Art at Railway Cottage
"The interior of Railway Cottage is a combination of traditional Irish antiques and modern design. It is very important for us to give the cottage a distinctive character. Therefore, the art that you will find is a variety of real art of local and international artists and designers who stand in relation to Railway Cottage.
Every year in June there is the K-Fest art festival in Killorglin and we love to go there every day and we buy art from these amazing artist we all get to know in person. In 2023 we had an artist in residence at Railway Cottage for the first time. Cara Cleary and Bex Carroll lived with us for the time of their Kfest exhibition. In this category we want to introduce the artists and their works", Markus Ehrhard and Frank Jäger, owners of Railway Cottage.
Markus Ehrhard
The shown crab claw is one of eight displayed large marker drawings by Markus Ehrhard. Markus designs the jewelry collection Ornito and he is also an author of books about art.
After exciting years as a designer working for international brands like Escada, Birkenstock or Philip Treacy in London, Markus now finds inspiration in nature and hiking became his favorite activity in Ireland.
In 2022 Markus published the fourth book about historic diamonds and the art of reproduction, which is in the library section of Railway Cottage.
www.ornito.com
Instagram: markus_ehrhard
Hat designer Philip Treacy works and lives in London. But he is Irish, he grew up next to Galway. Markus Ehrhard was Treacy's design assistant from 2000 to 2003. From this time there is an original pencil sketch of Philip Treacy displayed at Railway Cottage. A few lines simply show what hats are about: Phantasy.
Oisín Kelly
The displayed Puffin was created by Irish artist Oisín Kelly, when he worked at the Kilkenny Design Workshops from 1964 as a Design Co-Ordinator. There is a number of birds he moulded, which got reproduced in the pottery department and got hand-painted by Marie Hennessy.
Oisín Kelly (1915-1981) was an influencial Irish artist, who was at the class of Henry Moore at the Chelsea Polytechnic in 1947.
Markus is collecting sculptures from Oisín and is in contact to his son, Fergus Kelly.
Rochelle is an eclectic artist from Killorglin. She paints in many techniques and differents genres like landscapes or portraits. She graduated 2012 with BA Honours in Fine Art Painting at Limerick School of Art and Design. Rochelle took part in certain group shows and presented her paintings in two solo shows in Limerick and in Killorglin.
As art director of the K-Fest in Killorglin, she is very busy in organizing this amazing art show once a year in June. In wintertime Rochelle is managing a pop-up art gallery in Killorglin. There also two portraits of Rochelle in the master bedroom.
Daniel Sexton
In June 2023 artist Daniel Sexton exhibited at K-Fest in Killorglin and even before the opening of the art festival, Markus already bought one of his portraits.
"When I walked into Boyles Hall, there was such an energy and vibrance on that venue. Daniels paintings caught my attention immediately. After a short and very intense conversation with him, I experienced what art is all about. Daniels portraits, like "Off the head", ask questions, force a new appreciation for the humanity and the complexities of a particular person. Daniel is a true master in painting! It did not surprise me, that his work is also in the collection of the Saatchi Gallery in London." Markus Ehrhard
Cara Cleary
Cara is a young artist living in Galway and Potsdam, Germany. K-Fest 2022 in Killorglin was the first platform for her and Markus became her very first client. She developed a technique by painting on an Ipad and getting these drawings perfectly printed.
In 2023 Cara was the artist in residence at Railway Cottage for the K-Fest.
"Young artists have so much to say and to show. Cara truely opens new perspectives and views. She is a vibrant female artist where I am sure to expect a lot more in the near future!" Markus Ehrhard
Instagram: @clearly_clearyart
Matt Hayes
It was ceramic artist Anne McBride who introduced Matt Hayes to Markus at K-Fest 2021. After initial difficulties, both found out that they have way more in common than each expected. Wether it's the enthusiasm for tribal art or abstraction itself, they always find a topic in their conversations.
At K-Fest 2023 the idea of a large custom made painting for Railway Cottage was born, which will be ready in winter 2023. For now only a small painting is displayed.
"Matt's paintings are directly from the hand in your face. I am a huge fan of his art." Markus Ehrhard
Rachel Varden is an Irish contemporary artist with a vibrant combination of painting and drawing, colours and patterns, figurative representations and hidden symbols.
"When I visited K-Fest in 2021, in my opinion, Rachels paintings were best of show. I was immediately in love with the "Payback Monkey". Her ductus is very quick and dauntless. The only thing was, that her paintings were to big for the Railway Cottage collection. But at K-Fest 2023 she came up with smaller formates and here we go. Beside the fact, that Rachel is a constantly evolving artist, she is a very warm and grateful personality." Markus Ehrhard
Lorcan exhibited at K-Fest 2022 for the first time. He was in great neighbourship with Julianne Guinee and Cara Cleary, and Markus also made the contact with him. In August 2023 Lorcan has his first solo show in Dublin.
"I love the weirdness and quirkyness about Lorcan's work first. His symbols do remind me on something, but I can't tell. He doesn't know either, so he kind of "draws in tongue", which I find very interesting. But going deeper, he delivers great messages . To break it down, like "sugar is the monster of our society". I grew up with the Haribo sweets he draws and I still don't like them. For a reason, obviously." Markus Ehrhard
Instagram: @areyoualright_lorcan_art
Tazz Soffer
At first Markus and Tazz talked about their beards and sneakers at K-Fest 2023. Tazz's art is exceptional and a very own genre of phantasy and monsters.
For some of his prints he offers 3d glasses to see his work threedimensional. Tazz is a local artist who lives between Glenbeigh and Killorglin.
Struan Bell
Struan Bell from Galway exhibited at the K-Fest in Killorglin in June 2022 for the first time. His immaculate presentation at the art show cought immediately the attention of Markus.
"Struan reminds me o lot of myself. A phobic type but completely fearless. He has a very fine feeling for shapes and proportions. I just had to be one of his first customers and bought this sculpture which shows a very modern aesthetic."
Instagram: @struanbellartist
Julianne Guinee was on K-Fest art show in 2022 in Killorglin and Frank and Markus bought two of her oil paintings. The "Marigolds" and the "Tractor".
Her painting technique is masterclass. Not only her art is outstanding and immediately recognizable, she is also a charismatic personality.
Caleb Butterly
Calebs main sujet is nude painting and drawing. He is a very energetic and powerfull artist. The male nude study is typical for this dynamic.
Frank and Markus met him at the K-Fest 2022 in Killorglin and bought this oil painting on canvas at the day of their 25th anniversary.
Instagram: @caleb.butterly.art
James Hayes
Markus briefly spoke to James's father at K-Fest 2021 in Killorglin and thought that these were just enlarged photo prints and took no further attention...a big mistake... James then won the Screaming Pope Award. These were not photos, they are oil paintings.
Full of shame and devotion Markus spoke to James at Kfest 2022 and now is a huge admirerer of his art and wears also James's cool T-Shirts. More to come soon.
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Pauline Bewick
Irish artist Pauline Bewick painted this scenery of the Natterjack Toad in characteristic environment for the Coummunity Council of Glenbeigh in 2010. The waves framing this limited edition print represent the ocean waves at neighboured Rossbeigh Beach. Also you find the neolithic stones and the typical birch trees, that represent Glenbeigh, or Gleann Beithe, the glen of the birch trees.
Pauline Bewick was one of the most acclaimed Irish artists, living in Glenbeigh and had become an integral part of Irelands cultural legacy. Pauline died in July 2022 in the age of 86 years.
Clare Blackwell
Clare is a printmaker and artist from Limerick who now lives in Dublin. She created the signature poster for K-Fest 2023. As a collectable special she printed only 15 hand made placats and Markus was very happy to get number 2.
"Kfest is about the people. In the last years there was always a certain mood and that creative atmosphere, but this year there was a spirit at the festival in Killorglin. And when I now see this image with these fresh and bright colors from Clare, I get immediatley into that spirit again. Here and there is a hint of shimmering gold on the print that reminds me to wear golden shoes to K-Fest!" Markus Ehrhard
NUCENT DUNE
Mussels from Cromane Beach are the material of the sculpture made by Nucent Dune. The artist transfers natural ingredients into a new nature. Like the stacked mussels from our Cromane Beach turn into a plausible cone or lend credence to a seed of a tree.
Naoise Sheridan
Markus met artist Naoise Sheridan at the Kfest 2021 in Killorglin. Immediately he got cought by the art of her paintings, so he bought nine tiny and colorful nudes.
"Naoise is a very smart and talented artist. She does amazing graphics and she has a great sense for colours, so her paintings are very vibrant." Markus Ehrhard
Helga Jäger
Helga Jäger, mother of Frank Jäger, is an autodidact artist, who now lives next to Frankfurt in Germany.
In her active time, she mainly painted landscape motifs in acrylic on cardboard. Her three displayed pictures at Railway Cottage show a scene with a fly fisherman (it is supposed to be her son-in-law Markus Ehrhard), a deep-sea fisherman on a beach and a tree in a misty landscape.
Helga's style is expressive, her favorite artist is Vincent van Gogh. She painted a lot in Palm Coast, Florida, had certain exhibitions in the USA and Germany, and was 1997 Best-of-Show of the Art League Florida.
Erich Krämer
Artist Erich Krämer (1930-1994) was the founder of the Europäische Kunst Akademie in Trier, Germany, and professor for free drawing at the Fachhochschule for Fashion design in Trier. Markus Ehrhard, who lives also in Trier, was tought in nude drawing class these days by Erich Krämer, who discovered his talent and rated Ehrhards application portfolio as one of the best of the summer semester in 1994.
The four dry-point etchings of the Porta Nigra are a reminiscence to their home town Trier, which is a world famous landmark of the city.
Today Ehrhard collects the Épreuve d'artiste etchings of Erich Krämer.
Patrick O'Connor
Patrick is a local artist living in Glenbeigh. He studied mathematics and is very intrerestd in the history and construction of buildings. He has an enormous knowledge and it is always a pleasure having a conversation with him.
He is specialized in drawing cottages and landscapes oil on canvas plate and watercolor. Have a stop before the Carragh River Bridge, when you come from Killorglin. He is selling his art at the viewpoint beside the road.
Irish ceramic artist Darren Francis Cassidy is based in Ardgroom on the neighboured Beara Peninsula. Darren and his wife Joanne are very good friends of Markus and Frank. You better not let Darren and Markus go in their wellies to the beach, they will get carried away and have too many things to find.
From vases to sculptures, from wall pools to tiles, Darren does offer a huge range of objects that remind you of a seen before animal, yet appear alien.
In the kitchen of Railway Cottage we placed a huge unique bowl Darren made. You have to have a closer look at the edge of this bowl: it is covered in little spikes that Darren each sets perfectly by hand.
Philippe Devaud
Philippe Devaud and his wife Ute did stay at Railway Cottage in July 2019. Philippe, who was the first art teacher of Markus Ehrhard, did visit the Kerry area as a young man, travelling on its own for the first time.
Philippe Devaud is a recommended artist who is famous not only for dipping his unique paper. His classic painting technique is extremely close to a photography. His drawing line is very precise and accurate.
For the Railway Cottage Philippe Devaud painted a watercolor and a pencil drawing. Another distinctive mark of his talent are the added insides of some interiors displayed at the cottage.
www.artofdevaud.com
Beside an original timber of the Sunbeam, a sailing ship that wrecked January 1903 at Rossbeigh Beach, a very impressive photography of the Sunbeam by Riona MacMonagle welcomes you at the first floor of Railway Cottage.
Riona is the only photographer that is displayed at Railway Cottage.
They begin as hand sketches which are then developed into original artwork in form of retro travel posters.
Markus met Paula from Tripster 2018 in Dingle and became an instant fan of the posters from the area, especially from Rossbeigh Beach in Glenbeigh. The displayed image shows the wreck of the stranded Sunbeam, which unfortunately disappeared after hurricane Ophelia 2018.
The Oscar awarded movie "Ryan's daughter" was filmed at sets on Dingle Peninsula, especially on Inch Beach opposite of Rossbeigh Beach. Till today this movie is of influence and has an impact on Kerry, because of its authentic and moving story.
An original MGM press photo, signed by the three of the main characters played by Sarah Miles, Trevor Howard and Robert Mitchum is displayed at Railway Cottage, as well as a signed photo of actor John Mills, who won the Oscar for "best supporting actor" in his role of the Michael. You also find the DVD of "Ryan's daughter" in our movie collection...in case it rains...bare in mind, the movie is 3h27min.
The area of Iveragh and Dingle Peninsula is also known for being film sets of international movies, like for Star Wars - The Force Awakens in 2015. Luke Skywalker did hide in the first Jedi-Temple at planet Ahch-To. Rey found him with the help of R2-D2 and gave Luke his lasersword back. These scenes were filmed at Skellig Michael Island and a complete temple was build at the cliffs next to Ballydavid on Dingle Peninsula.
At the Bridge Bar in Portmagee Mark Hamill in person drew a beer. A mecca for enthusiasts of Star Wars.
The force is strong in this area. On May the 4th there is a big Star Wars Festival in Portmagee not only for kids, but also for Markus, who collects the action figures ever since. No wonder a Stromtrooper protects Railway Cottage and you find all films in the library.