 One of the nice things about living in Dublin is the amount of art installations visible throughout the city. With numerous statues, sculptures, fountains, murals and other installations, you’re never too far from a piece of art. Now, that’s not to say that everyone is in agreement as to what’s art….Dubliners have a habit of slagging off their art pieces with descriptive nicknames of their own. Who remembers the poor “Floozie in the Jacuzzi” (The Anna Livia Fountain now in the Croppie’s Acre), the “Tart with the Cart” (Molly Malone Statue, Suffolk Street), “The Hags with The Bags”(Meeting Place statue on Lower Liffey Street), “The Stiletto in the Ghetto” (The Spire on O’Connell Street)?? Besides the statues, I also love the Dublin murals. When I worked in the Exchange in Temple Bar, our neighbouring hotel across the street commissioned a great mural for the complete outside of the hotel. A joyful riot of colour and culture in Temple Bar, the exterior of Blooms Hotel is one of the most eye-catching landmarks in the city. At the heart of it are Joyce’s best-known fictional characters, Molly and Leopold Bloom, Stephen Dedalus and Buck Mulligan, encircled by a psychedelia-meets-Art Nouveau pastiche of clashing colours and botanical flourishes. Even if you’ve never read Ulysses, you’ll want to see these fictional folk in full-sized full-colour glory.  Colourful mural on Bloom's Hotel, Temple Bar, Dublin Another one of my favourite murals is Dublin’s Last Supper, a large-scale photographic artwork by Irish artist John Byrne installed in 2004 covering the side of a wall within the courtyard in the Italian Quarter. Depicting a modern-day re-enactment of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper, Byrne added an 'Irish twist' by replacing the Biblical characters with a cast of local Dubliners that reflected the "changing society and the growing cultural mix in Dublin" at the time.  "Dublin's Last Supper", Italian Quarter, Dublin 1  "Dublin's Last Supper" up close So I’m a big fan of public art ….. it rejuvenates old buildings, creates work for artists, attracts tourists and gladdens your heart on a dull day. It enriches all of our lives – sometimes when we least expect it. Although, I’ll never be a Picasso, I thought it might be interesting to see if I could be a part of a public art project … and then I heard about Mural Mosaics. Above: Some of my favourite Dublin art piecesMural Mosaic’s Global Roots is a unique initiative that aims to bring people from around the world together through the power of art. Since 2003, Mural Mosaic has been creating art that celebrates unity and diversity through awe inspiring mosaic productions. Using the Mural Mosaic process invented by artist Lewis Lavoie, the mission of their work is to bring people together in a way that honours everyone’s unique perspectives. They have produced Mural Mosaics throughout the globe, inspiring viewers to recognise the beauty of our differences and come together in one united art piece. With each tile placed in a mural, Global Roots is reconnecting the world through the joy of art – one tile, one mural mosaic, one country at a time.  Pack I received - canvas tile, brushes and "Light Turquoise" paint tubs I first came across the Mural Mosaic’s Global Roots – Ireland Connects initiative advertised on Facebook this time last year. I decided it sounded like fun and bought a one-tile package for €34.41 online at https://europe.muralmosaic.com/product/ireland-1/ (now finished). I was told that on completion, the finished mural, including my one tile would be displayed somewhere in Ireland in early 2024!! I was excited! My purchased package included:
  Above: Painting my tile for Ireland Connects Mural Mosaic in April 2023I was allocated a light turquoise theme so the colour set I was given was in keeping with that. There were also links to a dedicated Facebook page with videos on completing the tile and encouragement to share your experience with others in the Global Roots group. I found this aspect particularly fun – seeing the amazing talent of others and their unique interpretation of the task. It was fun seeing people working in collaboration – family groups, neighbours, schoolchildren – all doing their own individual tile together. Since having a stroke in 2017, my right hand was partially paralysed and I have worked at getting agility back in my fingers since then. I always enjoyed art and drawing as a child but I knew I still didn’t have the dexterity to do a free-form painting. Holding a small paint brush would still be a challenge. I decided to use a stencil to simplify matters and I used a Celtic design I had which I thought would be in keeping with the Irish roots theme “Earth”. I called my tile “Celtic Heart Entwined”. I really enjoyed doing it, it starting with an all-white back wash, a red central heart surrounded by turquoise blue Celtic knot.  Facebook post from Donabate Community College announcing unveiling of the Mural on 22 April 2024  Unveiling by the students of Donabate Community College 22 April 2024  When finished, as instructed, I placed the completed tile on the submission form with my name etc., photographed it and submitted it to the email address given. I knew the deadline was 31 Jan 2024 so I would have to wait a few months for all submissions to be made. In the spring of this year, I was excited to see that the final mural would be installed at Donabate Community College in Dublin (on Portrane Road, Ballisk Common, Donabate, Co. Dublin K36 NN8). I followed the unveiling with interest on Facebook which took place last month on 22 April 2024 and I was thrilled to be able to actually see my tile!! I’m tile number 778 from over a thousand tiles from all over Ireland and overseas too. This is the list of tiles and names in alphabetical order - I'm under M on Page 7!! If you click on any tile on the mural on the webiste https://www.muralmosaic.com/ireland/ you can see each tile in more detail and who created it!  The Complete "Ireland Connects" Mural Installed in Donabate!  Pointing to Where My Tile Is!! So, I’m happy that a small piece of my “art”, albeit a stencil piece, will be displayed in public. One fine day, I’ll make my way out to Donabate to see it in person!
Bucket List Items Ticked Off in the above Blog post 130 Number 21 - Creative
Other Blog Posts Blog 11 - Sydney, Australia Blog 12 - Hong Kong, China Blog 17 - Beijing, Xi'an & Shanghai, China Blog 19 - California, USA Blog 27 - Scotland Blog 28 - Barbados Blog 29 - Canada Have you ever painted a picture? Tell me about your experience in the comments section below. If you liked this post, please share. Sharing is caring 😊
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AuthorMy name is Mary and this is my bucket list blog ...having survived a near-death experience. I hope it encourages you to "live your best life". See how I'm completing my own bucket list items. And let me know how you're getting on with yours! Archives
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