The NLI Christmas Selection Box

My thanks to Carol at the National Library of Ireland for sharing my original painting of the Lassie and the Bear from "East o' the Sun and West o' the Moon" in their Christmas Selection Box.
The image in the printed book was cropped to hide all those lovely rough edges  and I overlaid a layer of snow falling too.

Experience the Magic, at Your NLI

Thanks to Honora Faul of the Department of Prints & Drawings at the National Library of Ireland for letting me know that the NLI have chosen one of my images that they have in their collection to be part of their new front hall display.

It consists of a series of banners which are part of an exciting project called “Your NLI”.

The picture above is from "East o' the Sun and West o' the Moon" and I chose not to use it in the final book, going for a more dynamic diagonally oriented composition. I can't believe I spent so much time on a painting before deciding against using it. Now I see a lot of good things in the more formal, profile view of the Lassie on the White Bear, but the bear in the final painting is much stronger.

I added a layer of falling snow to the picture in the book.

Both originals are in the NLI collection.

Nikki Ralston, who put the project together, has done an entry on it in the NLI's own blog with a link to a very interesting slideshow of the pictures featured in the display.

PJ Interviewed by Dr Pat Donlon, at the NLI

A few years ago the National Library of Ireland and Children's Books Ireland co-hosted an event in which I was interviewed by my dear friend and famous bibliophile, Dr Pat Donlon.
Pat was formerly the director of the NLI, and it was she who arranged for the Library to acquire a large collection of my original illustrations way back in 1994.
The interview has recently gone on-line and can be viewed, along with a great selection of other interviews, at this link.
It's always a happy occasion chatting about books with Pat.

The National Library of Ireland's Prints and Drawings Collection

Someone contacted me recently about a picture that they had seen in the National Library of Ireland's Prints and Drawings Collection.
Under the directorship of the wonderful Dr Pat Donlon, the NLI acquired a large collection of my original work, which they have added to over the years. Pat was very keen to get hold of preliminary drawings and unused paintings from right at the start of my career.
The ink line drawing pictured here is from "WB Yeats: Fairy Tales of Ireland".

PJ Lynch interviewed by Dr Pat Donlon

Here are a few images from the interview I did with Dr Pat Donlon at the National Library of Ireland before Christmas.

PJ Lynch in conversation with Dr Pat Donlon, NLI

It has been a hectic few weeks.
Last night I had the pleasure of being interviewed by my dear friend, Pat Donlon, at the National Library of Ireland.
Here's a shot of me signing books at the event.
It was a really lovely occasion, beautifully managed by the staff of the National Library, and also by the folks from Children's Books Ireland who co-hosted the event.
And I mustn't forget Conor Hacket, who was a great help as usual, and Valentina and Marta from Hughes and Hughes who were selling books on the night.
Pat was on really good form. She is such a lovely person, but she is also the consumate professional, and a true authority on the history of Irish Children's books.
I first met Pat when she was the Director of the National Library, and she and Collette O Daly purchased a large number of my pictures to initiate the PJ Lynch collection in the Library's archive.
I am delighted that Collette's successors in Prints and Drawings, Joanna Finnegan and Honora Faul, have continued to add pieces of mine to the collection over the years since then.

Pat Donlon and her husband Phelim, are now custodians of The Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig. It's a wonderful old house in the country where artists and writers can go for a period of intense creativity in the most conducive of surroundings. I can't wait to go.

I would hope to get the video or a podcast from the interview up here at some point.

Sunday Independant's Books 2008 Festival

I'm doing a drawing session at the Sunday Independant's Books 2008 Festival on Saturday the 6th August at noon.
It's taking place in the Shaw room of the National Gallery of Ireland.
I've only got a half hour slot so I won't have time to talk much about my work, I'll just say hello and start drawing.
I'm not sure what I'll draw.
When I do these events there is always a very clear gender split. The boys want to draw gross, violent stuff that I also enjoy drawing, and most of the girls want to draw fairies and princesses.
Maybe I'll try a gross, violent princess this time.

There will be a "PJ Lynch" evening event for adults at the National Library of Ireland in early December . The Library will be mounting an exhibition of my work that they have in their Prints and Drawings section.


Here's one of my ink drawings from the Library's collection.
I'm very excited about that event. I'll post more details closer to the date.