Friday, July 24, 2009

Art fans give Cecelia the brush off as her debut painting is left on the shelf

By Lorna Nolan

Cecelia Ahern is lucky that she has a million-euro writing career to fall back on -- because any aspirations she has of becoming a painter have fallen at the first hurdle.

The expectant mum debuted her first piece of art work last weekend, at Noelle Campbell Sharp's Cill Rialaig artists' retreat project in Waterville, Killarney.

But the red heart painted on a black background has yet to be snapped up by an interested buyer. Since completing a degree in journalism at Griffith College, Cecelia has achieved international acclaim with her chicklit novels and her first published work, PS I Love You, was hugely successful in print and on screen.

Victim

However her €250 painting, also given the title PS I Love You, has not enjoyed the same good fortune and is still for sale.

Meanwhile, her brother-in-law, Westlife star, Nicky Byrne, has also failed to sell his first painting entitled Rockstar-Djay.

Art patron Noelle said: "I don't think they've become a victim of the recession, I think the fact that they're celebrities has actually worked against them.

"The funny thing is there were nearly 200 works by serious artists who had been to the Cill Riallaig retreat and most of them sold straight away, it's the identified celebrities who are having the difficulties.

"We've had a few interested offers on Cecelia's painting though so we're confident that will go in the next few days," she added.

Fair City star Una Kavanagh, however, proved a huge hit with art buyers and all of her pieces have sold already.

She has now been booked to take on a residency at the Cill Rialaig project and will be returning to the Kingdom later this summer to begin her stint.

lnolan@herald.ie

Credit/Source: www.herald.ie

No comments:

Post a Comment