Paintings and Prints of Ireland
by Barrie Maguire

Paintings Front Page


 

The Unfinished Violin

29" x 23" - Oil on canvas sold sold (prints available)

Otis Tomas is a talented violin maker who lives back up in the woods, just off the Cabot Trail in St.Ann's, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.

While vacationing nearby, we were fortunate enough to be invited to a music session in his studio. We sat on folding chairs in a dimly lit room crowded with sawdust-covered guitar and fiddle cases, an old piano, and the various tools of his trade, from modern to ancient.  In the room were two other fiddlers from British Columbia and Louisana, drawn to the island to learn the Cape Breton Sound. Otis's wife Deanie played a guitar he had made, and there were other guitarists, plus a man playing concertina and mandolin. As for me,  I brought a pounding heart and my limited skills on the banjo, but in no time they had me playing without fear.

Half way through the evening, Otis brought out a brand new unfinished violin, sanded and rubbed to a sheen, but not yet stained or varnished.  He began to play and I had my permanent memory of the people and music of Cape Breton.


(Otis has a stunning website, www.fiddletree.com.) 

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NATURAL ABSTRACTS:

Ramelton Fantasy - Lough Swilly Abstract - Reflecting on Gougane Lake - Three Irish Robins - Gougane Barra - Moville Pier - St. Ciaran's Shells - Dunree Head - The Whitmarsh Barn - Yankee Winter - Stay Awhile - Waterfall

PORTRAITS

 Elizabeth Pop - McCarthy's Band (Tierna) - Sullivan McCarthy - Riordan McCarthy - Ella Maguire - Maya Grace at Three - Judy Tecosky - Caitlin at 17 - Karen Maguire - Himself, the Arteest - Cindy, Cindy - Kellie at 14 - Brigid - Patrick Barrie - Sterling Fuller at 90 - Hanna Sweeney - Martin Hayes - After the Aire (Ariana Flood) -

 IRELAND AND THE IRISH, LANDSCAPES, COTTAGES, SHEEP:

The Burren: After the Rain - Crossing Dingle - Pastel Burren - Lyons Pub - M ODonovan - Himself & Herself - Connemara Dreamer - Road to Lisdoonvarna - Maam Cross - Allihies Parish - Mountry Sentry - Fanore Hill - Rainy Day in Clare - Burren Thistle - Donegal Cottage - I Remember Ireland - Celtic Biker - Stairway to Heaven - Window on Innismore - Aran islands - Dunworley Strand - Timoleage Abbey - West Cork - Water Lily - Five Irishmen - Listowel - Cemetery South of Enniskillen - Cemetery South of Enniskillen - Rathmullan #1 - Morning Nap Sheep - The Face of Ireland - Suppertime in Kerry - Achill Ram - Windy Connemara Sheep - Connor Pass Sentry - Show Off - sheep - Bunratty Castle Hen -  Lowtide near RoundstoneCounty Limerick from Heaven - Achill RamDingle Aire - Magpie - The Green Door - Loughros Beg - Kylemore Lough - Donegal Castle - Your Man - The Bay - Connor Pass - Loughros Beg Morning - Celtic Roundup - SheepIrish Quilt Prints- Prints of Ireland - The Irish Quilt - Digital prints of Irish Rocks - Lough Swilly - Giants Causeway - Almost Home - Finbar's Rowboat - Loughros Beg Dunes - Echo Lake Lilly - Bonnie's Onion - Black Abbey Angel - Queen of Donegal - Culdaff Pier - Spike Maguire - John Buck - Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man - Kerry Gold: Pat Talbot's Cows - Inishmaan Pub - St. Mullins Meditation - Kilcooney Evening - Queen of Inishmaan - Winter Shoes - Blue Moon - Marie Catherine - Killary Harbour - Queen of Innishmaan - Landis Store Pears -