Competitors for RT s Painting the Nation Revealed
18 September 2017: RT Ones Painting the Nation has revealed the seven contestants competing to be declared Irelands best amateur painter for 2017.
Drawn from across the country from Cork to Sligo the seven painters have been chosen from hundreds of accomplished amateur artists who applied to take part in the second series of Painting the Nation.
Painting the Nation, presented by Pauline McLynn, starts with an hour long special on RT One on Sunday, September 24th at 6.30pm.
Produced by Independent Pictures for RT , Painting the Nation is a competition to uncover and showcase the best amateur painting talent across the island of Ireland. The winning artist will have the honour of seeing their painting hanging in Dublin Castle as part of the Office of Public Work's state art collection.
The seven painters competing for the honour in the five-part series are:
Joanne McAndrew (37) from Blanchardstown, Dublin
Keith Anderson (39) from Douglas, Cork
Warren Faye (42) from Clonee, Dublin
Elaine Gavin (31) from Ennis, Co Clare
Teresa Butler (59) from Leitrim
Paul Grout (46) from Galway
Hazel Higgins (24) from Sligo
Further information on all seven contestants can be found below. Pictures can be found on this WeTransfer link: https://we.tl/4GWHZaPH6X
Over the course of the series, the seven finalists will paint and sketch to impress the professional judges acclaimed artists Una Sealy and Gabhann Dunne as they push their talents to new heights with challenges including still-life, landscape and portrait. Painting against the clock, the painters will showcase their talents in the hope of making it through to the next round and stepping closer to being declared Ireland s best amateur painter for 2017.
For further information contact Gareth Naughton, Press Officer, RT Television; T: 01-2082667; M: 087-9792822; E: gareth.naughton@rte.ie
Painter Biographies
Joanne McAndrew
Thirty-seven-year-old Joanne McAndrew lives in Blanchardstown in Dublin with her husband Phil and four children: Sarah (18), Holly (11); Daniel (10); and Anna (7).
The full-time-mum always enjoyed art and says it was one of her best subjects in school. In her Leaving Certificate year Joanne was preparing her portfolio to apply for art college when she became pregnant. This news put her immediate plans on hold and she instead went on to train as a beauty therapist.
Joanne says that now the children are older and all attending school she has more time to concentrate on her art. To improve her skills, she has spent the last few years studying and doing painting and drawing workshops and classes at the National College of Art and Design and the Royal Hibernian Academy School. She also runs a life drawing and painting group and teaches at childrens' art and craft camps.
Joanne enjoys painting plein air and drawing from life using oil paint, charcoal and pen. Her least favourite materials are acrylic and watercolour.
Keith Anderson
Thirty-nine-year-old Keith Anderson is a construction worker from Cork who has two great loves in his life his thirteen-year-old daughter Leah and art.
Keith is a self-taught artist who says he has been drawing since before he could write, but only took up painting seven years ago. He had hoped to study art in secondary school but his parents were deterred from allowing him to on the advice it was a wasted subject'.
Keith has a huge passion for art describing it as the first thing he thinks about when he wakes up and the last thing before he goes to sleep. His evenings are spent painting, and weekly he reckons he spends as much time painting as he does at his full time job.
Keith particularly enjoys painting landscapes, portraits and figures with his medium of choice which is oil paint. His least favourite material to paint with is watercolour. Keith mostly paints from photographs and can spend anything from twenty to eighty hours perfecting a painting.
Warren Faye
Forty-two-year-old Warren Faye lives in Clonee in Dublin where he paints in his kitchen.
Warren has painted and drawn since he was a child, and following school he went on to study classical animation.
In the past Warren was kept busy running two shops which sold everything from stationary to toys. As a result of the economic downturn Warren was forced to close the shops. With his new found time and focus he has been able to concentrate on his art.
Warren finds inspiration in nature and the places he has travelled to. He has visited countries such as India, Southeast Asia and Ethiopia. In India he volunteered at a school to teach children drawing. His love of comic books and Celtic folklore also strongly influence his art.
Warren mostly paints from his imagination and photographs, and enjoys painting scenery, landscapes and portrait, but is not keen on still life. His material of choice is oil paints, and his least favourite paint is watercolour.
Elaine Gavin
Thirty-one-year-old Elaine Gavin hails from Clare where she is a primary school teacher in Lissycasey National School teaching senior infants and first class. She says she loves teaching the children art and it is always their favourite lesson. Elaine also teaches some children art locally.
Elaine was introduced to art at a very early age. When she was four she joined her older brother who was attending local art classes, where she says she spent her time drawing funny pictures.
When she was a teenager, she tested her skills in a community arts games competition several times and came away with two silver medals for her efforts.
Last year, Elaine began to really focus on painting concentrating on capturing local landscapes on canvas.
Elaine finds painting relaxing and says she zones out' in the moment particularly enjoying painting landscapes and animals in acrylic paint. She finds
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Competitors for RT s Painting the Nation Revealed 
