Sheelyn Browne is the 14th great-granddaughter of Grace O’Malley (Granuaile) and one of the Westport House Brownes.

 

Sheelyn studied Visual Communications at the National College of Art and Design, Dublin and graduated with a Bachelor of Design in 1987. It was there that she became interested in relief cut printmaking, primaraily in the forms of woodcut and linocut, which is one of the earliest techniques of illustration invented. The appeal for her was starting out in three dimensional mode with knife and block of wood in hand, but with the end result being that of two dimensional – a print.

 

Sheelyn’s earliest influences were the works of the 18th century Japanese woodcut artists. However, the German Expressionists were always and continue to be her biggest influences – artists like Heckel, Kirchner and Nolde being favourites.

 

Sheelyn has had solo exhibitions of her work in both The Bank of Ireland Arts Centre, Dublin and in Blackburn House, Liverpool. Her works include some famous Irish writer portraits, figurative and wildlife themed images.