Two x Two brings together four artists with disabilities, all have exhibited in the Courthouse before as part of the group show, Spring, in 2019.

This new exhibition features drawings and paintings on paper and canvas by Libby Hendrick, Ruth Fenton, Paddy Burton and Eoin O’Malley who work alongside tutor/facilitator Orla Callaghan in the services of Kare in Baltinglass and Ardeen Cheshire Home in Shillelagh. Their varied works represent very different journeys of personal exploration, following individual interests and the continuous development of techniques and skills brought about by dedicated application.

LIBBY HENDRICK

Libby’s interests and inspiration come mostly from nature and draw on her love of gardening. Libby finds a quiet stillness in concentrating on a painting and this quality is reflected in her nature studies and landscapes. In 2023 Libby was selected for the Connecting Artists programme which culminated in exhibiting her work in Dublin and Belfast.

RUTH FENTON

Ruth works on paper using permanent markers to create her studies of paintings and drawings by various artists. In 2022 Ruth received a Gaisce Gold award for her project on Picasso and at that time completed several pieces based on his line drawings. Since then Ruth has been focusing on works from the Impressionist era, particularly portraits and still lives by Matisse.

PADDY BURTON

Paddy has a wide range of inspiration for his work, sometimes working from photographs but also from the imagination, on pieces depicting such diverse subjects as public buildings, popular icons and fashion items. Having developed the unique ability to paint with his nose, using dynamic precise strokes, Paddy works in acrylic on paper.

EOIN O’MALLEY

Eoin started to paint in 2008 and uses his mouth to hold his brushes. He works mainly in acrylic on canvas, but also in pencil and brush and ink on paper and has developed ways to use his wheelchair to create large scale floor paintings. Eoin brings an unwavering sense of purpose to all his work and his achievements have been recognised by many funding awards