Keith Oates

Keith has now retired from his professional work, and has been able to devote more time to his painting, his love of painting. This love affair started when, as a young boy in the 1950’s, he submitted paintings to the Horticultural Show at his home village in South Devon.
From then on Keith found time to keep alive that spark of interest in art, and to take up the brush wherever he was domiciled. From 1963, this meant from one of several watering holes in Northern Ireland. Living in Derry in the 1960’s enabled Keith to attend Auther Twells art classes held then at the Derry Naval Base! Keith was thus able to often travel to Donegal for art expeditions. Little did he know that it was at this time that another Englishman Derek Hill, who had also made Ireland his home, and was painting out of Churchill near Glen Veigh in Donegal. It was this artist’s work that Keith later took a keen interest in, with his similar interests in both Irish Landscape and Portraiture.
Living in Armagh
In the late 1970’s Keith made in Armagh City his home. His formal work at this time included a spell of four years as Scientific Officer at Armagh Observatory. A sketch Keith produced of the Observatory at this time was used for many years on the front cover of all research papers produced by scientists at the Observatory. Never before had one scientist had his name on so many research papers!
It was at this time, the 1980’s that Keith’s art went up a gear, when he joined the Armagh Art Club, and came in to contact with Jack Connolly, a local artist who did so much for artists in the Armagh area, the local Art Club and Keith in particular. Jack also encouraged Keith to join the Pastel Society of Ireland, which has a healthy 400 plus membership. Keith was elected to full member of the society in 1996 on the strength of his portraiture paintings.
Full time painting by the Lough Shore
Keith has now made the journey across the county border into Tyrone, to Brockagh on the Lough Shore to be precise. He lives there with his partner Anne Murphy, a professionally trained artist who has painted, taught and examined Art and Art History for many years. From their house and studio, which are situated on the shores of Lough Neagh, there are uninterrupted views across the Lough, again a place for artistic inspiration
As well as Pastel, Keith also paints in Oils and Watercolour and although a Scientist by profession, has been painting and teaching art now for more than 30 years.
 
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