John doherty

Road trips have inspired some remarkable art, be it painting, prose, music or photography, and since childhood John Doherty has been captivated by journeys across Ireland. From colourful shopfronts to deserted petrol stations, these remote locations have inspired a series of paintings that record the changing character of the Emerald Isle.

“During my childhood in the 1950s and ʼ60s, our family would often travel around Ireland,” says John. “There were no motorways then, and journeys were long. En route to Wicklow or Kilkenny to visit relatives, or holiday trips to West Cork, I was always enchanted by the little towns and the petrol stations we stopped at along the way. Clifden in County Galway was always a favourite destination.”

Johnʼs father was an engineer who served with Field Marshal Montgomery in the Eighth Army in North Africa, and he was always fascinated by vehicles. “My first memories of those family trips started with sitting in the back of our Commer van,” John continues. “Later came a Rover, various Fords and then a Citroën DS that had such a comfortable ride. As a boy, I loved drawing birds and vehicles. The shapes of German racing cars really interested me.”

The young boyʼs parents were impressed by his drawing talent, but they were terrified when John started talking about becoming an artist. “Dad pushed me into architecture,” he recalls. “After qualifying, I moved across to Australia to work but soon realised painting was in my blood and gave up design. Working a few nights gave me enough funds to focus on art for the rest of the week. Iʼve always been a realist: for me, the intensity of style and detail draws you into a subject. My artistic heroes were Giorgios Morandi and de Chirico.” Working with acrylic paints on board, Johnʼs remarkable style comes via an intense process, with some paintings, such as Whelan’s Seaside Gift Shop, taking up to 18 months to complete: “I work for three hours each day over