Dave Bourke of Limerick Fine Art Printing, O’Connell Street loves his job. Picture: Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick
Dave Bourke loves to play his part in “everyone’s artistic journey” through his work with Limerick Fine Art Printing and sharing his original portraiture work
After coming out of art college in LSAD, Limerick Fine Art Printing by Dave Bourke was founded in 2015 thanks to Dave’s good knowledge of photoshop and image manipulation which gave me a wonderful start allowing him to specialise in photographic and artwork restoration.
Whether it’s an old painting that needs to be given back its freshness or a bunch of old family photos that the family would like to have restored and made new like new again, Dave Bourke uses his talent to retain the memories of his clients.
Dave explains, “I offer people fine art giclee printing, fine art photography of their artwork, art and photo restoration, I am also responsible for the design of a lot of the exhibition posters and invitations around the city that people see, I also help my clients to turn their paintings into greeting cards as well as prints for stocking in shops around the country.”
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The entrepreneur says he loves his work “because I love this city and its people”. He said, “I have been steeped in the art world since I was a young child so to find myself so involved in the creative culture of Limerick is nothing short of a blessing. I am in the fortunate position where I get to share in everyone’s artistic journey and every day brings new imagery and artwork.”
By night Dave Bourke teaches drawing classes in the studio which is something he loves, allowing him to join others “on their artistic journey” where he says he takes students through everything from “perspective to portraiture, landscapes to still life work and everything in between” giving them a better understanding of the fundamentals of art.
Dave’s own large black and white portraits including global icons and local faces have gained him some following online and support from his local peers.
What inspired you to follow a career in fine art printing?
I began to follow an artistic career when I studied at the Limerick School of Art & Design where I achieved my BA in Design. The system that was in place for students in LSAD really aided us in reaching our goals and achieving. When you study there you are on first name terms with your lecturers, you aren’t just a student number or a file that needs to be looked up before a scheduled meeting. This made art feel like home, even more than it already did having grown up surrounded by art. LSAD really put me on the path I would continue to follow having struggled to find a place that felt like a good fit for me before I attended the college. I studied art there, but gained so much more than that due to the work ethic and standards I had engrained into me by my tutor Mike Byrne.l which would later shape my approach to my current business. Aside from Ceramic Design which I specialised in during my time at LSAD, Mike taught me how to always be self critical in the most healthy way in order to ensure consistent high standards would be met. I would say it’s one of the most valuable lessons I’ve ever learned and it’s the reason my business is so strong today.
What is it about working with local artists that excites you?
When an artist creates a piece of work they are looking to connect with their viewer. There are so many different reasons why a piece of art may have an impact on its viewer and when it does, the viewer also connects with the artist. I think the thing that excites me most about working with local artists is when they bring their work to me and I also get to connect with them through their work. I get to connect with them on a deeper level as I don’t just view the work, they are trusting me to be a part of the work in a way and help them to create their prints. When an artist puts their prints out in the world whether it’s on their online store, stocking stores around the country or even just sharing them with family and friends I get help them make the representation of their work look as good as possible. The prints represent the artist so their reputation is directly linked to the work I do. It’s an honour when someone wants you to be such an integral part of something that is so close to their heart.
When did you realise your talent for drawing could become part of your career?
I realised I could make my own artwork a part of my career when I was given the confidence boost to put my own work out there by my clients. For the first few years of running my business I exclusively used my platforms to share my client’s work never even considering that I should promote my own work and it was only through the confidence I received seeing them share their art and pushing their product that I realised I could do the same. My clients have given back to me in ways they don’t even realise. If it weren’t for them I wouldn’t have the bravery to put my work out there for the world to see like I am now able to do.
How does it feel having artists trust you with their art?
When an artist trusts me with their work it’s a wonderful feeling. They are bringing something to you which is the essence of their creativity. That’s a very personal thing, and in a lot of cases creating that work brings struggles and challenges that they work through, battling to get the work to the point where they are happy with it. It’s a representation of them. It can represent them through use of colour, subject matter, it can be emotive, any number of ways. When they bring something that special to you and want you to share in the how that is viewed by the world it’s a lovely compliment. That’s why my ethos is to treat every single painting that comes in my door as if it was my own work, and give it the same level of care that I do l with my own creations. I’m extremely fortunate in the position I’ve found myself in as my clients have become friends over the years. If they need to order something they don’t fill out an order form or visit a faceless online shop, they send me a text and it’s always followed by a chat and a catch up. It’s lovely to be able to have such a wonderful artistic culture around me made up of the great people in our city.
What it’s your process for choosing subjects and creating your art pieces?
When I’m choosing a subject matter for an artwork it has to have some element to the reference that draws me in and makes me excited to replicate it. Some portraits have less in them but I’m eager to create them because of what the subject matter means to me, others are purely because I see a reference image and I am obsessed with the challenge in recreating it. If we look back on the impressionist movement paintings were able to tell us exactly what we were looking at without describing every single detail. A well-placed mark or brushstroke could describe the essence of what it was trying to capture and the viewer’s mind filled in the rest. I love that challenge, so for me picking subject matter is split between what the subject matter means to me, what can I get out of it and how far can I take it to make that piece of art jump off the wall with impact.
Where does your inspiration come from for your work?
I specialise in black and white portraiture, and I am obsessed with the concept of nostalgia. Moments are like sand slipping through our fingers. Nothing is more certain than change and moments keep passing by. When we look back on times in our lives with fondness we often think of the media we were taking in at that time, shows that were on tv, the music we were listening to, movies that had just come out at that moment. When we think of our favourite actor we picture how they looked at a certain time that we reminisce. When I’m creating my own artwork I like to capture those moments by creating portraits of popular figures as they were at certain points in the hopes of connecting with people who also look back fondly on the same time.
I also do commissions for people who wish to capture their own moments in their lives through the faces around them. The beautiful thing about art is how it documents the world around us through each individual artist’s perspective.
What has been your most memorable moment in your career to date?
7. I have had so many memorable moments in my career that it’s hard to just pick one. If it’s the fine art printing side of my work that we’re talking about I would have to say the answer lies in photographic restoration. I specialise in the restoration of old photography and artwork and I have been fortunate enough to have been asked to digitally restore some very prominent paintings in the past. I love doing that as it allows old work from times gone by to become alive again.
If we’re talking about my own artwork I would have to say it’s in the satisfaction I get when a person who I have created a portrait of sees it. My art has put me in touch with some of the figures I have created artistically and it’s always so satisfying seeing their reaction to what you’ve done.
If I had to pick one moment in particular it would have to be seeing the students in the drawing classes I teach achieve. The moment where they crack something that has been a challenge for them is always wonderful. You’ve been there with them helping them to figure it out all the way along, and when you see they get it and understand the idea and process it’s a great feeling.
What are your hopes for the future with Limerick Fine Art Printing?
8. My hopes for the future of Limerick fine Art Printing are very simple. To continue to create wonderful work on behalf of my clients, and also to grow, continuing to be a method of helping the wonderful people of this city. I love Limerick so much. It always has been and always will be the only place I call home, so to be able to use my skills to give back to the city and its people is incredibly gratifying.
What advice do you have for people thinking about following their passion?
My advice to anyone thinking about following their passion is to grab life by the shoulders and make it yours. As I said earlier talking about my own artwork, nothing is forever, and time keeps going by. We always tell ourselves “I must get on that… I must start that soon” but the truth of the matter is there will never be a right time. Now is the best time. I have had clients call in to me and tell me that they gave up the job they hate in order to pursue a career as a full-time artist which is undoubtedly a scary move for anyone to make, but sometimes in life, you have to take that leap of faith and have belief in yourself. I think it’s a thing we all owe ourselves. It’s so easy to fall into a way of thinking that has us doubting our abilities so it’s important to fight that and trust that we are capable of having everything we want and more.
I always tell my clients “Start today and in 5 years you’ll be glad you did, start in 5 years and it’s still all ahead of you”.
What do you love most about Limerick’s creative culture?
10. The thing I love about Limerick’s creative culture is the social aspect of it. Everyone is so different, their ideas are so different, and their methods of working are all so different but we all have some unspoken thing in common. It’s almost like we share a way of thinking. We share the triumphs and we also share the hard times. As artistic individuals, we thrive on creating, but it is a hard life in many ways. Whether it’s a student in college who has very little income to live on but is so incredibly happy in themselves to be studying in their passion, or an artist struggling to get their work seen online but is so delighted with what they painted last night. There are highs and lows in everything in this world. I think the tough side of it is something that we all share and we all know that we share it, even if we never discuss it. It connects us just as much as the good times do. In my opinion, Limerick has the most incredible creative culture in this country and to be a part of that and watch it evolving, thriving and changing is nothing short of a blessing.
