Children’s art shows ageless talent

The Texaco Children’s Art Competition has reached its 60th year, making this touring exhibition of the 2014 winners and special merit recipients that extra bit special.

The Cork Vision Centre, North Main Street, is currently hosting the artwork which spans seven categories — including special needs — ranging from the under 6 to 16-18 age groups.

There is much to admire throughout, but the show-stopper in the judges’ view is 16-year-old Shania McDonagh from Claremorris, Co Mayo, whose striking pencil portrait won the top prize. The realism of McDonagh’s drawing of Coleman Coyle is breathtaking, rendering every minute detail of the Connemarra fisherman’s wrinkled and weather-beaten face.

When asked what made her choose the subject for ‘Coleman’, which she saw as a photo in the book Vanishing Ireland, she explained she likes drawing skin, especially older skin. “There is more life in an older face and I prefer drawing men. Coleman had a very interesting face,” she says.

Such is the beguiling warmth and life to the drawing that it begged the question does the young artist ever wonder what was going through the mind of her chosen subjects and what the story of their life might be? “The first thing that I look at is their face and then I read a little about them in the book. So I have a small insight into the person I’m drawing. I met Coleman this summer and he was a lovely man.”

So how does the teenager manage to stay so focused on her drawings? “I find it easy to stay focused because I enjoy portrait drawing as it pushes me to examine all the details and textures of the human face — every pore and hair follicle, but also to achieve a sense of life and personality in the portrait.” No surprises then that she choose the theme ‘A Closer Look’ for her Junior Cert art project.

The teenager appears to be taking the acclaim in her stride, while acknowledging that there is some pressure to keep up the standard. However, the encouragement from her school, Mount St Michael Secondary School which she says has two very good art teachers, lets her get on with the work without too much fuss.

As always, the Texaco competition showcases formidable talent and creativity under one roof, but it is also an insight into how the young people of Ireland respond to the theme of community life. And it may be a surprise to learn that traditional tried and trusted subjects of people, places and animals win out above technology and social media, which, we tend to presume, dominates children’s lives.

Among the other highlights are a piece from 14-year-old Siming Wang from St Aloysius’s in Cork, whose gorgeous blue biro flower drawing has the indentation mark from the drawing board to remind us mortals that real beauty should have some flaws. There is also 12-year-old Dubliner Jem Fitzpatrick, whose ‘Cold Hare’ painting would have given Louis le Brocquy a run for his money. And Ryan Hazley from Co Down uses a wonderfully expressive pencil for his landscape study.

So finally what does the future hold for this year’s top Texaco star? “I would hope to be lucky enough to make a career as a portrait artist in the future,” says McDonagh. Presumably Coleman Coyle, the Connemara man of the sea, would agree that her boat has already come in.

* Celebrating 60 years of the Texaco Children’s Art Competition is at Cork Vision Centre @ St Peter’s, North Main Street, Cork, until August 26