November 2024 : Integrating contemporary artworks into the first ‘out-reach’, pregnancy monitoring clinic in Ireland. Cork University Maternity Hospital leading the way in womens health care.
On show until June 23, 2024, at Gormley’s ART + SOUL International Exhibition, a local collector purchased this most recent painting entitled GREEN ARROW on the opening day. Having worked with colour transparency for many years the floating luminous plates of colour hallmark this new series. The negative form in the lime-green ‘floating glaze’ allows the viewer to peer into the swirling, impasto and turbulent underpainting. When sunlight illuminates the stained glass of churches and cathedrals it is intended to inspire the visitors, connecting their minds to a higher realm of consciousness. Light, illuminating these translucent tactile surfaces is critical to these new works.
May 2024: Gormley’s ART + SOUL International Exhibition opened in The Castlemartyr Resort on the 25th of May. This is Ireland’s largest exhibition of painting and sculpture featuring over 100 sculptures and 200 paintings from leading national and international artists. Six of these most recent translucent relief works are on exhibition until June 23rd. This painting entitled BLOOMTIDE is the title work. It specifically relates to the continuing work on biodiversity loss and water protection that underscores this series of paintings. It is a great honour to exhibit these works at this prestigious event. Guided tours and artists’ talks can be booked free of charge here
Aug. 2023: The title of this painting is ‘Eat Your Cake’. It was crafted using discarded sheep’s wool, oil paint, and clear varnish. The painting was selected by Tracton Arts Centre, County Cork for their annual summer Biodiversity Weekend Exhibition. This work’s concept is based on the proverb “You can’t have your cake and eat it”! This refers directly to how humans continue to live in ways that are destructive to the natural world.
Dec 2022: The ORIEL is an ancient place in the north-eastern corner of Ireland with a very rich and diverse geological and cultural history. Down through the ages the landscape that surrounds us impresses itself on our human existence. Artists in the diverse forms of poetry, music, dance, stories continue to translate these conscious and subconscious impressions. The renowned fiddle player from Dundalk, Gerry O’Connor, has been playing the music of the Oriel all over the world for over four decades. Gilles Le Bigot, one of Brittany’s finest contemporary guitarists, has enhanced this ancient music with his masterful accompaniment. It was a great honour to collaborate with graphic design artist Kasia Uszczynska and offer up the album cover for this marvellous collection of music entitled, LIVE IN ORIEL, launched on December 15th in the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris. Image LHS is the original painting that inspired the cover design. The album can be purchased from www.gerryoconnor.net and www.gilleslebigot.com
May 2022 : Birds eye view of Ireland’s unique inland river forest delta ‘The Gearagh’ as featured in the 2014 documentary film RIVER RUNNER. This film led to the SAVE THE LEE SOURCE TO SEA campaign which is an ongoing petition to the Irish Government to reverse the damage done to this river forest in 1957 and to allow free passage for the wild Atlantic salmon on the twin dammed river Lee system. As environmental damage awareness grows, especially amongst younger generations of Corkonians, the authorities are moving closer to understanding and preserving this natural gem. Further information here on this site under the ARCHIVE link and the film RIVER RUNNER DOCUMENTARY can be viewed in its entirety on YouTube.
February 1st. 2022 : Announcing the release and roll out of the New Beginning Limited Edition, Original Songs and Stories, today on Lá Fhéile Bríd (St Brigid’s Day/ Imbolc). The digital and hard copy versions of this project are now available exclusively from this site. As the mega giants of the global music industry force independent artists into their over-loaded net, leaving very few realistic “fair trade” options for “non main stream” productions, this project sets a different course. Artists, musicians, engineers, designers, book printers have contributed their expertise to give the listener the “old school all round experience” of immersing oneself in an album of songs and stories. The album has been defined by a very experienced music lover as a PROTEST ALBUM. It is most certainly that and I hope more. Without protest there can be no progress. In the spirit of the pre-Christian Imbolc festival and Ireland’s first national festival honouring a female saint, St Brigid, Let the new beginning begin. Beir Bua.
October 2021: The original song “Bockity Town” was written in 2001 and recorded in 2021. The video, directed by grafik and film maestro Jack O’Flynn, premiered at the Dublin International Short Film & Music Festival on October 10th in the Sugar Club in Dublin and was nominated for Best Music Video. Florian Zappra and his DISFMF team have successfully run this Independent Festival for the past ten years, bringing together independent artists from around the world to the Irish capitol. View under FILM link.
September 2021: Announcing the launch of an album of original songs entitled NEW BEGINNING, conceived and created during 2020. A limited edition booklet with lyrics, graphics and content insights will be available from this site from February 1st 2022. This project is a throw back to days long past when ‘buying and album of music’ was an experience for the senses. In collaboration with a recording engineer, a graphic designer and two print professionals this limited edition booklet carries an eclectic mix of songs crafted in different genres of music. Look, listen, feel, a New Beginning!
July 2021 : During the roll out of the New Beginning project a whole new world opened up. Pathological Demand Avoidance, PDA is a pervasive developmental disorder. It is rare and even in professional circles rather unknown. Children that are born with PDA suffer terrible anxiety and fear. The simplest task can frighten them. It is closely connected to autism which in our society is viewed in an embarrassingly negative light. In fact autistic people are very much excluded by our so-called ‘normal society’. Collaborating with some of Irelands finest musicians and singers, two original dedicated songs were recorded and are due for release. Using art, music and reconnecting with woodland, streams and the ocean, SAME ONLY DIFFERENT sets out to break down, where possible fear and anxiety. SOD shall act as a bridge across the waters of exclusion, that separate us as human beings. Here is a taster of the songs PERFECT CHILD and NORMIE. The release date will be announced on this site and on all other platforms very soon.
JUNE 21, 2021 : The summer solstice, the longest day of the year, the first dedicated indigenous woodland museum in Ireland brought a host of wonderful people together to celebrate our natural heritage in this ancient place. Song writers, farmers, decorators, food specialists, story tellers, fishermen, contributed stories, poetry and song. Independent projects like this bring like minded people together who are dedicated to reversing the damage that we collectively have caused to the fabric of the blue planet. Master bards and musicians Tadgh deBrún and Connor O’Sullivan rehearse for the celebration.
Thank you for checking out New Beginning. Four brand new musical taster tracks can be listened to here. These songs I wrote during 2020. They are a development of the Quercus Robur project, dedicated to Mick Ryan, which is explained below on this News page. Sincere thanks to master musician, composer and engineer Conor O ‘Sullivan for taking the songs out of my back pocket and into a whole new realm. Thanks also to the grand maestro of the double bass Martin Brunsden. His magic can be heard on Oh Yew. If you would like a personal digital high quality recording, please click on the PURCHASE link at the top of this site.
