THOMAS JOSEPH is a ‘real person’ named Thomas Joseph Stephenson and lives in Carrickfergus on the shore of Belfast Lough. Some people say he works very hard and likes painting many subjects including silly sheep, landscape, and sometimes people. If you are passing through Northern Ireland you can sometimes see Tom working in his studio/art gallery, the Court Yard Gallery, Carrickfergus. He enjoys the ‘crack’ (Irish for fun) or a yarn or two. 

Carrickfergus is also famous for its Castle where King Billy (important ‘gentleman’ of Irish politics) landed in 1690 and is reputed to have had some lunch (possibly Macdonald’s -beside the Castle), before travelling through Belfast on his way to battle.

Bryan Ferry, Van Morrison and others, recorded the internationally famous ballad ‘Carrickfergus’ and although Tom sings a bit he is a modest man who is not easily persuaded to give a rendition, besides he does not sound like Bryan or Van. Incidentally, for those international admirers of Tom’s work who don’t already know Van Morrison is also from Belfast. This is supposed to be about Tom but Carrickfergus has nurtured a few historic events and famous people including Louis MacNeice and Jonathan Swift.

 Recently, a publication stated ‘The long lonely journey as a delivery driver on country roads led to the creation of ‘The Whimsical World of Thomas Joseph’ ….. he (Tom) found himself talking to sheep’. Tom wants it to be clearly understood that he does not talk to sheep and never did talk to sheep.

 Maybe it is not a surprising thing to find that many people around the world seem to like sheep, or maybe they just like Tom’s sense of humour. Anyway the journey will continue and hopefully many more sheep will appear in paintings over coming years?

Thank Ewe for your interest.