Jim McKee's eye-catching gallery and antiques shop on Main Street in Donaghmore is hard to miss when passing through the quaint, picturesque Tyrone village.
With its bright blue shop front, a huge statue of St Patrick in the window and a light that stays on all year round, it certainly is a showstopper.
The gallery, which is going strong since its opening in the middle of lockdown in early December 2020, has become an attraction for locals, tourists as well as art and antique collectors.
People travel from afar to browse through Jim's renowned original paintings, prints, cards and carefully selected collectibles gathered over the past eight summers in the northern French town of Grenay, where he spends months painting murals.
One of Cookstown native's Jim's most iconic art pieces is his 'oil on canvas' take on the cherry tree which blossoms for just a short time each year in spring.
"A few years ago, I was asked to paint a cherry tree as an engagement present," Jim explains.
"Its popularity kind of caught fire when I posted it on Facebook, as order after order followed. This led to a large exhibition in Galway in 2019 called Dance of the Cherry Tree where Cork singer John Spillane sang his song of the same title and the whole room was filled with different cherry tree paintings.
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"It's an honour for me to know that my take on the gentle pink blossoms brings so much joy and has brightened up so many homes across Ireland and beyond."
Since his very first painting was bought "almost accidentally" by famous jazz singer Mary Coughlan back in 2001 in Kinvara, Co Galway, the former carpenter and All Ireland champion boxer has seen his work collected by many more household names including the President Michael D Higgins, the late botanist David Bellamy, folk superstar Sharon Shannon and prestigious business premises such as the Bank of Ireland in Dublin and Galway.
Artistic success through sell-out exhibitions followed in Belfast, Galway and France, but Jim's big dream was always to open his very own art gallery to display and sell his work. This dream came true when a space came free in Donaghmore, where the artist and singer/songwriter lives with his partner, author Emma Heatherington and their family.
"I'm very proud of how far I've come in a relatively short space of time in Donaghmore," says Jim.
"Due to lockdowns, I only held an official opening event last year when Bernadette Devlin McAliskey cut the ribbon and I was joined by some renowned musicians including PJ McDonald, the Hayden brothers Cathal and Stephen, and Malachi Cush to name a few.
"I've hosted music sessions in my gallery both spontaneously and as part of bigger events such as the recent John O'Neill Folk Festival and a TV recording of Cathal Hayden for TG4. The shop has also been featured on Channel 4's Mend it For Money programme when a chaise longue I bought in Belfast caught the producer's eye."
The gallery is undoubtedly a treasure trove, with every single item from household features and special edition books to quirky collectibles telling is very own story.
"It's also a place of peace and great conversation," says Jim. "What I love the most is that you never know who is going to walk in through the door. It's become a magnet for the most wonderful characters, all of whom add so much to the vibrancy and energy of the place."
A small gold plaque outside the shop reads how the Jim McKee Art & Antiques Gallery is dedicated to two very special men in the artist's life. His late father Tom, who kept him in art supplies as a child which led to a young Jim winning a Blue Peter badge for stamp design at the age of 10, and his former art teacher Mr Long who, on recognising his talent, followed 15-year-old Jim on to a milk float to convince him to come back to school and finish his art GCSE.
"I was working full time as a milkman when my teacher tracked me down," Jim remembers fondly.
"I've never forgotten his words of encouragement and how much he believed in me. His words of wisdom still resonate with me to this very day."
:: To celebrate three years in business, Jim McKee is hosting an art sale in his native Cookstown at the Glenavon House Hotel on Sunday November 26 from 10am until 7pm
