Arts picks: Colette Kearney

Colette Kearney

Painter of murals and canvases

Best arts event: Blutack and the Greenhorns performing at the Cavan Arts Festival on the Sunday afternoon, the energy in the marquee was palpable and was further heightened when Lisa O’Neill joined them on stage for a few songs, fresh from her Jools Holland appearance.

One to watch: The reemergence of Aine Cahill, I believe she is working on some superb new music.

Best Film: 'Magnolia' by Paul Thomas Anderson, a movie I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen before, completely engrossing with multiple intertwining characters' stories, an ending like no other I’ve ever seen, it’s a long one.

Best Book: “Where the Crawdads Sing”, released as a movie also this year, I loved this story as it combined the nail biting”who done it?” element beautifully with the descriptive writing that captured life in the marsh’s of Americas Deep South.

Best Music: Barry O’Reilly playing the harp that he and his father Arthur, handmade and carved from wood of an old lime tree, magical.

Best Podcast: I love listening to all types of podcasts when painting, the numerous funny Irish ones but then the engrossing true stories from afar like “Teacher’s Pet”.