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Mary Swanzy’s painting of a Samoan Scene is bursting with life and colour and we’re challenging you to make this scene your own! Did you know: in 1924, Swanzy sailed 2,600 miles from Hawaii to the island of Samoa, where she painted many scenes of the people she encountered there? What an extraordinary adventure! What are the people in this scene doing? Can you find out anything more about Samoa and the people who live there today? As you colour, perhaps you can imagine that you are travelling to an island in the middle of vast ocean: what would you take with you?
You can view the original artwork here
Hold onto your hats! In this artwork, it looks like a big gust of wind has come and jumbled everything! It was made by the nineteenth-century Cork artist Stephen O’Driscoll who worked in Pembroke Street in Cork City. This is an example of a silhouette: an image of something or someone represented as a solid shape of a single colour, usually black, and placed against a lighter background. Can you think up some names and a story to go along with this scene once you’ve finished colouring it in?
You can view the original artwork here
In this painting we can see some friendly cows who have come to say hello to a couple who are taking a shady break from the summer sun. What else can you see in this image? What colours will you use to bring your fields to life? You could give the characters here names and think about what the cows and people could be saying to each other!
You can view the original artwork here
Walter Osborne was an Irish artist who painted many scenes of children, animals, and everyday life. His father, William Osborne, was a painter of animals, too! This painting features two young girls inspecting a bowl of goldfish! How many fish can you spot? Can you give these fish a name? As we know, goldfish are typically bright orange, but why not experiment and make up your own one-of-a-kind fish with spots or stripes or zig-zags? What kind of food does the fish in your picture eat?
You can view the original artwork here
This painting is a portrait of a man named John Rowland Smith. What do you think of his outfit? Can you count how many buttons he has? In the original painting, his military uniform is coloured in red and white with gold details, but you can dream up your own colour scheme! Which colours will you choose? And where do you think Smyth is in this portrait? Can you add some friends, flowers, or animals to keep him company?
You can view the original artwork here
Frank Bramley was an English artist who lived in Venice, Cornwall and the Lake District. This painting depicts an indoor scene of board-game-playing between two young women. Although it was painted more than 130 years ago, many of us still like to play these kinds of games with our friends and families, especially on rainy days! Board games can be lots of fun but they can also lead to tensions sometimes…who do you think will win this game?
You can view the original artwork here
Can you find the former Customs House on Emmet Place in this ‘View of Cork’ from 1750? Today, this building is where the Crawford Art Gallery calls home! You might be surprised to see tall masted ships outside, but that’s because many of the city’s streets were once filled with water and boats were used to get from A to B. Why not take a line on a walk through the city streets as you colour in this image? Can you recognise any other buildings or places? You could draw some colourful birds, balloons or rainbows in the sky above the city, too!
You can view the original artwork here
This painting by the Irish artist Mainie Jellett is an example of a style of painting called Cubism. This style involves giving lots of different perspectives of an object in one painting and often using flat, geometric shapes like rectangles, semi-circles and triangles. How many shapes can you see in Mainie Jellett’s painting? How many colours can you use?
You can view the original artwork here
© the artist’s estate
This painting is a celebration of Ireland’s rural landscape, from the mountains, to the flowers, to the fields, and most especially the rivers and the sea! Can you see the patchwork quilt effect in Norah McGuinness’s original painting? You could use some different colours to make this scene your own! Who do you think lives in the cottage in the distance? Could it be the man in the cap?
You can view the original artwork here
Alfred Elmore was born in the West Cork town of Clonakilty. In his career as an artist he painted mainly historical scenes, but this one is inspired by a story-poem by Lord Byron, an English poet. Where do you think the people in this painting are? Does the boat or the canal give you a clue? What do you think these people are thinking or saying to each other? Once you’ve coloured them in, maybe you could add some speech bubbles!
You can view the original artwork here
About the artwork
This artwork tells a story. Poseidon is a powerful sea god and he sends serpents to attack Laocoon and his two sons! Laocoon faced the wrath of the Greek gods because he tried to foil a plan to invade the city of Troy. Greek soldiers had made a huge wooden horse, which they pretended was a present, but really it was filled with an army ready to attack the city of Troy.
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About the artwork
Harry loved stories, he was inspired by all kinds of storytelling, fairy tales, poems, spooky ghost stories and romantic legends. Harry made this drawing when he was working out ideas for the design of a stained glass window. In this picture, two characters are running away from a castle on a very cold and wintery night. As they flee they pass a woven cloth called an arras, it is a tapestry that is sewn with horses and woven like their very own dreams.
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About the artwork
George was born in Cobh over 200 years ago, he sailed the seas working as a ship’s carpenter. George taught himself to paint. He painted Cobh harbour in storm, calm and in sunshine. His paintings show boats of the time with curious names like brigs, schooners, steamers and cutters! In this painting, George imagines a ship battling a storm on the rocky Cork coastline.
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You can view the original artwork here
About the artwork
This young girl has made friends with the farmyard goose and does not want to see him being served for dinner! The artist Edith Somerville was born in Corfu in 1858, but she spent much of her life living in Castletownsend, West Cork.
Throughout her life, she painted and sketched daily, while successfully publishing short stories and novels with her cousin Violet Martin.
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You can view the original artwork here
Cork-born artist James Barry gave this work a snappy title Portraits of Barry and Burke in the Characters of Ulysses and his Companion Fleeing from the Cave of Polyphemus! James Barry was born in Water Lane, Cork City in 1741. In this picture, he imagines that his friend and teacher, the philosopher Edmund Burke, is a legendary Greek hero called Ulysses. They are trying to escape from a monster called Polyphemus who is a cyclops, shown hunched in the background. A cyclops is a giant monster from legend with just one eye!
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About the artwork:
This is a very romantic painting of a woman holding a lovely red rose. The woman’s name is Hazel Lavery. It is one of over 400 portraits that John Lavery, her husband, made of her. One of his portraits of Hazel even appeared on Irish banknotes in 1928. Can you imagine your own face printed on money? The Red Rose started off as another person’s portrait, but John decided it would be better to paint his wife again! John painted over this canvas several times. So why not experiment? Raid the house for recycling materials to reimagine this picture with collage.
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About the artwork:
The artist Gerard Dillon loved the people of Connemara, he wanted to show life in the West of Ireland. This painting shows the inside of a cottage before cookers, washing machines, central heating, widescreen televisions or even hoovers! The woman who lives here keeps her home spick and span, her washing is drying and her teapots are warming in front of the fire. Look, there is a place waiting for you by the cosy fire! Imagine what stories this woman could tell.
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About the artwork:
What is this fellow holding in his hand? Does his face look angry, sneaky, surprised or sad? This character is a jester from a painting by Daniel Maclise.
Daniel was an artist from Cork and he loved history, theatre and storytelling. His painting tells the story of a woman called Diane who comes to the King of France to beg for her father’s release from prison. Her father is released, but Diane must stay with the King.
Can you imagine what happens next?
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About the artwork:
This painting is over 300 years old! It was painted in the 17th century, photography had not been invented and only the richest people could afford to have a portrait painted. We do not know the name of the gentleman in this portrait, it is a mystery. Feeling playful? Give this gentleman a cunning disguise to add to the mystery!
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View the original artwork here
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