About
Some say . . . that he barks incessantly at the moon on windswept nights. Other’s say, that when he turns his head to the left, it makes a loud audible clicking sound. More say, that when you look into his eyes they glow a bright fluorescent orange and reflect back the whole cosmos. God I hate writing artist statements, so I’ll keep it short. Born in Galway city in the west of Ireland in 1971, and somehow he is still alive today. Self-taught as an Artist, Mike paints mainly using oil paint and its usually on canvas. But this can also include his clothes, skin, sofa, carpets, soft furnishings or anything else that he happens to come in contact with. An unhealthy attraction to water and can usually be found near the coast, rivers, lakes, or streams . . . and at times even a puddle will suffice. A love of Angling and the outdoor life, often immersed in Nature to the point of near drowning. Its no surprise the ancient Romans referred to Ireland, as the land of perpetual gloom. With most summers akin to nuclear winters, storm- force winds along with rain of Biblical proportions. Painting the Irish landscape with anything other than a mixed palette of greys seams ludicrous. Perhaps due to a vitamin D deficiency from a lack of sunlight, he paints bright vivid seascapes and paints the topography filled with light . . . as he wishes to see it, and on the very odd occasion, sometimes does. Mikes work can be found in many far flung corners . . . but its normally found towards the center and above the fireplace. However on a slightly more serious note, it does include collections of the O.P.W, Galway Hospice and Galway city Museum.
To Grin and Bear
The Book
Despite
the
current
popularity
of
self-help
books,
you’ll
probably
find
most
books
are
just
filled
with
endless
fluff
-
this
book
is
no
different,
as
it’s
also
filled
with
fluff
.
.
.
quite literally!
To
Grin
and
Bear
is
based
on
a
series
of
oil
paintings,
which
use
a
tortured
and
tormented
teddy
bear
as
an
archetype
to
visually
illustrate
and
document
abuse,
thereby
exposing
the
abuse
tactics
and
toxic
behavioural
traits
of
personality
disordered
individuals
–
such
as
psychopaths, sociopaths and narcissists.
Unorthodox
in
every
conventional
sense,
To
Grin
and
Bear
takes
the
reader
on
an
alternative
journey
towards
self-help,
by
delving
deep
into
past
wounds
in
order
to
shed
light
on
darkness.
Providing
the
reader
with
an
understanding of abuse from multiple perspectives.
To
Grin
and
Bear
is
written
to
empower
empathic
people
with
the
knowledge,
courage,
wisdom.
All
the
necessary
tools
required
to
overcome
and
heel
from
toxic
abuse.
A
journey
which
is
geared
towards
self-acceptance
and
self-
empowerment,
using
humour
as
a
bridge
in
which
to
transverse the abyss.
