A new generation is introduced to the work of a talented Tipperary artist

The work of a talented Clonmel artist, who went on to become a leading animator with top movie studios, was introduced to young people in his home town at a special event.

John Power, who worked with Sullivan Bluth, 20th Century Fox and Disney on many of the most popular animation films, was a special guest at Cruinniú na nÓg in South Tipperary Arts Centre.

Cruinniú na nÓg is a creative arts festival for young people and this year it took inspiration from a colouring book produced by John Power.

The young people attending were thrilled to meet John, and hear of his work in animation that took him from his home in Clonmel to Dublin, on to Phoenix, Arizona, and then to Sydney in Australia.

The colouring book, Bruno the Otter, focused on the adventures of an otter as he spends a day showing readers around his home by the Suir in Clonmel. The book was first published in 2006 and republished for Cruinniú.

The day in South Tipperary Arts Centre was a very special one, as it introduced so many young Clonmel people to the work and career of one of the town’s most acclaimed artists.

An artist as long as he can remember, John was talented from his younger days, winning many prizes for drawing. He started his secondary school days in the CBS High School, but because art was not on the curriculum, he moved to the Technical Institute where his talent flourished, getting an A in art in his Leaving Certificate.

One of his first jobs was in local firm Medite, where John used his spare time to sketch many of his work colleagues. It is said that when the bosses walked into the canteen and saw John there, they turned and left because they knew he would draw them!

SULLIVAN BLUTH

But his artistic talents were soon to create a new career for John. Some of his early work was doing cartoon strips for the Cahir Post newspaper, but he was quickly headed to Dublin. Two ex-Disney animators founded the Sullivan Bluth animation studio in the capital and he got his first job in a business that was to become his career.

DISNEY

After a number of years in Dublin, he moved to Arizona with 20th Century Fox where he was first introduced to working on major animation movies. He also worked in Dallas and finally moved to Sydney to work with Disney.

Over those years at the pinnacle of animation, John worked on such movies as Land Before Time, All Dogs Go to Heaven, Rock-a-doodle, Troll in Central Park, Thumbelina, Pebble and the Penguin and Titan AE. He was one of the top animators on Anastasia with 20th Century Fox Animation.

He also helped others in their careers. During his time in Dublin with Sullivan Bluth, John taught art part-time in Ballyfermot College, where one of his students was Tallaght native Richard Baneham, who also became a top animator, winnings Oscars and a BAFTA for his work on Avatar.

While John’s animation work throughout his career involved working on other people’s stories, he is now delighted that one of his own books, Toby’s Journey, is currently being turned into digital animation format by students at Tipperary Institute in Clonmel.

Better known as ‘Speedy’ in his native town, John is one of nine children (four of whom still reside in Clonmel), of the late Paddy and Maureen Power of Toberaheena. He lived the first seventeen years of his life in Ard Fatima.

His father Paddy was from St Patrick’s Terrace, Clonmel, and his mother Maureen from Islandeady, near Castlebar, County Mayo. Paddy was a salesman for Sloanes Drapery in Parnell Street for many years, and his late uncle Davy Power was a well-known World War 11 veteran, who lived in Glenconnor.

John is married to Margaret Maunsell, daughter of the late Phyllis and Jimmy Maunsell, Sheehy Terrace, and they have three children, Tara, Andrew and Grace