Art saved me, says ex-millionaire chef who sketched out new career as artist
“ART saved my life,” says former chef and businessman Chris O’Hara who lost two fortunes before turning to a unique way of painting for therapy and recovery.
“All my paintings are produced using the same process — I don’t use brushes, having been a chef I use kitchen utensils” he says of his big, bold and colourful canvases.
The former millionaire owner of outlets like the Anglers Rest and Sunnybank Hotel in Dublin, and the Millhouse in Clonee, Co Meath, suffered a minor stroke and depression after losing everything in Ireland.
He emigrated to Canada and built up a business, but lost that too.
He’s now become a fulltime painter and will showcase his work at part of Art Source 2019, which runs at the RDS in Dublin from November 15-17.
Celebrities like Pippa
O’Connor and Brian Ormond, singer Christy Moore and TV host Vogue Williams are among those who have bought his paintings.
“Happiness is inside you and you just have to let go and allow the process to begin,” says O’Hara about his art. He also studied psychology in an attempt to find out how his once successful business life unravelled.
Art Source will also feature 12 screen prints by anonymous UK artist Banksy from the Gormley’s Fine Art collection and 100 original art works for €100 each on a firstcome-first-served basis, when the show opens next Friday.
It is expected that up to 15,000 people will visit the RDS for the show which features the work of 200 galleries around Ireland.
Art Source is also expanding to Cork with a show in City Hall between November 29 and December 1.