Paintings

Spirit of the Forest

Acrylics on stretched canvas

12x16 inches / 30x40cm, depth 1.5cm

Out of the mid-wood’s twilight
Into the meadow’s dawn,
Ivory limbed and brown-eyed,
Flashes my Faun!

He skips through the copses singing,
And his shadow dances along,
And I know not which I should follow,
Shadow or song!

O Hunter, snare me his shadow!
O Nightingale, catch me his strain!
Else moonstruck with music and madness
I track him in vain!

- Oscar Wilde, In The Forest

Roísín Dubh

Acrylic paint on stretched canvas

12×16.5 inches / 30 x 42cm, 1.5cm

The first addition to an upcoming collection of paintings inspired by Irish Songs

Roísín Dubh, Dark Rose, or Little Dark Rose, as it is affectionately referred, is a late 16th century Irish song. It is sometimes attributed to Antoine Ó Raifteiri, an Irish language poet, and the last of the wandering bards, but almost certainly pre-dates him as it is widely believed to have been based on an even older love ballad. It is thought to be named after a daughter of Aodh Mór Ó Néill, earl of Tyrone at the time, and would have originated in the camps of Aodh Rua Ó Domhnaill; O'Neill's daughter having been either married or betrothed to the O'Donnel leader.

The song belongs to the category of 'aisling' or vision songs of Ireland. The instrumental range is as wide as the vocal, but the instruments best suited to render this air authentically are the native Irish uilleann pipes, flute, fiddle, and whistle, as these are capable of making the 'caoine' or 'cry', the note-shaping and changing that is characteristic of the native Irish music.

On my painting I quoted the first line of the song, and a couple of lines from the last verse...

"A Róisín ná bíodh brón ort fé'r éirigh dhuit.." Roisin, have no sorrow for all that has happened to you..."

"Beidh an fharraige 'na tonntaibh dearga is doirtfear fuil...
...Lá éigin sul a n-éagfaidh mo Róisín Dubh..." "The ocean will be all red waves, the sky all blood..." "...Before she shall perish, my little Dark Rose."

Edge of Dream Wood

Acrylic paint on stretched canvas

40x50cm / 16x20 inches, depth 1.5cm

A Dream of Slemish

Acrylic paint on stretched canvas

40cm x 40cm, depth 1.5cm

The Twilight Flight

Acrylics on stretched canvas

30 x 40 cm / 12 x 16 inches, depth 1.5cm

Caw of The Morrígu

Acrylics on stretched canvas

Measures 24 x 18cm / 9.4 x 7.1 inches , depth 1.5cm

Badb's Descent

Acrylics on stretched canvas

20x20cm / 8x8 inches, depth 1.5cm

"Fear not, the raven's red eye,
Her sight all aflaming will shine on our hearts.
Fear not, the raven's black wing,
The light of her feathers will carry us home..."

-An old pagan song

Sacred Threshold

Acrylic paint on stretched canvas

8x11" / 20x30cm, depth 1.5cm

Serpent Triskele

Acrylic paint on stretched canvas

8x8 inches /20x20cm, depth 1.5cm

Frenzy of Badb Catha

Acrylics on stretched canvas

11.7 x 16.5 inches, depth 1.5cm

This is inspired by a scene in the Irish myth 'The Second Battle of Maige Tuired'...

The scene was the one where The Morrígan takes the heart of the leader of the Formorians and gives the blood to the Tuatha de Danann to incite them with strength for the battle. I was also inspired by another scene in the myth where the three goddesses of The Morrígu rain down fire and blood on the opposing Formorians.