 A
meteoric rise for Katie O’Sullivan within the fields of sporting and
equestrian art has never been in question. Born in 1959 into a large
eclectic Irish family, she grew up in the countryside surrounded by
animals and rode from childhood. Her artistic talent was recognized and
encouraged from a young age and at twenty she went to study at Chelsea
School of Art for five years, where she won the prestigious Biddulph
Painting Scholarship. Katie’s first exhibition in London in 1981 was to indicate the extent of her future success – an important New York gallery purchased half the show and endeavoured to sign her up on the spot. Remaining firmly attached to her roots and loyal to her unwavering love of horses and racing she returned to her native Ireland, where she was to paint and exhibit successfully for the next eleven years. Today, Katie is still deeply immersed within the equestrian world – she lives and works in Lambourn where she is able to draw constant inspiration from her base in the heart of the English countryside. On a personal level she is a sparkling and striking individual with great charm and charisma. She has four children and is married to the successful racehorse trainer Jamie Osborne who was one of the Queen Mother’s favourite jockeys. Drawing inspiration from such varied past-masters such as Munnings, Toulouse-Lautrec and Degas, Katie’s work possesses a tremendous strength and assurance. Marked by imaginative compositions, dramatic colours and use of unusual surfaces and materials, her paintings are entirely distinctive. Skilled draughtsmanship and a sound knowledge of anatomy are at the heart of each of her vibrant and powerful images. Katie’s subject matter us delightfully varied and ranges from the more traditional equine and sporting themes, including striking paintings of thoroughbreds, groups of hounds and jockey’s silks, to other animals including her much sought-after donkeys. Her paintings are full of life and vigour and this reflects aspects of Katie’s own personality. Exhibiting Katie’s contemporary and dynamic paintings alongside works by such ‘past’ luminaries of sporting art such as Ben Marshall, John Frederick Herring Snr and Sir Alfred Munnings provides a thrilling comparative. The current exhibition is at Martin MacLeish Fine Paintings, 13 Dover
Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 4LN
www.martin-macleish.com |