Active retirees inviting all to their first art exhibition

TWO British ex-pats whose artistic sensibilities were awakened only after moving to their new adopted home of Kerry are mounting a joint exhibition in St John’s in Listowel for the month of April.

Jimmy Deenihan will officiate at the opening of Artistic Journeys by Adrian Everson and Bob Scott at St John’s on April 1 at 8pm. It’s a colourful mix of wonderful Kerry landscapes shot through two very distinct talents - talents that had been lying dormant until Adrian and Bob got a bit more time in their respective retirements to start dabbling with paints. Once they did, they never looked back.

Bob and his Irish wife May moved to Ballyduff 18 years ago and it was on a trip to Ballybunion that the muse leapt up and grabbed him by the throat.

“Moving here on our retirement I remember clearly the day when May and I were sitting on the beach in Ballybunion, and May was reading the paper in the sunshine. Suddenly I realized that this was an opportunity to paint!”

Adrian and wife Helen are more recent arrivals, following a life-long love affair with Ireland. It was through an art class in Ballymacelligott that Adrian began exploring this new passion. Like Bob he was soon experimenting with different materials as he began capturing the peculiar charm of so many scenes around the county.

“The title Artistic Journeys applies to our work both geographically and metaphorically,” Bob explained.

It runs at St John’s from April 1 until April 21. Art lovers are more than welcome to attend opening night.

Bob Scott (left) and Adrian Everson with some of the work featuring in their joint, debut exhibition.