The Making of AndreArt

I came into this world with an over-active imagination that always found me daydreaming about something, usually at the wrong time, when I should have been doing something else, like school work or tidying my room.  My mother told me that, as a child, I had a tendency to be creative, but it wasn't until a special friend barged her way into my early English classes that I realized I loved writing words.  She brought out the competitiveness in me and we were always first and second in our writing class - although I only, ever, beat her once into first place.  Unfortunately, patience isn't one of my strengths and I could never sit down long enough to write a decent, literary work.

Years later, after my first visit to Ireland, I tried to imagine what it would have been like for Andrea, growing up in the north-eastern, coastal town, Dundalk.  I knew she had a very special friend in Niamh and wondered how they had managed to stay so close, whilst experiencing vast, different worlds as two adults, due to Andrea's career and celebrity lifestyle.  AndreA Books was born in 2003, as a result of my notions and Niamh became AndreA Jay Sparrow's very special friend, Dessie Dwyer.  Once the characters had grown, I wrote easily, having been blessed with a very special friend of my own, Sue O'Neill, who became Sue Black and years later, my much loved sister-in-law. 

I was hopeless using computers for business, although I did pass my ECDL, but making a website to house my characters gave me a feeling of magic and children, right across the world, loved it.  I was learning, through trial and error, and felt a need to give something back to the real Andrea for the pleasure I had found creating my children's books and, especially, for her music with The Corrs.  Unfortunately, there were a million web sites dedicated to the band and I had nowhere to go and nothing new to add.  It wasn't until she decided to, seriously, make her mark as an actress that I found my outlet and Corr-onfilm became big enough, throughout the world, to stand alone.

On 30th May 2006, the creativity I had found ... ended.  Coupled with a debilitating illness, at a premature age, my desire for art, magic and life was floating somewhere in the ether and I had no desire to go chasing after them.  To cut a long story very short, things, eventually, happened that made me want to carry on and because I'd always wanted to draw and paint, but had no talent, I tried my hand at photo shop and AndreArt was born.

When I'm working, although using Andrea as my model, I see her as part of the picture I'm trying to create, rather than my favourite singer - that fact never enters into any of my pictures and, yes, I still have lots to learn about the processes appertaining to photo-shop on the web, but I'm enjoying the journey.

So, now, I've told you another story.  At the same time, I decided to explain my thoughts behind some of the pictures on this site, with a link to the page where you can see the full picture.  So, I'm listing my top 16 personal favourites, together with a small piece about what they're about and the thinking behind them.

I would like to thank all photographers, who've inspired me, although I don't know your names and Wally, at corrsmisc.com whose selfless sharing made this site possible.

 

  

I've used this, original picture, many times.  You don't need to see Andrea's face to feel what the photographer had in mind.  It oozes 'dreaming'.  I wanted to sit her on a seashore, to watch herself floating away on dreams, hence the little boat drifting out to sea.  See our page Aigéan for the large picture .... Irish for Ocean.
   

This picture is in a narrower format than most, but it's so powerful.  I love the feel of Andrea in the wilderness, perhaps lingering in a past age, watching through the mirrors of the modern spire on Dublin's O'Connell Street.  Paul and I took some amazing pictures of the spire, for our own, personal use.  See our page Gealach for the large picture .... Irish for Moon.
   

The fountain in Dundalk town centre depicts a time of the Celts, a time in history that seizes my imagination.  I, initially, lost myself, working with the fountain.  Andrea added the finishing touch, as I wondered what memories she had of it, growing up in the town.  See our page Grian for the large picture .... Irish for Sun.
   

This is Irish, without the politics.  Andrea, majestic and bird-like, soaring above the gates of governing - Dublin's political seat of power.  It's a statement of  ....  a proud people.  See our page Réalta for the large picture .... Irish for Stars.
   

This is so difficult, picking from the black and white stuff.   I, so, love working with textures and watching the pictures unfold.  This is the legendary warrior, CuChulainn, taken down, not as the story would have you believe, but by the Celtic princess, who walked through legends into real life.  This depicts a tiny glimpse of my poetry collection, 'Flames Of Celtia' (A Love Story).  See our page Black & Shine for the large picture.  The sculpture of CuChulainn and 'the raven' can be viewed in the post office window, O'Connell Street, Dublin.
   

County Wicklow, Ireland.  There is something about the majesty and eerie silence of sweeping hills and  untouched countryside that makes you want to look further into the history of this magical, emerald isle, exploring past times and wondering what life was really like for the people who dwelled in the shadow of the hills, hence, a 'time of ghosts'.  The full shot of Andrea is from the video 'Long Night'.  See our page Grian for the large picture.
   

This is one of those pictures that you just can't plan - it just happens, unfolding like someone else is doing all the work - one of my very favourites.  The old Irish cottage sprung out at me, but only the roof and chimney felt right for this picture.  Jim and Andrea seemed to fit themselves in, exactly where they wanted to go and the extra vision of Andrea, standing on stage, lifted the work and made it feel of something much more.  Our page Emeralds shows the large image.
   

It is so hard choosing from the page 'Gealach' - so many of my favourites are there.  This isn't at all artistic, but I wrote the poem for the picture.  The girl is how I visualize Peggy Gordon but moreso, the girl represents 'hope'.  The poem is one I wrote about the plight of the Irish people during the potato famine, coupled with the great migration to America .  Out of the embers of impoverishment, hope grew up and on and a nation was saved. 
   

I have no explanation for this.  I just find it very spiritual ..... moving.  Very simple and simply stunning.  See Black and Shine for large image.
   

I enjoyed working in this smaller format, and like all the images I did in this size.  The initial photograph was one I took of a tiger in Dublin zoo, last year.  The eye in the centre and the stripes depict the tigress, whilst the photographs, either side, represent fear and fondness that people have for this magnificent creature.  See page Grian to view larger image.
   

The first picture produced for AndreArt.  The weave of colours simply fell into shape and the face of Andrea became part of the flow.  I called it 'Heat of the Night' because there's a story in there, somewhere, coupled with the passion in music, when it comes from the heart.  You can find the large image on Fáilte, Irish for welcome.
   

Andrea reading through her postbag.  Ever wondered what she thinks of it all?  Well, this is purely from my mind's eye.  See Black and Shine for large image.
   

Come by the sea, where dreams court myth, where emeralds watch out of the deep, where all above arrests my thoughts and carries me to dreams.  Come, dance upon these precious stones.  Come, feel the ocean spray.  Bring song to carry sun and sheen, out with the tide ... away.  Originally a photograph we took, on the west coast of Ireland.  I transported Andrea off a London street and brought her home.  She fit so well into the emerald background and inspired the poem.  See large image on page, Aigéan.
   

Inspired by Hello Boys, the first track from Andrea's solo album.  I had dual thoughts about this, the first being one of change and versatility, whilst the light bulbs represent different stages through life and growing, starting with innocence.  See Grian for large picture.
   

In time I will, most likely, replace many images on site - this will probably be one of the last to go.  There is something magical about the moon in the night sky, but living where I do, I've never seen a lunar eclipse in all its beauty, so I made my own.  Large picture can be seen on Gealach, but it may need to be clicked on again for fullest size, depending on your computer.
   

This new 12 x 12 format was introduced March 2008 and even though I don't have much free time, I've found enough to keep returning to my workspace , with the added bonus of enjoying working at AndreArt.  We are hoping to introduce a few desktop wallpapers, but only in widescreen format, and perhaps more square images over the coming months.  If you would like to have your own work displayed at AndreArt, either widescreen (16 x 9) or square 12 x 12, please let us know.  If we get enough interest we will consider starting a new page especially for your images.  In the meantime, here's my first 12 x 12 personal favourite.  Large image on Aigéan.