LEARN MORE ABOUT HARRY

Harry Foy was born in Belfast in 1955, where he would begin to draw and create his first landscape paintings during his early years.

His father was a prolific Irish oil painter, so in the home paintings were regularly on the easel and clients would be calling to view works for sale. The process of making art was on show to Harry during those early formative years.

After retiring in 2009 from a lifelong career as a Chartered Surveyor, he would revisit his long-lost desire and begin to create art. At first, he realised the ruler straight line mentality had to be removed from his habit and practice. This had very much been part of his previous career.

He then started to properly learn art theory through courses and online tuition and would start painting landscapes from life or “en plein air” a few years later.

Without formal art education Harry through hours of patience, dedicated practice, painting with fellow artists learned how to draw and paint in oils.

The subsequent years of painting landscapes both locally and in other countries and enjoying the great outdoors have inspired his current direction.

In 2024 Harry embarked on an 8 week painting trip and visited Northern Italy, Venice and Austria. When asked where he would go after Austria, he shrugged his shoulders and replied, “I don’t know - it depends upon the weather”.

Nearer to home he paints in County Down, the north coast of County Antrim, County Donegal and Connemara in County Galway.

Harry Foy is an award-winning artist and has won competitions in Northern Ireland and abroad. He has exhibited in Ireland, London as well as in Australia. His work can be found in collections in Australia, England, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Sweden and the United States.

His current works are created in his purpose-built studio in Lisbane, County Down as well in the outdoors, and create an atmosphere of the place and evoke emotions of peace and calm.