Celtic artwork on bodhrans by Mance Grady

Mance Grady - musician craftsman teacher

• Bodhrán Gallery •
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Some of these designs are inspired from the ancient art found in various sources, including the Book of Kells, Celtic relics and other manuscripts, or are my own creations. You'll see among the knotwork and spirals there are also paintings of the mythical unicorn (this one based on those in Michael Green's Unicornis - the History and Truth of the Unicorn -- great book!) Below is a design in which I was supplied with the graphic on the left and added my own touches to create my version of the "Tree of Life." The final piece is stunning and something of which I'm quite proud.
graphic from www.celtic-art.net
graphic from www.celtic-art.net
Tom and his drum
Tom and his drum

I know I've been promising to add more of the recent commissioned pieces. Well, here's one from last year. There are others, but they'll have to wait for the new website redesign which is in the works.

This is actually the second drum which I'd used this basic design on. The first was commissioned in 2007 where the gentleman, "Stephen," requested a "green man" with a "pleasant countenance." That was on a drum of the same color but a shallower depth where the gold extended beyond the knotwork frame and encircled the circumference of the drum with a wave design with embedded knotwork. Prior to that commission, I painted a green man using the face of the client, essentially his portrait as a green man. Peggy M. saw photos of my work and decided that she wanted the greenman with the gold knotwork frame on a deeper green drum and here it is!

Believe it or not, the photos don't look as good as the real thing. Using metallic and pearlescent paints is extremely challenging and can be quite time consuming. The light and the angle at which you view the design can alter your perception of the artwork. I agonize over the details and design even before laying paintbrush to shell. Then when it's finished, I wonder what took so long;-)

"It brings me extreme pleasure to complement Mance's exquisite sounding bodhrans with beautiful Celtic designs. I only paint on the shell, never the skin. They are hand-painted. No two are exactly alike.

These are amongst some of the many designs I've done over the years for some wonderful people from all walks of life. Whether police, lawyers, technical and laymen, musicians (professional and aspiring, including past All Ireland champions), it's been a pleasure."

Lori Grady
Lori@GradyDesign.com