Making a lasting and touching impression
A Sligo artist’s sketch of the late Detective Garda Colm Horkan has touched the hearts of his family and colleagues.
A letter from President Michael D Higgins, a house visit from Dr Tony Holohan and a chat with actor Matt Damon in Dalkey were recent highlights for Sligo artist Shane Gillen whose portrait sketches caught the heart of the nation during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tonaphubble’s Shane, now based in Dublin, decided to alleviate the boredom during the lockdown and took out his sketchpad to go drawing.
His portraits of famous faces range from former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Bono, Gay Bryne, Ryan Tubridy and Marian Finucane and he’s also been busy doing commissions.
Poignantly, he also drew a portrait of the late Detective Garda Colm Horkan, killed while on duty in Castlerea on June 17 th, which Shane presented to the Horkan family in their native Charlestown. Det Gda Horkan’s portrait is also hanging in Charlestown Garda Station and in Charlestown Sarsfield’s GAA club, in memory of their colleague and former player.
Shane, like the whole of Ireland, was rocked by the tragic killing of Detective Garda Horkan last month.
“It was just awful, such a tragedy. He had strong ties to Sligo too. I drew that one and made it free for people to download.
“After I drew it his brother Padraig texted me that night and I met a couple of his family.
“Myself and my dad went to their house and presented the family with it, it was just so sad.
“It’s also in Charlestown Garda Station and the local GAA club. Different garda stations around the country had it beside Books of Condolence as well,” he added.
Shane told The Sligo Champion the whole thing really skyrocketed since his first sketch went viral. “It’s been mad! Like everyone else, we were all stuck at home and I genuinely had the sketchpad in the wardrobe which I hadn’t touched.
“I was bored and I was wondering should I do a podcast or something but I started drawing again and said I’d give it a go.
“I started doodling and it started to come back, I suppose the muscle memory and I got back into it.
“I decided to draw a portrait of someone much loved so I chose President Michael D Higgins.
“I didn’t really know how it would go, it could not have worked out but after that then it exploded!.”
Once he put a timelapse video on Instagram of the drawing coming together, the response was phenomenal.
“My phone exploded, I suppose with the videos it makes them interesting and I put music to it as well.
“A few days later I did one of Gay Byrne and his family got in touch and it just started getting bigger and bigger, I got a letter from the President too!”.
The Chief Medical Officer and a face recognisable from the daily press conferences, Dr Tony Holohan, was so impressed he called round for tea.
“He actually came round to our apartment last week, it’s mad, he’s almost like a proud uncle or something.
“He really has done so much during this. His portrait that I did is hanging in Brown Thomas and it should be for the next few months,” Shane added.
He has done 13 public figure sketches so far and roughly 20 in total with commissions so he’s been sketching pretty much non stop during the pandemic.
“The shortest ones take 6six hours while some of them I put aside and come back to them. Say the Bono one took 13 hours, I didn’t really stop only just to eat. It all depends like with art on your mood on the day.”
The Matt Damon one also got plenty of attention, with the Hollywood actor living in Dalkey with his family during lockdown.
“The Matt Damon one was mad, I drew that and then a friend of mine texted to say he could figure a way to get to Matt. I was like sure look, there’s nothing to lose.
“My friend knew his personal trainer who was also in Dalkey and then we got word to get in the car and head to Dalkey.
“I met Matt, his wife and daughters, it was just mad but in a way in this shared pandemic it just made it all normal to be standing outside a cafe chatting to him. He was absolutely lovely and so down to earth.
“He is turning 50 in October and hopes to be back then and hopefully I’ ll get to have a pint with him!
“He signed the portrait and it was then raffled off and we raised €20k for Pieta House.”
Shane also runs Big and Bright management agency which currently has 32 clients, including popular Offaly r&b group Chasing Abbey.
“They are flying it and should have their new single out next month. I suppose the art never would have really happened only for the pandemic.
“The work side of things didn’t really stop, although we couldn’t meet our clients but we did the Zoom calls, we’re still not back in the office yet.
“I was down in Sligo last weekend for the first time in half a year. It was so good to see my family.
“My granny actually had Covid, she is in a nursing home and survived it but there was so many sad stories. She’s doing great now,” he added.
For more on Shane’s work, check out www.shanegillenart.