ART Illustrator PJ Lynch exhibits in Wesport

Bringing words to life by brush stroke


Acclaimed illustrator in town for book festival

Ciara Moynihan

The inaugural Rolling Sun Book Festival is taking place in Westport this weekend, Friday, November 12 - Sunday, November 14. The writers, poets and book lovers tipping their hats to one of the oldest art forms will be joined by a representative of one of the most important aspects of book publishing – illustration.
PJ Lynch is recognised as one of the finest and most successful illustrators working in the international publishing scene. He has worked as a children’s book illustrator since leaving Brighton College of Art in England in 1984.
During his 26-year career, he has won many awards, including the Mother Goose Award, the Christopher Medal three times, and the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal on two occasions – first for ‘The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey’, by Susan Wojciechowski, and again for ‘When Jessie Came Across the Sea’, by Amy Hest. He has twice been nominated by The Ireland Section of the International Board on Books for Young People for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. ‘The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey’ has sold more than a million copies in the United States alone, and has recently been made into a motion picture.
The artist was also profiled on the BBC arts show ‘The Hungry Eye’, presented by John Kelly. This short film is available on youtube.com, as are several slide shows of the artist’s work.
The Sea Sky Shore gallery on James’s Street, Westport, is delighted to be showing some of PJ Lynch’s work at the gallery on Saturday, November 13. And from 5.30pm, the artist will also be available to sign some of the books he illustrated. Anyone who would like to have a PJ Lynch book signed by the artist is welcome to go along to the gallery. His books will also be on sale at the gallery, supplied by ‘The Bookshop’ Bridge Street, and McLoughlin’s Bookshop, Shop Street.
Earlier, as part of the book festival, PJ Lynch will demonstrate his art in Westport Library. All are welcome  to attend this wonderful opportunity to see an artist at work. The demonstration takes place from 2pm to 3.30pm.
For more information on Westport’s Rolling Sun Book Festival, see news pages and the ‘Rolling Sun Festival’ Facebook page. For further information on the PJ Lynch exhibition at Sea Sky Shore, contact the gallery on 098 27122 or seaskyshore@eircom.net.