Art Journal of Ireland, Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle

The castle originally dates from before AD 1200, when a wooden structure was built on the site. Around 1210 A.D. this was replaced by a stone fortification It was destroyed in 1446, but subsequently rebuilt by Cormac MacCarthy - then King of Munster.
The castle was besieged during the Irish Confederate Wars and was seized in 1646 by Parliamentarian forces under Lord Broghill. However after the Restoration the castle was restored to Donough MacCarty, who was made 1st Earl of Clancarty.
During the Williamite War in Ireland in the 1690s, the then 4th Earl of Clancarty (also named Donough MacCarty) was captured and his lands (including Blarney Castle) were confiscated by the Williamites.
The castle was sold and changed hands a number of times before being purchased by Sir James St. John Jefferyes.]Members of the Jefferyes family would later build a mansion near the keep. This house was destroyed by fire however, and in 1874 a replacement baronial mansion - known as Blarney House - was bu The castle is now a partial ruin with some accessible rooms and battlements. At the top of the castle lies the Stone of Eloquence, better known as the Blarney Stone. Tourists visiting Blarney Castle may hang upside-down over a sheer drop to kiss the stone, which is said to give the gift of eloquence. There are many legends as to the origin of the stone, but some say that it was the Lia Fáil—a magical stone upon which Irish kings were crowned.
Surrounding the castle are extensive gardens. There are paths touring the grounds with signs pointing out the various attractions such as several natural rock formations which have been given fanciful names, such as Druid's Circle, Witch's Cave and the Wishing Steps. Blarney House, also open to the public, is a Scottish baronial-style mansion that was built on the grounds in 1874, overlooking the nearby lake.

Art Journal of Ireland, Barryscourt Castle

Barryscourt Castle, Carrigtwohill, Co.Cork


De Barra or the Great Barry was the senior branch of the Barry family and their main seat was Barryscourt Castle, situated just outside Carrigtwohill. One of the principal Norman families in Ireland, the imposing structure and commanding position of Barryscourt Castle highlights this families position of dominance.

Barryscourt Garden is a newly developed replica of a medieval garden, set out in exactly the same manner as Tower House Gardens would have been designed and maintained in their hey day.

The castle is built over three levels the castle incorporates a store on the ground floor, which houses an exhibition entitled “the Arts in Ireland from the Invasion to the Plantation 1100-1600. The upper levels contain the Main Hall and the Great Hall in both of which are now displayed reproduction furniture and utensils. Visitors can see what life was like for David Barry, Ellen Roche and their family when they inhabited the Castle, their sleeping and dining areas, their own private chapel within the building and the various garderobes.
Defensive features such as a murder hole, crenulations, and stumble steps can also be seen. The grounds of the Castle have been restored and feature an orchard stocked with native fruit trees and a 16th century herb garden surrounded by a wall with corner towers.

ART AND HISTORY Part 1

CASTLE OF EILEAN DONAN, KYLE OF LOCHALSH

Original watercolor painting 11x22 on Arches 140lb watercolor paper

The original castle was built in the early 13th century as a defence against the Vikings. By the late 13th century it had become a stronghold of the Mackenzies of Kintail (later the Earls of Seaforth). In 1511, the Macraes, as protectors of the Mackenzies, became the hereditary Constables of the Castle.
In 1539 Iain Dubh Matheson, chief of the Clan Matheson died whilst defending the Castle on Eilean Donan island against the Clan MacDonald of Sleat on behalf of the Clan Macrae and Clan Mackenzie.
In April 1719 the castle was occupied by Spanish troops attempting to start another Jacobite Rising. The castle was recaptured, and then demolished, by three Royal Navy frigates on 10–13 May 1719. The Spanish troops were defeated a month later at the Battle of Glen Shiel.
The castle was restored in the years between 1919 and 1932 by Lt. Col. John MacRae-Gilstrap. The restoration included the construction of an arched bridge to give easier access to the castle. In 1983 The Conchra Charitable Trust was formed by the Macrae family to care for the Castle. A curious distinction is that it has one of only two left-handed spiral staircases in a castle in Great Britain, as the reigning king at the time of building held a sword with his left hand. One strange feature of the castle today is the grey field gun from the Great War, positioned outside the building by a war memorial and fountain dedicated to the men of the Macrae clan who died in the war.
Eilean Donan is the home of the Clan Macrae. In 2001, the island had a population of just one person.

MANOR HOUSE, COTSWOLD ENGLAND

Original on 24x30 Arches 140lb watercolor paper
Original Sold/ Giclee prints only

Owlpen Manor is a Tudor Grade I listed manor house of the Mander family, situated in the village of Owlpen in the Stroud district in Gloucestershire, England. There is an associated estate set in a picturesque valley within the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The manor house is about one mile east of Uley, and three miles east of Dursley.
Owlpen Manor is widely recognised as one of the most romantic early manor houses in England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building. The manor house is of medieval origins, but was largely built and rebuilt in the Tudor period by the Daunt family, between 1464 and 1616. Since then it has hardly been touched except for small improvements early in the 18th century, when the east wing of the house, together with the gardens, church and Grist Mill, were reordered by Thomas Daunt IV between 1719 and 1726.

MY INSPIRATION

( Slea Head, Dingle Ireland ) Acrylic on three 12x12 canvases.

Varnish on the canvases which will protect the canvas and does not yellow.

The Dingle Peninsula is gorgeous and we got our first look at a few HUGE cliffs (if you’ve ever seen the movies “Ryan’s Daughter” or “Far and Away”…they were both filmed here and will give you an idea of the beauty). The painting above, are three separate paintings- created to be hung together.



It begins with pictures, a book or a film. Planning a trip to get inspired by the brush is one of the most exciting things for me to do. I can’t get enough of the architecture, the art, the history, not to mention the food and wine. By the end of the day I want to paint everything I see and just end up crashing into bed.

I also love history, that is what draws me to get the inspiration to paint a castle, a manor house, or an old farm.
While in the studio painting from my pictures or sketches from my trips, brings me back to the place and time I took the picture.
“The feeling that I’m back on my travels again.”
I find myself sometimes just wanting to visit a place or to go on a walk close to home.

As an artist that is for me I need to have the four seasons. I know when a lot of people complain about the rain, I have to say…”I love it” and I know another season is around the corner. The fall is wonderful, so many colors, the landscapes are beautiful, I can smell autumn in the air with pumpkin pie, soup and sandwich or a roast in the oven. Lots of candles burning, classical music in the background and I’m in my studio creating with the brush in one hand and a glass of wine in the other.

So when you see my artwork, you will then feel what I see. The magic that happens when put on the paper.