The Children of Lir

In a compilation of work with a recent colleague and business associate, I have put together a new take on a retelling of the ancient Irish tale 'The Children of Lir'. For now, I am happy simply to add the piece to my portfolio and reflect on its construction, but there is room for revisiting the projects' status in the future.

*A Note on the concept:
While I try and be brief on this blog - despite my love of writing - perhaps a few extra comments on the concept of this piece would be sufficient?

For those not familiar with the Irish cycles, this story outlines the doomed adventures of the four sibling children of a fairy lord. They are 'Tuatha de Dannan' - 'peoples of the goddess Danu' - a Fey race once sovereign in Ireland.
Turned into four swans and made to occupy distant waters for 900 years, the children are finally released from the spell by the blessing of a monk. Due to numerous alterations and endings, sometimes it is Saint Patrick who frees them, sometimes an anonymous hermit, but while certain versions hold strong christian verses pagan tones, key Celtic symbolism always dominates.

I chose to crown the children with the playful, handmade wreaths of apple blossom, as an allusion to  their Otherworld kinship. The apple tree is a notable part of the Ogham, or tree alphabet, and was a symbol for healing as well as the eternal land of the Tuatha de Danaan. Even Avalon, or 'Emain Abhlach' in Irish, is 'Isle of Apples'.
'Lir' is the personification of the sea, though 'Manannan mac Lir' (son of the sea) tends to dominate in other stories as the active sea lord figure.

Here is the completed painting, followed by some of the sketching-stage imagery:

'The Children of Lir', 18x11", Watercolor, 2012

'The Children of Lir', Front, Watercolor, 2012

'The Children of Lir', Children Detail, Watercolor, 2012

'The Children of Lir', Puffin Detail, Watercolor, 2012

Final Drawing Stage:

And don't think I've forgotten about the second most recent blog entry of the 'Brigit' sketch! I shall be working on the painting now, and soon it shall be ready for viewing, (not to mention, purchasing!)*

* Previously I mentioned the coming of my greeting card site where seasonal cards and art prints will be for sale. More to come.

Brigit for Spring

With spring quickly on its way, the composition for Imbolc's greeting card is ready for painting. Once completed, scans and prints will be made for the second installment of the four season Celtic card collection I am producing.
(The Winter themed first installment is the previous entry  http://mairintajcaya.blogspot.com/2011/12/old-woman-winter-on-trial.html)

On a similar note, a site specifically for the sale of greeting cards, limited editions and other prints will be up and running soon! More to come on that later.

Here is the sketch for "Brigit", representative of Spring for this project.

Old Woman Winter Visits Us...

A decent way back, on the 28th of Januray, I talked about the work I put into Cailleach, a prompt for a winter-themed greeting card.

Here is the entry, for those interested in a catch-up:
http://mairintajcaya.blogspot.com/2011/01/cailleach-from-winter-theme.html

It took some time, but I found my way back to the painting board with this one. I was always annoyed by the treatment of the border; there was a bland, incomplete element to it that made Cailleach come off flimsy, dull, or just bald.

I revisited the thoughts I had had before it was about splashing it on quickly. I revisited the inspirational sample illumination (also in the original message link above).

Here is the result:

Cailleach, Watercolor, 2011.

Detail One

Detail Two

For some Winter Holiday fun, I also decided to take this for a test run round to my friends, family, and creative community. The greeting cards turned out alright and should be arriving at their various destinations soon.

Wishing warmth, light, and cheer through this holiday season and into the new year.
Mairin-Taj

Updates from a Previous Project

In "Greetings from the Studio", September 2nd, I took some time to share work on "Lemuria".

Here are some final scans of the piece, now safely off. It did not take me all this time to complete it, to be sure. I took quite a long break from it, for reasons best not waffled on about here and now.

And scanners really are worth mourning over...

Also, "Cailleach" - the Irish Winter personification piece - has undergone some tampering and will be posted as soon as the blasted thing is scanned! Greeting cards soon to follow, should all go well.

Here's to welcoming in the Winter months!

Pleasures of Autumn...

I have been starting new work, and getting quite in the full throw of it, so my recent absence from the world of the blog has been due to that, as well as seasonal festivities.

Being in the delicious habit of running several times a week, I have encountered lovely pockets of natural reference.
I now have a functioning camera again as well, so you can be sure I've taken it up with frequent enthusiasm. Here are some samples of the sort of moments I collect.

Parrish-esque Trees & Sky

I also enjoyed some of the best autumnal craft-work one can have - carving pumpkins. Not having done it in several years mind, I had a bit of a time getting used to it again. But I did have a friend enjoying the process with me.
We made a stars and moons design on a white pumpkin, and two faces on an orange one; one side had a simple smiling face, and the other had a winking face.

My cat Lugh

My cat Samael

Farewell, October!

Greetings, November, and the smell of winter!
(More to come, shortly)