Cecil McCartney

Cecil McCartney was born in Co. Tyrone and received his early education in Omagh and Belfast. He studied at Belfast College of Art and Kennington College, London, where he became president. His subsequent travels resulted in influences from Paris, Rome, Madrid and Greece as well as museums of modern art in the United States, and it was in the U.S.A that he got to know artists such as Munford and Ewing. Marcel Duchamp was also known personally. Other artists who have been major influences include Ulster's Colin Middleton, Le Brocquy, Pakenham, Breakey and Eggington. McCartney also developed a special sympathy for the painting and ideas of Van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci, Pissaro, Seurat and Roderic O'Conor.

Travelling in many European countries, the U.S.A. and Hawaii, McCartney derived inspiration from the lives and work of the great composers, notably Wagner, Beethoven and Bach, and his studies in the realms of the natural Sciences, Astronomy, Astro-Physics and Aviation. The world's mighty religions have affected his life and work, largely through contemplation of the Bible, the Vedas, the Bahagavad Gita and the Essene Gospels.

The artist has been deeply involved in the world of rock music and his work is in the collections of John Lennon, George Harrison, Eric Clapton and members of The Who and Traffic. Former Queen Frederica of Greece owns examples of McCartney's work, as do astronauts Wally Schirra and Colonel J B Irwin, Steve McQueen, the eminent actor Martin Sheen and the Dahl collection. He also features in the art collections of Robin Williams, Julia Roberts, Keith Moon, David Carradine, Steve Winwood of 'Traffic', Bono of U2, Colin Middleton.

To date, the artist has staged seven exhibitions of this work, not only in Ulster but also Oxford and Ibiza.

Now resident again in Bangor, where much of his early life was spent, Cecil McCartney continues to draw inspiration for his dedicated work from diverse interesting sources.