Medical Sibling Perspectives: Landscapes - 12 May 2016

Medical Sibling Perspectives: Landscapes - Jennings Gallery, UCC

Katherine Farrell (nee O'Connell) and Derek O'Connell

Medicine and art are not as far apart as we might suppose. Both require the ability to translate meaning from observations and to communicate effectively. Thursday 12th of May saw the launch of the Medical Sibling Perspectives exhibiton. The artists in this exhibition are brother and sister, both born and raised in Cork, both UCC medical alumni who despite busy medical careers also derive great joy from the creative process. 

Katherine Farrell (nee O'Connell) graduated with M.B.,B.Ch., B.A.O from UCC in 1972 and emigrated to the USA where she took a Masters in Public Health at John Hopkins University and worked for the State of Maryland until retiring in 2008. Katherine has been studying art seriously since then and her work has been exhibited in numerous shows and galleries in Maryland. Katherine prefers oil on both canvas and prepared paper adn her landscapes are "plein aire". She lives in Ellicott City, Maryland with a studio in Baltimore, Maryland.

Derek O'Connell graduated with his M.B., B.Ch., B.A.O from UCC in 1979 and practices as a GP in Cork while also developing his artistic talent through various classes and workshops. His preferred medium is pastels, but he has also explored painting in oil, watercolours and acrylic. He has participated in a previous successful exhibition at Jennings Gallery and has been mentioned in the "Irish Arts". He works both "pleinaire" and in his home studio in Shanakiel, Cork.

Although they have lived most of their adult lives on opposite sides of the Atlantic, Derek and Katherine have travelled to France to participate in painting courses together, and closer to home took their easels to paint together in the quiet bluebell woods of Courtmacsherry.