its deep lessons are far too great to put into brief words here but I can say it was a question I wrote my Dissertation on. I want for the viewer to see the work as I do, to be interested in its intentions, to see its growth, and most of all to enjoy it. But really that’s all la-la land because another answer to your question is that the viewer must be free to distinguish for themselves what it is about and so be moved by what they see.

Which artists inspire you? Are there non-artistic influences such as literature or music that impact your work?
I draw my inspirations from a large pot now. In my late teens to early twenties I had the foresight of reading books and literature that reflected my interests and excited me. It seemed natural to read Plato’s The Republic and to make an informed move onto Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet. I recall reading the works of Oscar Wilde in an edition that was a work of art on its own. My main outlet has always been painting but now years later, I write as much as I paint. The large romances of Van Gogh and Rembrandt gathered momentum when I lived in Holland as a boy. The poetry and watercolour plate making of William Blake has had a strong influence on me since way back.

What advice would you give to artists who are just starting out?
Go for it, it’s so worthwhile. Have some idea of who you are because that will lead to your own interests. Finding out who you are elevates many aspects of your life and can lead you to profound things. Remain disciplined to whatever extent you can, but having a break often brings a refreshed perspective to your original idea. Each of us has the joy of doing things differently.

What’s your favourite piece in the exhibition?
One of the landscapes, I think. Maybe Beach and Bracken.

Daniel Donnelly: A Retrospective runs at Six Foot Gallery until Tuesday 1st April 2025.