Jim McKee lives in Bell Harbour, Co. Clare at the foot of the Burren. From Co. Tyrone he began painting from an early age. He is self taught. His early work was with oil crayon and pastel. His successful GSE in Art won commendation for his portraiture, which he enjoys immensely. He was awarded a prize for his image produced for a stamp collection in 1981 for the BBC. He is an accomplished musician about to launch his first solo album 'Just a piece of...'. He is a playing member of the White Hare Band.
The paintings of Jim McKee are vibrant in colour and strong in expression. He is truly an artist of our times depicting everyday scenes in the way Jack Yeats and Joseph Quilty did. These paintings are humorous and honest. They are enduring reflections of Ireland today, its passing traditions, its landscape and its people.
His oil paintings are created using palette knife. He virtually plays the oils like a musical instrument and the results are impressionistic renderings of locations such as the north Galway Roscommon bog lands, the Gort Plains, the Flaggy Shore near Newquay and by Mullaghmore on the Burren. Traditional boats in Kinvara and the Claddagh Basin in Galway, horses and other familiar scenes are the subject of his work. In addition to local landscapes Jim paints character portraits and he has completed series on cities such as Galway and Belfast.

Solo Exhibitions
" April 2004 - Into the West, Fleadh na gCuach Music Festival, Kinvara, Co.Galway
" October 2004 - Under a Galway and Clare Sky, Bold Art Gallery Merchants Rd. Galway
" December 2005 - Galway Night and Day, Ard Bia Gallery, Galway
" July/August 2006 - "Fadin", as part of Project '06 Festival Arts
" Selected Works, Ail Ruin Gallery, Clarenbridge, Co.Galway