Anji Allen was born in Galway and has been producing contemporary art in England for a number of years. There are many influences on Anji’s art work including those of St Ives in Cornwall where she spent time

Anji Allen has developed a specific and recognisable style of contemporary art. Anji builds her art works with layer upon layer of paint producing very textural paintings which are reworked and scraped back as she marks and draws lines into the paint. Paintings are limited calm neutral colours of pale green, dark brown, creams and golds

Anji Allen’s paintings are a revelation and celebration of the day to day. Familiar items such as scrubbed table top, milk jugs and tea cups are elevated and given a rarity value in Anji’s paintings with her careful use of space and texture.

Anji Allen says of her paintings: “My paintings are an emotional response to memory, reminding me of people and places, of times spent with friends and family, chatting over a cup of tea or coffee. The cup taking on a symbolic personal statement each having its own personality and narrative. The pleasure and joy is in the mark making the layering and application of paint. The construction of the forms are intuitive and not contrived, flowing as if in conversation.”

Anji Allen’s paintings are blessed with many qualities. At first sight her art works appear simple and minimalist, but on closer examination the undoubted technical competence of Allen is evident.

Val Byrne was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1936 . He studied Art and Architecture at University College Dubin (UCD) where he graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree.

After a short spell working in London Val Byrne returned to Dublin and established a partnership with another architect. By the early 70's the business had grown into one of the larger practices in Dublin and was carrying out major projects throughout Ireland, Africa and the Middle East. In 1985 Val was awarded and made a Fellow of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (FRIAI).

In the late 1980's Val retired from his Architect practice and returned full time to his love of painting. Val Byrne has painted all of his life winning his first major national art competition in Ireland in his teens. Because of his architectural background Val has a particular interest in the urban landscape of Ireland. Most of Byrne's contemporary paintings record Irish scenes of the 20th and 21st Century with an emphasis on harbours and boats and a mixture of domestic and residential buildings.

Val Byrne contemporary paintings include the bright colours of the painted buildings which are nowadays very characteristic of the towns, villages and harbours around Ireland. Val has always sought to include in his paintings a degree of quirkyness and the absurd. As he says: "If there is wobbly leaning lamppost with straggling wires in the scene, I leave it in”, but he also has a developing interest in his first love - Cubism. Today he is probably the only Irish artist working with a Cubist approach to Irish images.

Today Val Byrne paintings are held in private and corporate art collections throughout the world including: Mary McAleese, President of Ireland; Mary Robinson, Former President of Ireland and U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights; Jean Kennedy Smith, former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland and several Irish Embassies in Europe, USA, Africa, Asia. In 2004 Val Byrne completed six large paintings for the Irish Ambassador's new residence in Canberra, Australia. Val's paintings have also often featured in publications most notably Forty paintings were commissioned for the book " Bray and North Wicklow" published in 2004 and his paintings of the 75th Anniversary of the Irish Navy are included in " A Maritime history of Cork"

George Callaghan was born in County Antrim, Northern Ireland in 1941. George left school at 15 to work at Nicholson and Bass as an apprentice Commercial Artist. A year later he commenced studying Art at the Belfast College of Art on a Scholarship.

After studing at Belfast College of Art George started work in Dublin as a designer. Callaghan then left for London before continuing this career for a number of years working in Australia for a number of leading advertising agencies as an Art Director. At the age of 32 he then moved to the Australian Island State of Tasmania where he has lived for the last 27 years.

The move to Tasmania prompted a big change in Callaghan's career. He set up a studio, which he still maintains today, and also starting to make musical instruments – becoming an accomplished harp player. He now enjoys the reputation of being Australia's leading Harp maker and a leading exponent of the Celtic Harp. Recordings of his harp music include two compact discs, 'Traditional Airs', and 'Rhyme and Reason' along with several cassettes. However, it is Callaghan's paintings that have created consistent interest over the years. His paintings whether in Acrylic, Oil or Pastel all exude a certain quirkiness and narrative with his native Northern Ireland roots very evident.

Today George Callaghan spends three months of every year in Ireland and Britain in order to explore his roots in art and music.

Colin Carruthers was born in Antrim, Northern Ireland. He studied at Birmingham Institute of Art, gaining a BA Honours Fine Art Degree in 1997.

Colin Carruthers produces landscape and seascape paintings, often in the form of diptychs, triptychs and polyptychs which are intended to convey the ever-changing aspects of nature. One of the features of Colin Carruthers art work lies in the fact that he does not use any obvious references. Geographical landmarks, people and the signs of society are all stripped away from view in order to create a space which can be more enticing, raw or subjective.

Colin Carruthers paintings are not representational. However he does aim to create the sensation and feeling of specific places in his art works whilst at the same time communicating the atmosphere of specific times. Carruthers is particularly drawn to the landscapes of Scotland

Colin Carruthers says: “I regularly travel to Scotland, where I find the high drama of the Scottish Coast, a constant source of influence for my paintings. There's a challenge involved in my art work. With every canvas I attempt, I am searching for something. Beyond simply looking at my paintings and gaining an aesthetic pleasure, I do think it's important that they offer up space for thought"

In addition to Red Rag Art Gallery Colin Carruthers has exhibited in other art galleries in the UK and has modern art work in numerous private and public art collections.

Modern Art: Colin Carruthers at Red Rag Gallery

Paul Christopher Flynn was born in Dublin in 1963. After studying at the NCAD, Paul moved to the United States in 1986, remaining there for seventeen years. In 2003, Flynn returned to Ireland and a chance encounter with one of the artists at the Peoples’ Art Exhibition in Dublin convinced him to resume painting after a twenty year lapse.

Paul became a full time artist in 2005. Since then he has had a number of successes and his work is now held in various private and corporate art collections.

Paul Christopher Flynn’s current paintings look to convey the landscape in a way which reduces it to an essence of form and tone. His minimal use of colour evoke the earliest art, such as the cave paintings in Lascaux, but the quality of light in his paintings leave the viewer in little doubt that Flynn’s art is of the highest contemporary standard.

Robert Lee-Wade was born in Cambridge, England in 1944. He trained in Fine Arts at Canterbury College of Art and in film making at Newport.

From 1975 to 1995 Robert Lee-Wade was Head of Art at Campbell College, Belfast. After this he took up a full time career in contemporary painting. The Robert Lee-Wade m artist studio is in Northern Ireland where much of Robert Lee-Wade modern art is carefully created and produced.

Robert Lee-Wade paintings feature landscapes and seascapes inspired by locations such as Malta, Jordan, Turkey and Scilly Isles. In his contemporary paintings Robert Lee-Wade tries to capture an atmosphere and reaction of places he has visited. For Lee-Wade it is an attempt to get at the essence of things, something like the Artists of the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist movements, whose imagery was concerned with light, feeling, movement and colour.

Robert Lee-Wade has won many painting awards. These include: Arts Council Travel Award to New York for 1992 Exhibition; The National Self Portrait Collection, Limerick, Ireland (Autumn 1996); and Arts Council Travel Award to Philadelphia for 2002 Exhibition. In 1997 Robert Lee-Wade m was appointed Artist in residence - Eastern Mediterranean, Baltic and Irish Cruises for Voyage of Discovery Cruises. This has enabled Robert to paintings on a “broader canvas” exploring some of the magic and mystery of these ancient and often remote landscapes.

Robert Lee-Wade has exhibited extensively in solo and group art exhibitions in Belfast, Dublin, Sligo, Cumbria, New York and Pennsylvania.

Robert Lee-Wade contemporary paintings are in public art collections including: Allied Irish Bank, Europa Hotel Belfast, Belfast City Council, and Ulster Bank Belfast. In addition his paintings are also in many private British art collections and in Ireland, Switzerland, Canada, America and Australia.

Artist Connor Maguire was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1977. He studied at the University of Ulster in Belfast and then spent a period of time in New York working in the United States.

Since returning to Northern Ireland Connor Maguire has been working as a freelance artist specialising in Illustration and Ceramics as well as experimenting with all types of art medium in his contemporary paintings and drawings. Connor Maguire contemporary paintings are inspired from everyday events, personal experiences, friends and family.

After having his first solo art exhibition in the Down Arts Centre in 2003 Connor Maguire has continued to exhibit taking part in several solo and group art shows. His paintings have shown alongside a number respected Irish artists including: Shawcross, Blackshaw and Carol Graham. In the process his paintings have been praised by art collectors and painters alike. Today Connor Maguire paintings are now in a number of private art collections throughout Ireland, This includes the art collection of Jim Fitzpatrick - one of the most celebrated and internationally known Irish artists.

Connor Maguire constantly strives to improve his contemporary art works. The interest and inspiration for his paintings started at an early age when Connor would watch his Grandfather sketch and draw. Maguire’s Grandfather was an accomplished Draughtsman and Watercolour artist who introduced him to pencil drawing and charcoal.

Fran McCann was born in Belfast in 1945. Fran displayed a remarkable talent for drawing from an early age, but received little art education until he met the renowned artist - John Luke. Luke took Fran under his wing and helped to establish him as an outstanding artist in his own right.

Fran McCann contemporary paintings have been influenced by artists such as Salvador Dali, Picasso, Van Gough, Louis le Broche. Other strong influences on McCann have been musicians Van Morrison, Pink Floyd, Bob Marley, Myles Davis, John Coultrane and Phil Linnott.

Fran McCann is constantly experimenting. But McCann has established a highly personal and recognisable style. His paintings display energy and passion whether they have been produced in pastels, oils or watercolours.

Padraig McCaul was born in Dublin in 1963. He is a a self taught artist who works primarily in oils, using brushes and palette knives in strong, sweeping lines. McCaul's composition and form combine with vibrant, primary colours and all come together in capturing a vision of the Irish landscape

Like many other Irish artists before him Padrag McCaul has been held spellbound by the beauty of the west of Ireland. He believes there is a special energy deeply rooted in the landscape of the west, which he captures in his contemporary paintings.

A number of Irish artists have influenced Padraig McCaul's paintings. They include: the Irish landscape paintings of Paul Henry and Roderick O’Connor, as well contemporary artists such as Donald Teskey. A love of strong, vibrant colours has been inspired by artists such as Norah McGuinness and French artist Claude Idlas.

Irish artist John Morris was born in Dublin in 1958. He started painting in 1997. Although primarily a self taught artist John Morris did initially take painting lessons from Irish artists Brian Quinn and Trevor Geoghegan.

John Morris says: “As an artist my paintings are about light and the effect light has on subjects such as figures, water and landscapes. Composition is important to me and I spend a lot of time getting it right before I start on a painting. I make quick sketches in pencil, charcoal or oil. These sketches along with photographs make up a visual diary which I use as reference material for my paintings.”

John Morris is an artist with a strong love for the Irish landscape with its constantly changing light and atmosphere. His paintings display vitality and freshness which when coupled with strong and confident brush strokes successfully captures a sense of time and place.

John Morris is an Irish artist who excels at plein-air painting and knowing how to capture glistening Irish light. Morris' paintings convey his compositional ability, an essential quality for rapid outdoor painting

Cormac O'Leary was born in Cork city, Ireland in 1969. Having completed his art studies in Co. Sligo, Cormac O’Leary moved to Barcelona, Spain. While there he regularly visited the Picasso Art Museum, the Joan Miro Foundation, The Antoni Tapies Foundation and the famous Gaudi buildings. On returning to Ireland Cormac joined other local artists and set up group art studios. Cormac began to exhibit his paintings locally and nationally, and also published art reviews and illustrations in various outlets, including Arts West magazine, Circa, and the Sculpture Society of Ireland newsletter.

Cormac O’Leary has won several awards for his contemporary paintings and has exhibited regularly in London and America. Today Cormac is represented in many national and international art collections.

Cormac O’Leary is an artist who produces paintings mainly in oils and acrylics. He is much influenced by his immediate environment, by the dramatic Irish landscape, but also by figurative and abstract images

Aodh Sean O'Ruairc (Hugh Sean O'Rourke) is an art graduate of the famous Glasgow School of Art. As a student Sean won the prestigious MacLaine-Watters Medal at the Royal Scottish Academy's Student Competition in 1977 and in 1978 won First Prize in the Watercolour section in the John and Mabel Craig Bequest Fund Competition at Glasgow School of Art. During the same year he was shown in Glasgow's Centre for Contemporay Arts "Artists Under Thirty" exhibition, having been selected from entrants all over the country.

Hugh Sean O’Rourke’s first one man show was in the Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries in 1981. Since then, alongside having numerous one-man shows and group exhibitions, he has worked as an illustrator, graphic designer, musician, teacher and lecturer. He has also undertaken many portrait and landscape commissions, exhibiting in various public and private galleries. His paintings are now part of many art throughout the world.

Hugh Sean O'Rourke art work captures the tranquility and natural beauty of remote Scottish and Irish landscapes, with indications of man's involvement in the vistas. His empathy with the Connemara and Western Highlands is very evident in his paintings. A colourist at heart, Sean’s imaginative use of colour helps draw the viewer into the depths of the composition.

Although Hugh Sean O’Rourke is now known more his paintings he has also had considerable success as a musician with the JSD Band, Alba and the Keltz having toured Britain, Europe and USA, producing 10 albums. He has worked with and played alongside such people as David Bowie, Supertramp, Marianne Faithful and distinguished jazz musicians and composers Mike Gibbs, John Taylor and Andy Park making music for Channel 4. Sean continues to play music alongside his painting career with both arts feeding off and influencing each other.

In addition to Red Rag Art Gallery Hugh Sean O’Rourke has exhibited at many other leading Modern Art Galleries. Each painting at Red Rag is sourced from the Hugh Sean O’Rourke artist studio and like all Red Rag Modern art and Contemporary art it can be shipped worldwide.

Laurence O’Toole was born in Bray County Wicklow in 1968. He launched his career with a number of solo shows in corporate and public spaces in and around Dublin before moving to the United States. He subsequently held a series of group and solo art shows in California and Arizona with the California Artists Guild and the National group Showing

While pursuing his career in fine art Laurence O’Toole worked as a motion picture set and scenery artist. He collaborated with many artists and directors on a number of films before returning to Ireland. Since then Laurence has focused his career in fine art.

In 2003, Laurence O’Toole was asked by the organisers of the televised Festival of Arts Competition in Sardinia to represent Ireland. Out of thirty participating European artists, Laurence was awarded 2nd prized and had art works accepted into their permanent art collection.

Today, Laurence O’Toole’s concern is with challenging traditional ways in interpreting and framing the many difference landscapes of Ireland. His subtle way of blurring the boundaries between physical and fantasy offers dramatic interpretations of nature and elemental forces.

Mary Pickering was born in Dublin, Ireland. She is a self taught artist who began her career working at hand painting silk and lace clothes. From this Mary has developed a very distinctive style of contemporary painting.

The development of Mary Pickering’s art has progressed over the years as Mary experimented and mastered a variety of mediums including water colours, pastels and oils. Today she is focused on paintings using Acrylic and silk. The natural sheen of silk highlights the sense of shimmering movement which is a trademark for her contemporary paintings.

Mary Pickering has a highly personal style and technique. She creates a sense of movement and atmosphere by skilful use of colour and shape which is evident in many of her contemporary paintings. Mary Pickering specialises in paintings of Figures. Typically her contemporary paintings are busy with crowds of people, swirling breezes and often a sense of fun. By combining traditional subjects and modern vibrant colours Mary has created strong demand for her paintings.

Born in Poland in 1979, Radek Rola now lives and works in Ireland. Having studied Business Management he decided to follow his dreams of a career in Fine Art. Inspired and encouraged by his grandfather who is a well known artist in Poland Radek Rola has participated in many successful Irish art exhibitions.

Much of Radek Rola’s art work is portraiture executed in acrylics and employing a limited, dark palette. Rola is committed to the portrayal of people and their ‘rich and varied emotional states’. ‘By focusing on faces as the main subjects for my work I try to portray all aspects of human nature through mood and character.’ Radek Rola’s strictly controlled use of colour as well as his use of light and shadow are key elements in his powerful and engaging paintings.

’My aim, as ever, is to fully engage people in this process by hopefully creating strong and lasting images. Undistorted shapes which are deeply emotional and symbolic’

Radek Rola art work is now in many private Irish art collections. In addition to Red Rag Modern Art Gallery Radek Rola has exhibited at other leading Irish Art Galleries. Each painting at Red Rag is sourced from the Radek Rola artist studio and like all Red Rag Irish art and Modern art it can be shipped worldwide.

For more information or to buy Irish modern art from Radek Rola:

CALL RED RAG NOW on 01225 332223 or outside UK + 44 1225 332223

Modern Art: Radek Rola at Red Rag Gallery

Robert Ryan was born in Limerick in 1964. He graduated from Limerick School of Art & Design in 1987. After that Robert worked in London and Copenhagen before returning to Ireland in 1994.

Robert Ryan contemporary paintings combine a strong sense of imagination and atmosphere. Talking about his paintings Ryan says: “I work at night, I work 'til dawn. I find the solitude in the art work and there are no distractions at night. I don't work from life, I work from my imagination. The execution of a painting may only take a couple of weeks but coming up with the concept could take an awful lot longer. Each painting has a parent and a child, they are all chain reactions”.

Robert Ryan paintings depict a universal landscape where generic creatures (as if in limbo) wander in search of sanctuary like lost souls.

To see more Robert RYAN Irish art click here

Brian Smyth was born in 1967. He studied art at the Crawford College of Art and Design in Cork, graduating in 1995 with an honours degree in Art & Design. . Although Brian specialised in painting at college he also studied other various art subjects including multi-media, print, video and photography.

Brian Smyth paintings capture the very essence of his subjects. He is equally successful in his treatment of portraits, crowd scenes or café society. Smyth is a master in creating a sense of time and place in his paintings and leaves the viewer with an enduring and distant image on which to contemplate.

Brian Smyth has won many plaudits for his contemporary paintings and has exhibited regularly in Ireland, England and Scotland. Today Brian’s paintings are featured in many private and public art collections.

In addition to Red Rag Art Gallery Brian Smyth has exhibited at many leading Irish Art Galleries. Each painting at Red Rag is sourced from the Brian Smyth artist studio and like all Red Rag Modern art and Contemporary art it can be shipped worldwide.

Modern Art: Brian Smyth at Red Rag Gallery

Hazel Walker was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland in 1963. She studied at the Edinburgh College of Art graduating in 1985 with a BA (Hons) and then later at Wimbledon School of Art.

Hazel Walker moved to Ireland in 1993. Her paintings communicate a sense of calmness and have a timeless quality. Hazel’s landscapes often evoke feelings of desolation and loss. Her paintings display an interesting sense of colour with a distinctive softening effect. To achieve this Walker creates a thinly painted surface marked with graphite and steel wool. Sometimes Hazel applies a surge of colour as a vibrant ground underneath the surface of the painting but this rarely discloses itself. Much lies buried and the painting evolves over time as she obliterates and reclaims the surface.

Manus Walsh was born in Dublin in 1940. His first job was in a graphic studio. This was followed by a period at Abbey Stained Glass Studios, Dublin where his initial training began in the field of stained glass. It was during this time that Manus met Irish Artist, George Campbell who encouraged him to pursue a full time career as an artist.

After spending a period of time in Spain, Manus had his first art exhibition in the Dublin Paintings Gallery, Stephen Green in 1967. Since then Manus Walsh has had over 30 art exhibitions and has exhibited in numerous group artist shows.

The Irish west coast and especially Burren in Clare has had a major influence on Manus Walsh life and paintings. Manus has produced many art works featuring this dramatic Irish landscape. Another influence on Manus Walsh paintings has been the city of Valparaiso in Chile. Walsh’s recent paintings have contrasted the colourful vertical kaleidoscope of Valparaiso, with the dramatic horizontal lines of the Burren.

There is something intensely personal about the art style of Manus Walsh that makes his paintings easily identifiable as that of Manus Walsh. His images are poetic, atmospheric, unpretentious, and subtle.

Manus Walsh art work has been described as cubist, abstract, impressionist, surreal, naturalistic and romantic. He is a leading exponent in the craft of enamel on copper and has produced a number of exciting art works in this medium. Manus works in stained glass, enamel, oils, pastels, gouache, chalk, collage, graphics- what ever comes to hand it seems! As a result, Manus Walsh’s career has been characterised by an imaginative diversity of subject and technique, an ever-present willingness to experiment with the new or re-visit old ideas

Laurie Williamson was born in 1932. Although born in Scotland,Lawrie spent his early formative years in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. He now lives in Ireland

Lawrie Williamson studied art at Beaux-Arts Paris with Arthur Spooner and also sketched with LS Lowry.

Laurie is a member of the RBSA and has won several art awards during his career. These include: twice winner of the Stanley Grimm Prize Cornellison Prize as well as the Cornellison Prize at the ROI. Williamson has also won the Canson prize at the RBSA.

Much of Laurie Williamson’s paintings recall memories of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. His paintings contain a combination of rich texture, light and shade creating very atmospheric scenes whether they be of beaches, landscapes or a pub interior.