Spending some spare time these days with the writer JP Donleavy. For the past year he’s been creating a collection of new works for an exhibition we’re holding in the auction room in late September. Our core business is antique & fine art auctions but it did seem a shame to have such a beautiful city-centre building not fully utilised between sales. So we’ve decided on a slight cultural diversion two or three times a year, Interesting Exhibitions by Interesting People is the programme.
Mr. Donleavy really is an amazing survivor. Foremost a writer (in the truest sense) he is also a gifted artist. As he rarely leaves his estate these days my job has been to supply the pretty girls for him to draw, so it’s a sort of bus man’s holiday. What is it with girls and writers? Generally we drive up to the house, have lunch with wine and then he draws, interspersing work with conversation. Sometimes he paints a lot, sometimes a little, just depends on the mood. It’s a nice thing to be doing of an afternoon. Quite soon we’ll brave the lake again for a dip.

Damien Matthews