Photo: Ann Daly Artist
A painting by highly acclaimed artist John Shinnors will soon take pride of place in the room of a seven-year old Limerick boy.
Shinnors, whose previous work has sold for as much as €250,000, had been working on his latest creation at the Limerick 2020 party when he was approached by an entrepreneurial young man with an eye for a good painting.
AJ Hannafin strode bravely up to Mr Shinnors and enquired as to the cost of the painting he had just completed. Armed with €10 and a handful of Limerick 2020 flags, AJ proceeded to haggle with the artist, determined to bag an original ‘Shinnors’ for his room.
And, after a prolonged bout of negotiations, an agreement was reached: AJ would get a brand new painting to hang on his wall, and Mr Shinnors would get the price of a couple of pints.
AJ, whose father is an art teacher, will have to wait a few days for his prize as it is currently in the Hunt Museum drying off. But as soon as it is ready to collect, he will take possession of an item far removed from the posters of footballers and movie heroes usually displayed on the walls of young boys’ room.
As for John Shinnors, his business instincts may be in need of a bit of work but his generosity should not go unnoticed.
And if the judges require evidence of Limerick’s suitability as a Capital of Culture then they need look no further than the city’s most popular artist.
