A little drop of musical history
During the summers of 2010, 2011, and 2012, American artist Carlotta Hester made over 150 drawings in County Cavan. Each a rendering of traditional Irish musicians, singers and dancers captured at the height of their creative flow.
Now the artist has gathered a selected of her drawings in a beautiful publication called “The Pure Drop”.
Chris Murray is the publisher of the collection: “It occurred to me that he 10th anniversary of the Fleadh was this summer and that it coincided with the staging of the Ulster Feladh in Cavan. I thought it would be great to mark that by publishing Carlotte's wonderful live action drawings. Even though the Ulster Fleadh is cancelled we felt that because the drawings are timeless we would go ahead with it.”
Hester’s drawings are created direct from life, while listening to the music in every festival setting street sessions, theatres, dance classes, pub sessions, master classes, outdoor concerts, cross-border gatherings, and more.
The impact of the experience on the artist and the publisher is apparent when Chris speaks of the time: “Those three summers were an extraordinary time for us. We had never been to an All Ireland Fleadh before and the experience was just magical.”
The book features musical artists from all over Ireland, Scotland, England, and the United States. The sketched portraits include fiddlers Tommy Peoples and Oisin MacDiarmada, harpist Catriona McKay and lilter Seamus Fay.
The Pure Drop is a celebration of the artistry of deep-rooted Irish traditions which continue to thrive today: “We have to thank Martin Donohoe. He was our Irish music guru.”
The book is very much a Cavan publication: “I had the book printed in Cavan at Harvest Moon in Killeshandra. It is very much a celebration of coming home and discovering traditional music and being moved by its artistry.”
Carlotta Hester has exhibited in Washington DC, in Ireland and in Cuba. She combines her art practice with art teaching, and has been the art teacher at the prestigious Maret School since 1994.
The book will have an official launch on Sunday August 9 in The Farnham Arms Hotel at 3:00pm. It will celebrate the book and the 10 years anniversary of the 2010 All Ireland Fleadh in Cavan.