Like train tracks, Fergal McCarthy's career as an artist is developing side by side with his life as a primary school teacher. He's had a number of exhibitions and is currently preparing for a showing in Dublin in September - his work will be on view in a gallery on Harcourt Street.

From Newcastle, Co Limerick, 24 year-old McCarthy works as a teacher at the Sligo School Project. His fourth class pupils have seen most of his work. "I've always shown the children all of the paintings except for the more sexual ones," he says. "The paintings are quite child-like. I'm probably at that stage as well. It's probably a children's style because I never went to an art class in my life."

Is it difficult to balance the two activities? "Not really," he says. "I finish at a quarter to three and I have the weekends and long holidays." But, he does say that the more serious he becomes, the harder it gets. "You give up things. You don't do any evening courses or go out and you have to drop sport. I'd be doing as much work in painting as I'm doing in teaching now."

At the moment McCarthy is busy preparing for the exhibition in September. "With an exhibition coming up you know you have to get work done. When you come in the door you become this artist. Once you get started it's great but it's just the thought of starting something new when you come in that's hard."

After a day in front of 29 ten-year-olds, he goes home, shuts the door and becomes an artist. "You forget completely that you're a teacher - it just depends on what's more important to you at the time. Artists and actors take themselves too seriously. Teachers are perceived as being boring and narrow-minded, while artists are seen as being over the top but it's not all that big a deal. I don't have a problem with it."

McCarthy never did art in school. "When I went to Mary Immaculate College there was a great art department and that's where I got into it. Then I had an exhibition in Newcastlewest, Co Limerick in January 1995."

The sale of paintings at this exhibition enabled him to take a year off and go on a round the world trip. He set off with a rucksack on his back, stuffed with pencils, crayons and sketch-pads.

"I was in Polynesia in the Cooke Islands. I did a lot of painting there. I'm interested in social issues, such as the Klu Klux Clan, Travellers, hunting, bull fights . . . "

His paintings are vivid and highly illustrative. Some are of rural locations such as Cape Clear Island, Caragh Lake in Co Kerry and Dun Eochla on one of the Aran Islands.

"At this stage I'm learning," he explains. "You get better. It's all water colours on hand-made paper. I've tried oils but they don't suit me. You'd want ten times as much patience. They can get all over your clothes. You get a smooth line with water colours. Mine are very precise and neat."

This is McCarthy's third year in Sligo School Project. His first job was teaching at Scoil Mhuire in Clifden, Co Galway. Since he started painting, he has been able to avail of certain opportunities. Not so long ago he spent almost three weeks in the new artists' village in Ballinskelligs, Co Kerry. He has also been influenced by the artist, Pauline Bewick.

"I worked for her for two summers. When she was preparing for her exhibition The Yellow Man, she employed me to work for her. I'd be very influenced by her - she opened my first exhibition. But I think my style has changed somewhat since then."

McCarthy doesn't see art as an escape from teaching. "As a person, I'm very interested in a whole lot of other things. I have a huge array of interests. I surf, I go horse-riding."