Pursuing your Dreams in Lockdown
Bríd decided to pursue her dream of becoming a full time artist in January 2020
Oldcastle Artist Bríd Fanning will showcase her work in Crover House Hotel this Saturday and Sunday.
A graphic designer for twenty years, Bríd decided to pursue her dream of becoming a full time artist in January 2020. Navigating the difficult waters of the pandemic, she managed to draw inspiration from her homeland.
“When homeschooling got stressful, and it did at times, it was lovely to bring the kids for walks in the rural countryside and just be inspired by nature around us,” she said, detailing the beautiful Crossdrum countryside.
Bríd shared her work on an online platform, allowing it to pull on the heart strings of Irish people abroad. She has paintings hanging in people's homes in Canada, Australia, the US and mainland Europe as well as Ireland.
As an artist, Bríd finds it very humbling that people choose to display her work in their homes.
“The fact that my art resonates with so many is such a great feeling,” she said.
“Usually when someone buys a piece, they have a personal story for doing so and it can be a very emotional one too.”
The Oldcastle woman explained she likes to use “bold colour” to express Irish people, heritage and landscapes.
Receiving feedback from her customers, she found a common issue was that people simply do not have enough wall space for paintings. The innovative and creative person she is, she decided to broaden her horizons and branch into textiles, putting her art work on cushions.
“The cushions are printed in Ireland using eco-friendly inks on a soft luscious velvet fabric,” she said.
Describing the works she is most proud of, Bríd spoke of her painting of Sean Boylan, whom she described as one of her “childhood heroes.” She had the opportunity to meet Sean and present him with the painting. Using the proceeds of her prints, she donated €1,000 to his chosen charity ‘The Meath Hospice Homecare Movement.’
She also painted a portrait of Tommy Tiernan this year, after being inspired by an emotional interview on his show.
“You could see the emotion in Tommy’s expression as he really listened and showed great empathy towards his guest,” she remembered.
“I grabbed my phone and took a photo from the TV to capture that expression,” she said, explaining she got to work and transferred the image to a canvas.
Brid’s art will be on display at Crover House Hotel this Saturday (November 20) from 2-8pm, with wine and canapes served from 6-8pm. They will also be on display on Sunday from 2-6pm. No tickets are required for the event.
She thanked Meath County Council Arts Office and Creative Ireland who supported her through the Professional Artist Development Fund this year.
“I am extremely grateful for the belief they have in me,” she said.