Some of you may already have come across the work of Cork-based illustrator and designer Craig Carry whose work has been used for arts festivals, independent record labels and musicians including some of our favourites: Lisa O’Neill, Glen Hansard, Hawk and a Hacksaw, Xylouris White, This is the Kit, Brigid Mae Power and Peter Broderick. I’ve always been drawn to his illustrations (I have two in my office) which always seem to capture the essence of the artist and their music.
He works across different media including screen printing, pencil, collage, vector, paint and linocut. His latest creations – two screen prints – were inspired by two songs by Planxty – As I Roved Out (you may recall there were two versions on their album “The Well Below The Valley” which Craig talks about below). After seeing the beautiful results we reached out to Craig who shared this great insight.
The prints are available to order online and each screen print is hand-printed on to splendorgel avorio 300gm paper stock in an edition of 62 & 65 signed and numbered prints (order links below).
As I Roved Out (i)
I first came across the song “As I Roved Out” on a CD of my brother’s (Planxty’s “The Well Below The Valley”, Polydor, 1973) and what always struck me the most was both versions of “As I Roved Out” (as well as closing track “Time Will Cure Me”). Another version I particularly love is the Planxty live version recorded at Monkstown, Dublin from 1979 on YouTube here.
Then, in recent years, I was lucky to hear the song once again when covered live by the wonderful Irish songwriter Brigid Mae Power (just voice and accordion) while touring her self-titled and “The Two Worlds” albums (Tompkins Square). Quietly witnessing Brigid Mae Power’s live interpretation was every bit as soul-stirring and hauntingly beautiful as hearing the song for the very first time. What was also deeply moving was hearing the song being performed in a female voice as it naturally draws you closer to the female character in the song, it also manages to even accentuate further that persuasive sense of longing and heartbreak in the song.
I made the screen print in a series of two images, from the point of view of both the male and female characters in the song. I tried to include as much of the imagery from the lyrics as possible (the diamond ring, the hat, meadows and flowers, the willow tree) and make it as descriptive and accurate as possible to the song itself. The setting is the outdoor meadow scene on a “bright May morning” where the male character sees his true love sitting under the willow tree. The line I was always drawn to the most was “I took off my hat and I did salute her / I did salute her most courageously” so that was the main starting point for the first image.
As I Roved Out (ii)
“As I Roved Out” can now be ordered online. Each screen print is hand-printed on to splendorgel avorio 300gm paper stock in an edition of 62 & 65 signed and numbered prints.
“As I Roved Out” i & ii can be ordered HERE & HERE.