Title: Guinness!
This coming Saturday is St. Patrick's Day. So I've decided to post some of my Irish-themed paintings this week.
Dimensions: 12 x 16 (unframed)
Medium: Acrylic paints on canvas board
Status: For Sale $55
COMMENTS: I grew up around Celtic culture: my mother's parents came from County Clare in Ireland; my father's from Glasgow, Scotland. Both sets of grandparents came over to the US in the 1920s. My parents were very involved in their heritage. My mother took Gaelic (Irish) lessons, my father plays the Highland bagpipes. My parents took me and my siblings to the Feis each year, where competitions in Irish dancing, music, and art were held, and to the Scottish Games, where similar competitions took place, and also included feats of strength. I took Scottish and Irish dancing lessons as a kid.
When I was older, having learned all the Irish and Scottish songs, I started to sing in the pubs; sometimes just joining in at seisuns (like a celtic jam session), sometimes I was with a band. Then I joined an Irish theatre group -- the late, lamented Thomas Davis Irish Players and was with them for many years. Additionally, I was still doing artwork and a lot of it was inspired by Irish themes and symbolism.
I continued to attend the Feis with my sisters and nephews. At the time, it was held on the grounds of St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, NY, not very far from where I lived. We could let the boys run around the beautiful property while we picnicked and socialized. The Feis had an art competition and I would usually enter, as did my good friend from the theatre group, Jim Barry. Another local artist, Bernie Mor O'Boyle, who was well-known for his murals in local pubs, also was a competitor. Between the three of us, we almost always split the first, second and third place prizes, rotating the honors among us.
The above painting, simply called "Guinness!" was one that I did for one of the competitions. I've long ago gotten rid of all of the plaques, ribbons and certificates that I'd accumulated from my wins but I believe this won either a second or third place prize.
Technorati Tags: St. Patrick's Day, Guinness, Irish, Feis,seisun, Scottish Games, gaelic, Thomas Davis Irish Players, St. Joseph's Seminary, Glasgow Scotland
