Three Sisters Gallery - Press Comment

  Martin Hannan's recently published book "Rock of Gibralter" features Ester's portrait of this magnificient racehorse on the back cover. Martin, who writes for Scotland on Sunday, has this to say of her work: "The superb portrait which adorns the back of this book is by the brilliant young Irish equine artist, Ester Barrett, one of three painting sisters with their own gallery in Co. Limerick. Ester has perfectly captured the look I saw in his handsome face."
  To see the portrait, of which a limited number of prints are available click here.

Martin, writer and journalist also had the following to say in Scotland on Sunday (22 Aug 2004):

  If you are looking for a sure thing in racing, it’s usually best not to bother with the real live horses. They always tend to let you down, and if they don’t, their jockeys sure will.
  Sometimes, to achieve an investment of real value in racing, you have to think laterally - to think "out the box" as they say in the United States. And to stare at the wall.
  One of the fastest growing sectors of the art world is equine art, particularly the portraits of racehorses, and a little choice investment in that direction might well pay big dividends in future.
  A wheeler-dealer in the art world told me recently that some canvasses from the 19th and 20th centuries had gained almost as much in value in percentage terms as a semi- detached villa in Edinburgh - which is saying a lot - because of growing demand. He also noted that many fine artists could produce magnificent works of equine art on commission.
  These works will rarely lose their inherent worth, and if the artist were to go on to greater things, you could end up with a valuable asset indeed - perhaps not of Jack Vettriano status, but certainly worth a tidy sum......
  Recently I also came across the work of Ester Barrett, one of three artistic sisters who have their own gallery in County Limerick: it’s the Three Sisters Gallery. I was struck by how succinctly Ester had caught the likenesses of Ballydoyle’s horses, such as Rock of Gibraltar, and on researching her work further, I realised that she possesses a genuine talent for depicting racehorses in a fashion which captures all the dynamism and beauty of the delightful animals.
  With all due respect to the many fine photographers who work on the turf, such as award-winning Scotland on Sunday exponents, a painting often exudes more feeling for a subject, and that is the case with Ester Barrett’s stunning portraits, which are already selling for four-figure sums.
  I can predict confidently that the art world will hear a lot more of Ester Barrett and her sisters.

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