For me, the country part of my life is relatively new –basically, since I moved to Ireland.
I first came here to work for the summer in 2005 when I was a student. I met my husband that summer, so after I went back to Poland to complete my education I returned to Ireland and have been here since.
My husband, Tony, is from Knocklong, near the Tipperary border in Co Limerick. We live in Newcastle West, which is a lovely little town. There are lovely little walks, especially since they opened the greenway. There is also fabulous wildlife. Well, I call it wildlife, but it is cows mostly, on the side of the road, looking at you.
Taking in the scenery
I’m from Sosnowiec in the southern part of Poland, quite near Krakow. It is a city so I was not familiar with farm animals before coming to Ireland. We always had a cat or a dog but never anything bigger. My parents and sister come to visit me and my best friend has just gone back after a visit. They love coming to stay. We go for drives around the country to see the fabulous views.
Poland is really hard to compare to Ireland. When I came here first and saw the landscape, I was amazed. I was fascinated to see the green fields with all the black and white spots on top of it. I was not used to seeing so many cows in Poland. It is very striking to see this sight for the first time. In the beginning, my husband would say to me: “They won’t do you any harm.”
They are so curious, coming over towards us. Before I would have definitely run. Now I take pictures and this is what I base my paintings on afterwards at home.
It is great if we get to meet the farmer or a local person when we stop, especially when I am planning to paint the cows as I love to know the story behind them.
Cows, donkeys, dogs and cats
I paint any animal really, whatever catches my eye. I paint the black and white cows, the cream ones. I don’t know the name of them! I saw lovely ones in Kerry once; they had a stripe around their bodies. It was very striking against the landscape.
I have a friend here who has donkeys in Newcastle West and I did a drawing of his donkey, actually I think he was a mule. They are so full of character. I found a fabulous donkey on the road in Co Kerry and there was a jack russell terrier sitting on top of him. I thought, ‘this is unbelievable.’ I did paint those. I have painted a few cats and dogs too – there is always an animal being painted.
It is lovely to paint in the plein air [painting outside] but unfortunately the animals move around. It is easy for sketching; I take down a sketch quickly and then take a photograph. When you are painting you need more time to study the detail and that is how the photograph works better.
This morning I was studying my jack russell, Patch. He has so many expressions on his face. All the animals have differences; it is in their eyes and around their mouth.
Study years
I have always been painting. Since I was small, I would be drawing something. My parents encouraged me. They encouraged me to go to art secondary school and straight from that to the Academy of Fine Arts, in Katowice, a larger city near my home town. It was while I was doing my master’s in Katowice, that I came to Ireland for the first time.
I did paint landscapes in my study years, but it was only when I got pictures here and brought them back to Poland that I really started painting landscapes. I actually painted an Irish landscape for my master’s.
My favourite medium is always oil paints on canvas. The texture this paint creates is lovely. I love colours and I love light and shade and how it all interacts. I prefer to paint a cow in the field and whatever the weather is like on the day, I will create it, even if it is overcast.
Any weekends and free time I am painting. I have my studio in my dining room. My dining room got pushed to one side to make room for my painting.
I work full-time as an interior design consultant in DTOPS and Tiles in Newcastle West. Most people don’t know where to start with their home renovations so that is how I try to help them. I must say, during COVID-19 I was so happy; waking up every morning and painting all day.”
Eva Nowinska is taking part in the Incognito art sale in aid of the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation on Wednesday, 26 April. Featuring almost 3,000 original postcard-size artworks at €65 each, the artist behind each work is only revealed once the sale is over. For further information visit www.incognito.ie
Read more
Meet The Maker: textile artist Trish Middleton
Elizabeth Kennedy: feeding calves in between watching the Cheltenham Festival
For me, the country part of my life is relatively new –basically, since I moved to Ireland.
I first came here to work for the summer in 2005 when I was a student. I met my husband that summer, so after I went back to Poland to complete my education I returned to Ireland and have been here since.
My husband, Tony, is from Knocklong, near the Tipperary border in Co Limerick. We live in Newcastle West, which is a lovely little town. There are lovely little walks, especially since they opened the greenway. There is also fabulous wildlife. Well, I call it wildlife, but it is cows mostly, on the side of the road, looking at you.
Taking in the scenery
I’m from Sosnowiec in the southern part of Poland, quite near Krakow. It is a city so I was not familiar with farm animals before coming to Ireland. We always had a cat or a dog but never anything bigger. My parents and sister come to visit me and my best friend has just gone back after a visit. They love coming to stay. We go for drives around the country to see the fabulous views.
Poland is really hard to compare to Ireland. When I came here first and saw the landscape, I was amazed. I was fascinated to see the green fields with all the black and white spots on top of it. I was not used to seeing so many cows in Poland. It is very striking to see this sight for the first time. In the beginning, my husband would say to me: “They won’t do you any harm.”
They are so curious, coming over towards us. Before I would have definitely run. Now I take pictures and this is what I base my paintings on afterwards at home.
It is great if we get to meet the farmer or a local person when we stop, especially when I am planning to paint the cows as I love to know the story behind them.
Cows, donkeys, dogs and cats
I paint any animal really, whatever catches my eye. I paint the black and white cows, the cream ones. I don’t know the name of them! I saw lovely ones in Kerry once; they had a stripe around their bodies. It was very striking against the landscape.
I have a friend here who has donkeys in Newcastle West and I did a drawing of his donkey, actually I think he was a mule. They are so full of character. I found a fabulous donkey on the road in Co Kerry and there was a jack russell terrier sitting on top of him. I thought, ‘this is unbelievable.’ I did paint those. I have painted a few cats and dogs too – there is always an animal being painted.
It is lovely to paint in the plein air [painting outside] but unfortunately the animals move around. It is easy for sketching; I take down a sketch quickly and then take a photograph. When you are painting you need more time to study the detail and that is how the photograph works better.
This morning I was studying my jack russell, Patch. He has so many expressions on his face. All the animals have differences; it is in their eyes and around their mouth.
Study years
I have always been painting. Since I was small, I would be drawing something. My parents encouraged me. They encouraged me to go to art secondary school and straight from that to the Academy of Fine Arts, in Katowice, a larger city near my home town. It was while I was doing my master’s in Katowice, that I came to Ireland for the first time.
I did paint landscapes in my study years, but it was only when I got pictures here and brought them back to Poland that I really started painting landscapes. I actually painted an Irish landscape for my master’s.
My favourite medium is always oil paints on canvas. The texture this paint creates is lovely. I love colours and I love light and shade and how it all interacts. I prefer to paint a cow in the field and whatever the weather is like on the day, I will create it, even if it is overcast.
Any weekends and free time I am painting. I have my studio in my dining room. My dining room got pushed to one side to make room for my painting.
I work full-time as an interior design consultant in DTOPS and Tiles in Newcastle West. Most people don’t know where to start with their home renovations so that is how I try to help them. I must say, during COVID-19 I was so happy; waking up every morning and painting all day.”
Eva Nowinska is taking part in the Incognito art sale in aid of the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation on Wednesday, 26 April. Featuring almost 3,000 original postcard-size artworks at €65 each, the artist behind each work is only revealed once the sale is over. For further information visit www.incognito.ie
Read more
Meet The Maker: textile artist Trish Middleton
Elizabeth Kennedy: feeding calves in between watching the Cheltenham Festival
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