Artist Spotlight: Maria O’Neill
Seafront – St Leonards on Sea
This painting is a ‘slice of life’ in St Leonards. It shows the sea front between London Road and Warrior Square on three levels: street, promenade, and lower promenade.
Within it you find a cross-section of the people using this area daily, weather permitting. It’s also great fun for people to recognise themselves or someone they know in my works.
It’s an oil painting on canvas; one of many I have painted of the seafront. Others have been montages of St Leonards – a random selection of buildings, businesses, and its quirky people.
I typically start with a photograph, followed by a sketch, before approaching the actual painting; this allows me to achieve the best composition.
I retain copyrights of all my paintings, enabling me to produce prints and greeting cards, which prove very popular with visitors and locals alike.
I like to paint a variety of local subjects. My next will be of Hastings.
I was born in Ireland and was fascinated by art from a very early age and decided that I would make it my career.
As a teenager I won several awards for my work, which encouraged me to pursue painting professionally. I was very lucky to be mentored by a successful artist, who helped me develop my style and technique.
I have always painted the area in which I have lived: Ireland, Malawi, Bahrain, Surrey, and now, since 2016, St Leonards & Hastings.
Landscape is my favourite subject, but I have a great interest in people and love to include them in my urban scenes. St Leonards provides me with ample opportunity to paint interesting, colourful and quirky people going about their everyday life.
My preferred medium is watercolour, but I also paint in acrylic and oil, depending on the subject. I’m the resident artist for the monthly Bavard Bar at the Kino and sketch guest speakers throughout the evening as they perform – both a challenge and great fun. I intend setting up my own painting and drawing classes soon as I enjoy teaching people and helping them find their inner artist.
Instagram: mariaoneillart
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