The life of a Laois artist with Paddy Critchley

DRIVING one’s path in life can be a troubling task. Many are faced with the difficult decision of choosing between passion or practicality. I recently wrote about the path of entrepreneurship undertaken by those who are brave and how such a path may well reveal their true purpose in life. Others discover their purpose in artistic pursuits and follow the path fuelled by passion. Such was the case for local painter Paddy Critchley of Portlaoise.

At 26 years of age, Paddy has quickly made a name for himself as one of Ireland’s up-and-coming artistic talents, having already had his work displayed in a number of galleries around the country. His latest exhibition Dreamtime is currently running at Visual Carlow until 31 August. Paddy’s relationship with the paintbrush began at an early age as he spent many summers painting houses with his father Declan. I recently spoke with Paddy to gain a better insight into the life of an artist and how one can transmute their own personal passions into realistic careers. They say a picture paints a thousand words, but for now a thousand words will have to paint the picture.

I began by asking Paddy the obvious and simple question: why painting? His response was deeply informative and enlightening. “In many ways, the path was made for me with painting because, as a kid, our granny used to bring us up to her old house where she used to paint pictures – she does still. As kids, maybe those were the foundation blocks. I never did art in school or anything, but I studied English and history in UL. That just wasn’t for me, but I’d often find myself wandering past the art class and thinking ‘I should have been in there’.” Soon accepting that his chosen course was not for him, Paddy swiftly changed direction and secured a place in a level five art course. Finally finding his true love in art, he progressed to a level six course and realised painting was what he was strongest at. “I did an interview with LSAD and went straight into second-year and from there things started moving faster. Michael Canning, a tutor of mine, set me on my way. I was introduced to lots of other artists and got more interested in art history.”

 Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before Paddy’s dream course was abruptly interrupted by the covid-19 pandemic. Important years of college were completed online before he could return to final year, where classes were only held only two days a week. While such a setback may sound disastrous to some, Paddy maintained a positive outlook as he considered it a valuable lesson for the future. “In many respects, it may have been a blessing. It showed me that you can work really hard at something and nothing may come of it for a long time.” Paddy then began working with Eve International, installing art exhibitions and making more connections in the artistic world. A turning point in his creative journey came in 2021 when he spent a residency in Portugal working on new paintings. It seems inspiration struck during this time as much of the work completed in Portugal was later displayed at Paddy’s first solo show in Carrick-on-Shannon in 2023. Once again, the young painter was reminded that “once you stay working for long enough, something’s bound to stick.”

 Hard work clearly paid off because it wasn’t long before more of Paddy’s work was commissioned in the impressive Flesh of Language/Feoil na Teangan exhibition at the Project Arts Centre, Dublin in 2024.

Finding myself frankly fascinated by this tale of undeniable success, I continued by asking Paddy how he would describe his artistic style. Naturally, his answer was impressively introspective: “I think my artistic style is something that lies within. It’s an extension of who I am as a person. I suppose it’s a form of self-expression. It’s like a different type of language.” He paused for a moment’s consideration: “I was always very interested in writers. One book that I read, The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists, by Robert Tressell really struck me. It grapples with ideas of socialism and it affected me because it deals with a lot of things our generation are facing such as housing crises. I just think it’s an interesting thing to be making art in those circumstances.”

 Asking an artist to dissect their own work and provide an explanation to it seems nearly an unfair question to ask and yet Paddy was more than willing to undergo a self-analysis as he walked me though his process. “I think about poems, too. Painting itself is like poetry. There’s often lots of words or text in my work taken from folk music and stories. I also paint a lot of still life with daffodils to show the idea of time passing.” 

As a final question, I asked Paddy what or who inspires his work. Keen to give credit to those closest to him, his response was honest and humble: “My family and the people of Portlaoise definitely inspire me. A lot of musicians and what they’re trying to do. The Mary Wallopers made folk music relevant again while standing up for oppressed people. Other artists like that really provide inspiration. Most of my painting isn’t exactly political, but having those thoughts around things is important too – I think that comes through moreso in mural work.” 

While I have never had any skill with a paintbrush (just ask any of the skirting boards in my house), I have always had a great appreciation for painters and their work. My conversation with Paddy Critchley has only furthered that appreciation. Paddy’s passion for his craft simply radiates from him and is frankly infectious. In pursuing this passion, he has found the path to purpose and it seems there’s no looking back for the young artist. With an opening at this month’s Boyle arts festival and another residency in Portugal fast approaching, Paddy’s work is showing no signs of slowing down. Safe to say the art galleries of Ireland better start clearing some wall space.