About Philip’s Artwork…
Originally from Ireland and now living in Chicago, Philip Dever Groark is a self-taught artist who crafts images in both traditional and modern styles using oil paint on canvas and pen and ink on paper.
His collection features stunning landscapes of Ireland and America, along with abstracts he calls dimensional art.
According to Philip, “It’s possible God could have created other realities and dimensions which we cannot yet sense.” Through his art maybe we can find the things we know are there but are unable to sense.
Biography
Philip was born in Tourmakeady, Co. Mayo where Gaelic was spoken frequently.
When he was five years of age his family moved to Dublin where he was raised in a place called Fatima Mansions with his eight sisters and four brothers. Fatima Mansions was no walk in the park it was commonly referred to as the “flats” or what Americans call “projects.”
Philip and his brothers and sisters were fortunate enough to have stoic hard-working parents. His father was a farmer, coal miner and laborer until he made his career in bricklaying to support his family.
It was shortly after moving to Dublin that Philip began drawing and painting.
At the age of thirteen he left primary school to work as a bicycle courier for grocery and clothing stores delivering goods throughout Dublin. Two years later he joined his father and brothers in the bricklaying trade where he learned to become a master bricklayer.
In 1979 he immigrated to Chicago where he became a proud American citizen and union member of Local 21.
His entire life he always kept up with his artwork even after working long tough days he managed to find the time to create beautiful displays of art.
A popular phrase of Philip is, “I’m inspired by all art, but if you wait for inspiration to do your art you’ll spend more time waiting than doing art.”
Throughout the years he joined other artists to paint and sketch, but he wanted more out of his art so he began to search in his artwork for a better means of his own personal expression. It was after his search where he delved into the realms of dimensional art. He does not attempt to create an abstract representation of something else, but instead strives to capture the way things are in the dimensions that lie beyond those we are able to sense. In addition to him being an artist and bricklayer Philip was also an amateur middleweight boxer in his youth. He has five children.
His oldest son Philip and daughter Nicola were born in Ireland from a previous marriage. In Chicago he would have three more sons, Dylan, Luke and Rory born to Kathleen Waters who he continues to remain close friends with. He now draws inspiration from whatever comes to his mind…