Jim McKee is an international artist and singer/songwriter from County Tyrone. He is deeply inspired by The Burren and the West of Ireland which was his spiritual home for many years. Jim’s work extends across international collections, solo and group exhibitions, commissions, charity and community arts, and as a recording artist he has performed across Ireland, the UK, France and USA. 

“Jim McKee is a renaissance man, a singer, a songwriter, a musician, a bit of a philosopher and very much a visual artist.  

He finds inspiration all around him… in a cluster of wild flowers, a bend of the lane, a corner of a bog, a tractor in the landscape, boats at rest at the quay, the colours of the Burren.  

He has a story for every painting and each one is important to him. His images are emotional and enthusiastic responses to his surroundings. There is a wonderful spontaneity about his work, as he sculpts with paint while recording and capturing that magical moment that triggered off the response. Some locations in his paintings are identifiable, but most are quiet little corners he has discovered himself.  

He is self-taught and is fearless with paint. He has a personal and recognisable style, imbued with life and energy and colour. He uses a palette knife, virtually playing the oils like a musical instrument, and the results are humorous and honest, impressionistic renderings and reflections of Ireland today, its passing traditions, its people and its landscape.  

His portraits are strong in expression, vibrant in colour and invariably of subjects who have made a major impact on his life.”  Tom Kenny – Kenny’s Gallery, Galway, April 2008  

Solo Exhibitions

• April 2004 “Into the West”, Fleadh na gCuach Music Festival, Kinvara, Co. Galway
• October 2004 “Under a Galway & Clare Sky”, Bold Art Gallery, Galway
• December 2005 “Galway Night & Day” Ard Bia Gallery, Galway
• July 2006 “Fadin’ ” as part of Project ’06 Festival Arts, Galway
• December 2006 – Selected Works Ail Ruin Gallery, Clarinbridge, Galway
• May 2007 Munster Fine Art Gallery, Adare, Co. Limerick
• April 2008 The Kenny Gallery Galway ‘From the Hearth’ 
• May 2009 Russell Gallery Newquay Co Clare ‘Empty Pockets’, Fleadh na gCuach Music Festival, Kinvara
• May 2018, Head of the Sea, SIAR Gallery, The Quay, Kinvara, Co Galway
• April 2019, Dance of the Cherry Tree, The Kenny Gallery, Galway

Selected Group Shows

• November 2003 “Scapes” with Manus Walsh, Rita Wobbe, Mary Naden-Nicolls, Merriman Hotel, Kinvara, Co. Galway
• December 2004 “Flaggy Shore Revisited” Russell Gallery, Newquay, Co. Clare
• Summer 2005 “Clare Artists” Glór, Ennis, Co. Clare
• February 2005 “Rough Diamonds” with Ronnie Graham, Feile an Phobails Feile, Belfast
• August 2005 – “Rough Diamonds”, with Ronnie Graham, Tuam Arts Festival, Co. Galway
• Summer 2005 “Over the Wall” with Paddy Burns, Leslie Cherry & Ronnie Graham, West Belfast Festival
• March 2006 Farm Lane Gallery, Moycullen, Co. Galway
• Summer 2006 An Bhoireann, Galerie Pomie, France
• July 2006 “Horsing Around”, Kenny Gallery, Galway
• December 2006 “x4”, Kenny Gallery, Galway
• March 2008 “Rough Diamonds”, with Ronnie Graham, Théâtre le Colisee.lens,France
• May 2009 ‘Making Waves’…Kenny Gallery Galway as part of The Volvo Ocean Race
• Sept 19th 2013 Ireland In Your Eyes – group show – London Irish Centre, 52 Camden Square, Camden London
• Nov 11th 2013 group show part of Belfast Music Week at  Red Box Recording Studio  Belfast 173 University Street Belfast
• Galway Arts Fringe Festival, July 2015
• ‘Remembering Soldiers 1916 – By the Liffey & In the Trenches’ Lens, France with Barry Kerr  
• Tryptich – A Burren Journey, The Kenny Gallery, Galway, May 2016
• Clifden Arts Festival, Galway, September 2016 
• Galway Arts Fringe Festival, September 2016
• Ballybane Library, November 2016
• June 2018, The Village Art Gallery, Donaghmore, Co Tyrone, Four man show

Selected Collections

• Bank of Ireland, [Galway and Dublin)
• Michael D Higgins [President of Ireland]
• Christy O’Connor JR (golfer)
• Glenstall Abbey [Limerick]
• Eddie O’Sullivan (Irish Rugby Manager)
• David Bellamy (Botanist/Environmentalist)
• Frankie Gavin (Musician)
• Mary Coughlan (Musician)
• Patrick Bergin  [Actor]
• Kevin Ryan [Actor]
• Bernadette Devlin (McAliskey) [human rights activist]
• Sharon Shannon [Musician]
• Hayden’s Bar, Pomeroy, Co Tyrone
• Malachi Cush (Irish TV/Singer)
• Brendan Larrissey, (musician) 
• Neil Martin (cellist, composer)
• Donal O’Connor (musician)
• John McSherry (musician)
• Emma Heatherington (novelist/scriptwriter)
• Lynette Fay (TV/radio Presenter)
• Dave Sheridan (musician)
• Dr Joyce, Gort, Co Galway

Album Covers and Poster Illustrations

• Dave Sheridan – albums ‘Sheridan’s Guest House’ ‘Driving Leitrim Timber’
• Mairtin O’Connor, Cathal Hayden, Seamie O’Dowd album ‘CROSSROADS’
• Cruinniu na mbhad Boat Festival, Kinvara Co Galway 2004, 2010 & 2018 poster
• Irish festival ‘Slainte’ Lille France 2006 poster
• Tom Mc Namara…book illustrations 2012
• Mickey Coleman, Album cover ‘Last Glance’ 2013
• Picasso’s Still Swimming – illustrations for music video 2014
• Who Cares for Scarecrows Anyhow? – illustrations for music video 2014 
• PJ McDonald – Thomas Clarke ‘Our Own Rebel Hero’ – March 2016
• Fleadh na gCuach Music Festival, Kinvara, Co Galway Poster design 2008 & 2018
• Brendan O’Regan – A Tune for Smokie EP cover

Community Arts

• Oil painting on canvas workshops: Torrent Complex, Donaghmore for Beam Creative Network April 2016
• Oil painting on canvas workshops: Newmills, Dungannon for guests of photographer Cathy Dempster
• Mural Arts Project: A 6 week x 6 mural project on a variety of themes inc history, culture, sport in Grenay, France, commissioned by the Mayor of Grenay, North of France 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019
• ‘Scarecrow Fred’ Schools Workshops: Storytelling & Song workshops across schools in Co Tyrone with author Emma Heatherington – March 2016 for World Book Day
• Set design and music composition for Scarecrow Fred musical, Craic Theatre, Coalisland, March 2016
• Actor in Women’s Aid schools project film for Beam Creative Network Jan 2016
• Claddagh Festival of Children’s Books, November 2017 
• Breaking The Mould – song-writing cross community project, Co Tyrone 
• Game Changers – song-writing cross community project, Co Tyrone 
• Song-writing workshops with Magherafelt Youth Club, Co Derry 
• Broader Horizons, song writing project for Galbally Community Centre, Co Tyrone 2018

Jim’s music has featured in the award winning feature film ‘Songs for Amy’ in which he also played the cameo role of Tom the Busker