| Artwork Title: Beannacht (Blessing) |
| Medium: oil paint, canvas, printed photos, wheat reed cross |
| 2026 |
| 2x2 3/4 ft |
This work features images and symbols associated with Ireland and the ways they intertwine with everyday life. The base image is a Celtic cross, which became more associated with Ireland than with other Celtic countries during the Arts and Crafts Revival movement in Ireland. Hidden beneath the paint are photographs from Ireland that my father took on our first trip there as a whole family. The next layer of paint is my tattoo of a shamrock that rests behind my ear. This imagery is associated with Saint Patrick and his missionary journey in Ireland, even though there is little evidence that he had a real connection to the shamrock. Another layer holds a St Brigid’s cross, made from reed. This cross would be hung in the home to bring protection, specifically above the door to the kitchen to prevent fires, and is linked to Saint Brigid. The writing is an Irish blessing that was on both of my grandparents’ funeral cards. The layers of this work bring together personal memory and cultural symbols, showing how these images exist not only in history but within everyday life, passed down, carried, and remembered in quiet and familiar ways. |