Author Archive: Shea

I thought the french horn had such a beautiful look to it. This man’s head is the french horn while his thoughts and memories are reflected in the brass and also in the sound of the instrument.This painting was inspired by the beginning of a poem I had written.

“She whirled away in the mime’s last gray…and the music came tumbling after.”

This piece is about the creation of music. The left face is the beginning of the melody. That first tinge of creativity. It later turns into reality as is shown in the right face made of sheet music. The center figure symbolizes the final moment. The moment where the song has revealed itself and the violin chords are washing down all around  him.

This piece is about the Irish poet, harpist, and composer Turlough O’Carolan. As a young man he met the love of his life, Bridget Cruise. He returned years later having been blinded  and took the hand of a woman to help her onto a boat. He recognized immediately that it was the hand of Bridget. His sense of touch had remained. Carolan’s Farewell to Music was  the last song he ever composed.