Meet Frank.
My brother owns this image and has it at his cabin in Northern Wisconsin. This past summer when I was up there I turned the corner and found it hanging in a new spot. I stopped and took time to think about Frank and my days photographing Ireland.
I spent years traveling Ireland and photographing the country and the characters I met. Those where the days of film. Some of it was b&w and some of it was infrared. It’s where I fell in love with photography.
My business at the time was creating customized tours of Ireland for small groups. I didn’t travel with many of the groups but there were a couple of photography workshops that I joined and facilitated. I met Frank on one of those workshops.
In Connemara at the time you could spend the afternoon on a Galway Hooker. For those who don’t know, a Galway Hooker is a traditional sailing boat that is indigenous to the west of Ireland. It’s a strong black wooden boat with beautiful red sails. Built originally to move turf from Connemara down the western coast of Ireland.
There was nothing modernized on the boat and the captain and crew spoke Gaelic as they hoisted those huge red sails. The experience was a complete throwback in time. And there were only 12 of us on board…..all with our cameras.
The weather was remarkable. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, it was warm and the wind was blowing.
I’m fairly confident that the captain and crew had no idea how many photographs would be taken of them that day. But they didn’t seem to mind. (That’s one thing I love about the Irish, they don’t stop and pose for images…..they just go about their business and pay no heed to what you are doing.)
The other thing about the Irish is that you never really know if they are telling you the truth. Frank had lived most of his adult life in Boston and was once a boxer. He had recently returned to his native Connemara. His tale went on to say that he nearly killed a man with his hands. I guess it doesn’t really matter if that was true or not. But every time I see this image I think of Frank and his boxing days.
I would love to what feelings or emotions come to mind for you when you see this image.
Be well….be creative,
It’s a remarkable image. I see a man with fierce determination, a bit of wisdom, a few miles on him. He’s going somewhere. But still, there is a sweetness that comes through it all in him. Thanks for sharing your story behind the image.
Thanks Steve, I love your insights. Frank is indeed a very sweet man…..and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting him.
I see a man who, like my own father and other Irishmen, embrace hard work because that’s the stuff of life itself, and so is joy. A man who embraces the everyday joys and losses because that’s why we live.
Hi Nancy, he is so unmistakingly Irish isn’t he. His eyebrows certainly remind me of my fathers:)
I remember seeing this piece when I had first heard about your work, I wondered if he was a relative of yours . I see a man that looks like he’s done a lot of living and still holds as much joy for life as he did when he was a child. I see strength and willfulness with a lot of humor and mischief mixed in. He looks like a man I would like to know.
Yeah, he is a great guy. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve seen him, but always enjoyed him.
I love this image too. I see a fighter taking on his next opponent, determining to outwit the ocean he now sails on.
What a great description Barb. Thank you.
If this is one of your early encaustic pieces there is no hope for me! Haha. It’s fabulous and I love how the encaustic really adds to the mystery of this man and the life he lives on the water. Could represent fog, mist, daydream haze, or getting lost in a well-spun nostalgic tale. Perfecto!
Thanks for your kind comment Susan. It’s so true, encaustic medium really does add to the mystery of a piece!
is this encaustic ? It is wonderful!
Yes Elizabeth. It’s an image mounted to the board so not my traditional tissue paper. But I still love it all the same:)
Beautiful image made even more evocative with the creative addition of encaustic
Thanks Donna…..appreciate your comment.
Clare, I love this image. The moment you look at it, you know there is a story behind it, and it leaves you wondering what it might be. That is what photography is all about. It’s not about getting that technically perfect image, its about creating emotion. Cheers Glenda
Thanks so much for the comment Glenda. I hope you are doing well. I was thinking about your spotted horse earlier today…..one of my favorite images from Eaton’s Ranch!
Love this image. I can sense emotion (and motion) and determination in it. It’s beautiful.
Hi Lisa. Thank you.