Artist Nicholas O'Leary won the Quick Draw his first time at Plein Air Easton in 2019 earning him an automatic entry into the following festival, but when COVID altered the landscape of international travel he found himself unable to cash in his award.  With a safer situation in 2022, Nicholas is finally returning to our competition.  Jess and Tim talk with Nicholas about his inspiration and his take on the Plein Air scene in Norway.

Nicholas O’Leary (born in 1986 in Gisborne, New Zealand) has a degree in Architecture from the University of Auckland (2009). Since graduating he has lived and worked in Bergen, Norway, wher he can be found hiking in the mountains with his easel strapped to his backpack in often challenging conditions.

He has painted since childhood and has studied under many artists, most notably with Odd Nerdrum in Norway.

O’Leary works largely from life whereby the observation of previously unnoticed subtleties are prioritised. The recognition of which allow O’Leary to bend physical rules in his paintings and challenge our perceptions of truth and deception, reality and fantasy.

The accululation and manipulation of observations is not limited by a specific subject matter. He paints across the board, and has won international prizes in portraiture, figurative paintings, larger imaginative compositions, landscapes, cityscapes, and still lifes.

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This episode is sponsored by JFM Enterprises, providing distinctive ready-made and custom frames & mouldings to the trade since 1974.

Music in this episode was generously provided by Blue Dot Sessions and Podington Bear.