The Global Discussion
Discussions with creatives, leaders and thinkers

Interviews SEASON 7

Orla Walsh, Artist (OrlaWalsh.com)

provided by @speechkit_io

Orla Walsh is a full-time artist. From the very first set of drawings being taken to the Waldock Gallery to numerous internationally recognised exhibitions.

Orla has accomplished a lot and has worked closely with a growing number of global brands and commissions. Orla has an impressive portfolio of work.

Her work encompasses a journey from the studio to the Shard, from 'The Lost Warhols' to the world's boardrooms, and other relevant awards and conferences around the world.

She has so many outstanding works and achievements, that we have listed some of these below this interview.

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“Be confident in your work.

Heinz is a worldwide brand that bought my very first ketchup paintings, and I have been blessed to work with over the years.

Orla Walsh

Orla Walsh LinkedInInstagram & Facebook

Orla was first spotted selling her ketchup paintings on St. Stephen's Green in Dublin by the corporate lawyer from Heinz Ireland. At first, she was told to remove the paintings from the railings and that she was infringing copyright.

The lawyer, Richelle, took her details and got in touch a few days later. Heinz had loved the paintings and bought the first six paintings for their Headquarters in Pittsburgh, the USA. Where they still hang proudly today.

Tell us about your current role and what you like about your career and areas of focus.

I am a full-time Artist, and I paint or draw every day. Working from a studio in my home is a real plus. My studio is my favourite room in the house with the kitchen a close second. 

At the moment, I am concentrating on single objects. I choose a product, photograph it and then work from the photo. I would then spend time on Instagram and Facebook, promoting my work and my website. 

I get lost in the detail of the painting, and I lose hours every day deep in my work. If the news did not come on the radio, I would never have any ideas of time. That is a real joy. 

I also love to cook. A lot of my highlights on my Instagram page are of cooking. Taking the photographs of the finished dishes drives my family to distraction and hunger, and I am delighted with a photograph. 

We started cooking a lot more when Kieran found out he is highly allergic to garlic and it's in every sauce you can buy so we tend to make everything at home from sauces, dressings to fake-aways. 

We will discuss at breakfast what we are having for dinner at night. All three of my girls cook too. Charlie is the baker and fills us full of Donuts, ice cream and cake.

What inspires you, motivates you, helps you to make each day count?

I have had a huge fire in my belly to draw and paint from a very young age. I always loved creating. Even now, I would also apply that to my cooking in the kitchen. I do feel that my best work is yet to come. I want to achieve the best I can in each piece of work. Yet as I finish one piece, I looking forward to how I can better the next piece (I am also obsessed with my electric pencil parer).

I make a list every night in my diary. I love the ones with a full A4 page for each day. Lists for web orders, collection from framers, deliveries for DPP, queries for prints, orders for prints, re sock for galleries etc. All before I can get down to creating or painting. I get huge satisfaction crossing each item off the list so that my mind is free to fill with my painting.

We are up every morning for school, Tess 1st year, Charlie is Leaving Cert, and Ali college so I would be in my studio by half nine. It is built into the kitchen and separated by a large bookcase. I am always working on something, whether it's a painting, drawing, getting orders out for my website or restocking galleries.

Outside of your professional work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?

I love the sea, Dunlaoghaire harbour/piers, Killiney hill/beach are magical places. I am constantly slagged off on the family WhatsApp for saying its good for the soul. There is something incredible about seeing the sea first thing in the morning, cycling down to Monkstown for breakfast on a Sunday morning and meeting friends for a walk and a coffee. Cooking with my daughters, lighting candles in the evenings and creating an atmosphere, listening to Doris Day and drinking wine.

When it comes to your life chosen career, is there a phrase, quote or saying that you really like?

I adore Disney movies, and I did a set of balloon paintings called Electric Dreams and used my favourite quote "Think, Dream, Believe" by Walt Disney. 

What are you most proud of in your life?

Kieran and I are proud of the life we have created for our girls. Also, the day that the WHQ of Heinz in Pittsburg bought my first set of ketchup paintings for their boardroom.

What do you wish you had known when you started out?

I wish I had been more confident in my work and had the ability to be focused and follow my ideas through.

Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles?

Karen Bystedt is a famous visual artist from LA and photographed Andy Warhol as a student in NY. She travels the world collaborating with Artists. 

We did a painting together for her exhibition called The Lost Warhols. I really admire what she has built a huge career what she has achieved, and her creativity knows no bounds. 

What companies, brands or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?

Heinz is a worldwide brand that bought my very first ketchup paintings, and I have been blessed to work with over the years. They took my paintings and put them onto merchandise in shops across the UK and Europe winning Gift of the Year. 

In 20 Being involved in the 'It has to be you' campaign with Converse was incredible they are the epitome of Americana for me. As a kid watching Happy Days and they all wore them, and the music, the clothes and the soda shop were all so fascinating and alien to a young Irish girl. 

What is the best advice you have ever received?

To focus on the work in hand and try not to spread myself thin with too many projects. Not to look at the daily mail website first thing in the morning it's like a vacuum it sucks you in and spits you out exhausted. 

What drives or motivates you each day in a work environment?

When I start a painting, I desperately want to see it finished. I have to slow myself down and concentrate on the detail. Once I have an idea for a piece of work, I get really excited, and I have to see the finished piece on canvas. 

What are your thoughts on the future of social media?

I think it is an incredible source of information and a tool to get your work out there. It is a part of our lives now, and I hope as I get older, I keep up with it.

What is your favourite social media platform, and why?

Instagram. It inspires me all in one place. I follow other artists, friends, brands, etc. I think if you really want to know someone follows their stories.

Do you have a mentor, or have you ever been a mentor to anyone?

I get loads of really sweet letters and emails from school children. I absolutely love them. I always get back to them and answer all their questions. 

Recently I talked to the 6th years in Loreto Foxrock where my daughters are in school, about my career. Tayto gave me crisps for everyone in the audience, and it was amazing to share my story with them.

How do you network? What is your prefered way to network?

Instagram, Facebook 

What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work?

Be confident in your work. Build a body of work and get a spot on St. Stephens Green Peoples art or a public art exhibition close to you and begin there. 

What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?

Sometimes looking at other people's work and thinking it's so much better than your own and feeling why should you bother. Facebook could make you give up before you have even started. I use social media for my work, and I try not to look at anything else. 

How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience?

The success is being incredible happy in what I do. That is a success by itself. It was hard to get to that happiness point. Lots of knocks happened along the way, and it took a long time to become really focused and confident in my work. Hard work and determination pays off in the end. 

One particular time I had designed a bottle cover for a promotion for the Heinz Chilli bottle. I was sent some glowing public reviews, which I was thrilled with, so I decided I wanted to see more. I was gutted to find some negative reviews too, which was a hard knock.

What skills do you feel have helped you to become successful?

I am definitely more courageous. I lacked that when I was younger. I used to be terrified to enter a gallery with my work. 

My husband brought my first set of drawings to the Waldock Gallery. I could not do it. My first ever public exhibition nearly did not happen because I was so afraid of the cost of it and all the "what-ifs?" 

You have to take risks and be focused and confident in your own work. It's important to set up business pages on social media and get yourself out there and engage with your followers. 

Is there anything new that you are working on or involved in that you would like to share?

I am launching a brand new website. Check it out soon!

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Additional information about Orla Walsh

Orla has been featured at many exhibitions and events and has produced work for many international brands including:

  • Exhibition GuggenHeinz Paris Celebrating 150 Years of Heinz Ketchup

  • Resident Artist The DesignLoft Powerscourt Estate 2019 Pencil: 50 Shades of Grey

  • Collaboration with LA photographer Karen Bystedt' The Lost Warhols' exhibition Brown Thomas Marvel Room Dublin

  • Guest on The Six O Clock Show TV3 talking about Pop Art

  • Created the Artwork for the Tayto boardroom Largo Foods

  • Guest Speaker at Mum Talks 2018

  • Guest on The Phil Cawley Show

  • Artwork for the Heinz Beanz 50th Anniversary pop-up store Dublin & Cork

  • Once a year in May Resident Artist for Kellys Hotel Rosslare

  • HOUSE Exhibition RDS 2017, 2018, 2019

  • Interview on The Sunday Business Show

  • Incognito Exhibition Jack & Jill Foundation

  • New Artwork for Heinz Headquarters The Shard London

  • Group Show' Diamonds, Dogs and Crisps', Opened by Heather Humphries Minister of Arts

  • Walkers Crisp's pop-up store in London (Created the paintings).

  • Solo Show The Fringe Cork Jazz Festival, Cork Airport 2016

  • 'Hare Parade, Pig Parade & Eggs' Jack & Jill Foundation' Harlequin Hare' 'Pop Pig', 'Bean there, Doughnut'

  • Solo Exhibition 'In the Bag' Leinster Gallery 27 Opened By Niall Breslin (Bressie)

  • The Kildare Gallery Exhibition 2015

  • The first Irish Artist to paint an Irish 'Ellie' for Elephant Conservation

  • 2015 Design a pair of Chuck Taylors for CONVERSE #madebyyou campaign

  • Designed Wallpaper and Ceramic cup for HEINZ Poland

  • 2015 In collaboration with Heinz UK the Artist merchandise is available in ASDA, Sainsbury's, BHS, Argos

  • 2014 Guinness Jazz Festival exhibition Cork Airport

  • 2014 New paperware range for Sainsbury's UK

  • 2013 Winner of Gift of the year at the licensee awards the UK

  • 2013 Bloom Festival To support the fundraising efforts for the Children's hospital, Dublin artist Orla Walsh has created an exclusive new cupcake design that features on aprons and tea towels at the Cupcake Camp

  • The Late Late Show Orla Walsh Print is 'one for everyone in the audience gift'

  • Designed Bottle covers for Heinz Chilli Ketchup Bottle

  • 2012 'I love Ketchup' Merchandise range with BHS UK

  • 2012 I love Ketchup' Merchandise voted into the top 10 gifts John Lewis UK

  • 2012, 2013, 2014,2015,2016 Art Source November RDS

  • 2012 RHA Secret Art event Chernobyl Children International

  • 2012 'Sugar' Garterlane Gallery (July 23 - September 17)

  • 2011 RTE 1 Nationwide Interview

  • 2010 HEINZ Commission for President of UK & Ireland 

  • 2010 Commission to re-design Cadburys Chocolate Bar for The Apprentice RTE

  • Advertising campaign in the Czech Republic for the VSUP Heinz Art Competition

  • The Art Box Kinsale Exhibition

  • 2011 Kennys Lahinch Solo Show opening speaker Mayor of Clare

  • RDS Art Fair

  • 2010 The Bad Art Gallery Christmas Show

  • 2010 Karen Taylor Gallery London Group Show Spring

  • 2009 RHA Unselected show The bad Art Gallery

  • May 2009 VSUP Cz Heinz Art July

  • 2009 The Counter of June - August

  • 2009 RDS Art Show November

  • 2009 The Bad Art Christmas Show December

  • WHQ Heinz Pittsburg buy Six large Ketchup Paintings for their boardroom

  • 2009 Irish Independent Heinz means deals for ketchup artist

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