7022 Wisconsin Avenue
Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815
Telephone (301) 718-0622
| Hugh O'Neill was born in Belfast, Ireland in 1959. He graduated from
the University of Ulster in 1985 with a B.A. Honors Degree in Fine Arts
spending some of that time studying in France.
Regarded as one of a new wave of contemporary painting masters and a learned art historian, his reputation as a painter has been established over many years of successful exhibitions. O’Neill has gained national and international recognition as one of the most gifted and collected of painters working today. His first show on Worth Ave in Palm Beach Florida in 1996 was a sell out success on opening night. His European training and Irish roots have come together in a style that is uniquely his. He has been featured in a BBC Television documentary called A Month Of Sundays. He was also featured in the New York magazine Irish America in The Top 100 Irish Americans edition. Bruce Helander, a noted writer on art and the former provost of Rhode Island School of Design, had this to say: "Hugh O’Neill is one of those rare discoveries that bring confidence and assurances that great landscape painting is still alive and flourishing. An accomplished contemporary master following the intuitive instincts of last generations. O’Neill is as genuine as the real thing gets and I remain inspired by every new work this visual musician scores." Mr. O'Neill's approach to his oil painting is direct, figurative, forever searching for interesting color and tonal combinations, light and shadow. Hugh O'Neill's conmments: "Admist the color and tonal variations that nature provides, I stand in awe... nature is the ultimate teacher and I a willing pupil... If my paintings can stir some emotion in the viewer... some genuine interest, then that will be the measure of my success... the beauty and visual stimulation I experience at a scene is my sole motive for the beginning of my own creative process" There is a passion for life itself in his work, a search for authenticity and sincerity in his paintings. He has an understanding of the power of color and tone, a gifted draftsman with a unique style of his own based on keen observation, years of experience and dedication to his craft. Asked by Gary Schwan, art correspondent for the Palm Beach Post, "Which artists interest you?" Hugh's reply was Tom Thompson from the Canadian Group of Seven. This reply revealed just how broad his own knowledge of the art world is, and of course may hint at where his own style may lead. Having studied in Ireland, Hugh was influenced early on in his own work by Irish Painters such as William John Leech, Paul Henry, and Charles Vincent Lamb. Mr. O'Neill spends time each year working through various locations between Europe and the United States. He maintaines studios in Ireland and Florida. Hugh is also a teacher, equally passionate in sharing his academic knowledge and his love for art. He presently teaches at the well-konwn Lighthouse Center for the Arts in Tesquesta, Florida, holding workshops in Ireland and Florida. Mr. O'Neill's paintings are represented in many private corporate and gallery collections including Nations Bank, the International Art Center Palm Beach, Florida, and Celtic Pubs, Inc. His first one man show on Worth Avenue, Palm Beach, Florida saw almost a complete sell out in the first week of the show, with collectors from New York to Paris.
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