Painter shortlisted for Residency Award

Michelle Harton's 'Holiday Dreaming' will be exhibited at Hambly & Hambly at Dunbar House in Enniskillen

Cavan painter Michelle Harton has had her painting 'Holiday Dreaming' shortlisted for the John Richardson French Residency Award.

The painting will be exhibited at Hambly & Hambly at Dunbar House in Enniskillen at the newly arranged date of Sunday, November 14.

Michelle, who was studied art at Fermanagh College, and later classical portraiture at the international arts colony Studio Escalier in France, only recently received the 'Audience Favourite Award' for her work which recently exhibited at the Dublin based Soul Noir Festival (October 31 and November 1).

Michelle Harton's painting 'We Are Both In Cages' was selected for exhibition at historic Dublin Castle as part of the event which celebrates all things Gothic and macabre.

The 12 x 12 inch mixed media on wood was admired by all who attended the festival, and Michelle took to social media to exclaim her delight at the honour.

“Thanks so much to the people who voted for "We Are Both In Cages" and to the Soul Noir Team, especially Sinead, for all their hard work in putting on the festival. The opportunities to show paintings in Ireland if you're not represented by a gallery are not so easy to come by unless you rent a venue (also not so easy to find) and put on your own show and it's even rarer to be paid for exhibiting like Soul Noir do.”

Only last month Michelle returned from London where her work was on show at the world renowned Saatchi Gallery in London as part of the StArt Art initiative.

Michelle curated a set of mystical landscapes entitled 'The Land Of Gemini'- a collection of paintings can be orientated in two directions, allowing one painting to become two.

Arising out of her attendance in London, Michelle secured an agreement to allow the St Alban's based Vache Bleue Galleries to exhibit her work across the Irish Sea.