Tom Gallahue

Nina Simone - Revolution

2012-01-27T11:46:00.001Z

Friday Tunes - First of a regular feature - Friday tunes that i'm listening to, inspiring me, or just making me happy!!

Nina simone - Revolution

Old Big Nose

2012-01-26T11:17:00.000Z

Magazine Advert

2012-01-26T09:35:00.000Z

I was asked by the owner of Casa Rebelde - an amazing football shop selling retro tops, t-shirts, book and magazines in Temple Bar in Dublin to create an advert for The Blizzard magazine.

To visit Casa Rebelde Shop go to: http://www.casarebelde.com/

To visit Blizzard Magazine go to: http://www.theblizzard.co.uk/

The Next Piece

2012-01-24T13:47:00.001Z

So - I'm planning my next painting (I will often try and work out any bits and bobs virtually first) - and I think I'm happy with it - but you never can totally be happy until its there in front of you.

Its a work that tries to look the layers and space of a memory/place/time - hence the working the way through the piece from the photo, through the colourful shapes to the ghostly figure.

Would really appreciate any thoughts or feedback - please feel free to comment below!

When Róisín Met Alice!

2012-01-22T05:36:00.000Z

Not a cheesy 80's movie - but when my daughter met her great aunt Alice this summer.

Alice reminds me so much of my Dad, and it was lovely to see Róisín outside the original home place in the Glen with her.

Home Sweet Home

2012-01-20T18:14:00.005Z

This is a view of Slieve na Muck Mountain from the back of the original home place in the Glen of Aherlow, Co Tipperary. We visited my lovely family there this summer and I took this photo - one of my favorite views ever.
Its quite a poignant place for me - My Da had a heart attack while working in the field when I was just a nipper - thankfully he survived a good few years after it, but we would go into the field each year after that and have a quite moment together - and think about what could have been.

The Waving Man

2012-01-20T10:29:00.004Z

Sometimes - all we need is for someone to wave and say hello!

Happy friday peeps!

The bearded lady...

2011-12-12T14:58:00.003Z

...Nothing says Xmas like a bearded lady! :P

The Sisters

2011-03-22T09:39:00.002Z

Having been laid up with flu and flat out with work, I've not been able to post for a while, so heres one of the latest finished pieces... the sisters.

PRESS: Interview in The Irish Post

2010-09-17T16:12:00.002+01:00

Logo Design: Modern Mummy

2010-09-17T16:05:00.003+01:00

This is a new logo I've been working on for a good friend of mines new website and blog site.

Katy has been working really hard on 'Modern Mummy'and I've been delighted to help in a small way!

Logo Design: Blossom Ireland

2010-09-17T16:01:00.003+01:00

I’m currently working on a logo for a new Irish Charity called Blossom Ireland.

They will be helping Special Needs children all over Dublin, giving Parents of Special Needs Children and their siblings much needed rest bites.

The charity is in the early stages of development, but I would encourage everyone to support them in their work.

AWARD: Irish Artist of the Month

2010-09-17T15:53:00.002+01:00

I was recently named Irish Artist of the Month by The London Irish Center, London.

It was good of Gary Dunne – the Artistic Director at LIC to give me the good news.

Its a huge honor – many thanks to all at LIC!

Back Again!

2010-09-17T15:47:00.002+01:00

Been away for a while – been mad busy with work and other stuff!

The BEST this to happen since my last post was the birth of my baby daughter – Róisín Grace Gallahue – she’s a little stunner... even if I say so myself! :)

More info of recent commissions and news to come!

New Tommy Burns Banner for the CSC

2010-02-23T18:12:00.002Z

Recent CSC Posters

2010-02-23T18:09:00.005Z

Hayes Bhoys CSC Challenge Cup Artwork

2010-02-23T09:03:00.000Z

Only Our Rivers Run Free Water Labels

2010-02-22T18:52:00.001Z

Label Designs for the Campaign for a United Ireland based in Dublin. If you would like more info about the campaign or the water please write to: 58 Parnell Square, Dublin 1, Ireland.

The Big Shindig Artwork

2010-02-22T18:05:00.002Z

Londons BIGGEST and BEST St. Patricks Day Party in 2010 - for more info and tickets go to: http://www.thebigshindig.com/

Boots or No Boots Album Artwork

2010-02-22T17:55:00.000Z

Irish Londoner Campaign Poster

2010-02-22T17:41:00.001Z

Irish Londoner Single Artwork

2010-02-22T17:39:00.002Z

Francis the Octo-boy

2010-01-07T16:49:00.002Z

First Character Design of 2010! :)

The King of Kilburn Canvas

2009-12-14T14:42:00.004Z

As promised in an earlier post - here are some pictures of the King of Kilburn Canvas.

T

My Interview with Wild Rover Clothing NYC

2009-12-11T06:58:00.004Z

I was recently interviewed by New York based Design and Clothing Company 'Wild Rover'.

To see the interview in full - please click the link below! :)

T

http://www.wildroverclothing.com/2009/12/just-a-wee-taste-with-tom-gallahue/

A Bad Day on the Site

2009-12-04T20:29:00.000Z

Fear of Long Words

2009-12-03T23:18:00.000Z

It was All Yellow!

2009-12-02T23:03:00.002Z

As the song says - IT WAS ALL YELLOW!

With a massive 65% you guys voted for the yellow day of the dead image.

A big thank you to everyone who voted - rest assured - the blue image has been deleted! :)

More voting fun to come! :)

T

Fear of Belly Buttons

2009-12-01T21:59:00.000Z

Fear of Objects on the Right Side of the Body

2009-11-30T21:04:00.000Z

WIWT Project - 27/11/09

2009-11-27T20:40:00.001Z

http://www.flickr.com/groups/whatiworetodaydrawings/

Son's of Erin - Guardians of NYC

2009-11-26T20:51:00.002Z

For my new mate Michael Bermingham and the other bhoys in NYC! :)

Which Day of the Dead Image Do You Prefer???

2009-11-25T20:09:00.002Z

Ok - so here it is - I've been working on this Day of the Dead image for the last few days, and its doing my head in!!! I've finally struggled to create these 2 - but cant decide which i prefer!

I need your help to decide - vote for the design you prefer - the design that receives the least amount of votes will be deleted on Wed 2nd Dec... Gone forever!!!

SO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE ON THE RIGHT OF YOUR SCREEN NOW!!!!!

If youre not too sure what Day of the Dead is:

The Day of the Dead (El Día de los Muertos in Spanish) is a Mexican and Mexican-American celebration of deceased ancestors which occurs on November 1 and November 2, coinciding with the similar Roman Catholic celebrations of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.

While it is primarily viewed as a Mexican holiday, it is also celebrated in communities in the United States with large populations of Mexican-Americans, and to a lesser extent elsewhere in Latin America.

Despite the morbid subject matter, this holiday is celebrated joyfully, and though it occurs at the same time as Halloween, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day, the mood of The Day of the Dead is much lighter, with the emphasis on celebrating and honoring the lives of the deceased, rather than fearing evil or malevolent spirits.

The Thinker

2009-11-24T21:46:00.001Z

My New Hearing Aids!

2009-11-23T20:11:00.003Z

I got my new hearing aids today - thought I was just going for a fitting/measuring appointment, but ended up leaving with 2 brand new digital aids!

So far so good... seem to be making all the difference! :)

What I Wore Today Project

2009-11-23T19:03:00.000Z

Another little illustration for Gemma Correll's fun project 'What I Wore Today'.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/whatiworetodaydrawings/

Fabric / Hoodie Design - 'A Taste of Home'

2009-11-21T16:32:00.004Z

A fabric/hoodie design called 'A Taste of Home', comprising of:

Tayto Crisps, Celtic Shirt, Tin Whistle, Harp, Pint of Guinness, Chef Sauce, GAA Football, Hurl, Sliotar, Claddagh Ring, Map of Ireland, Celtic Knotwork, Barrys Tea, Club Orange, National Flag and Shamrock.

What I Wore Today Project

2009-11-20T17:39:00.001Z

A little illustration for Gemma Correll's fun project 'What I Wore Today'.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/whatiworetodaydrawings/

Ronan MacManus Debut Solo Album Artwork

2009-11-20T07:46:00.002Z

http://www.myspace.com/rmacmanus

Above is a sneak look at the album artwork from Singer/Songwriter Ronan MacManus. Ronan has just finished recording his debut solo album. 'Strawberry Hill'.

I will post the full artwork when the album goes into production - and explain the story behind the images - but for now - I hope you like the cover.

Please log onto http://www.myspace.com/rmacmanus and listen to some of the unfinished tracks.

Tom

A Bloody Flight of Earls

2009-11-18T19:49:00.003Z

This was inspired by the lyrics of the following song:

Flight of Earls, The Wolfe Tones

I can hear the bells of Dublin
in this lonely waiting room
And the paperboys are singin'
in the rain
Not too long before they take us
to the airport and the noise
To get on board
a transatlantic plane
We've got nothin' left to stay for,
We had no more left to say
And there isn't any work for us to do
So farewell ye boys and girls;
Another bloody Flight of Earls
Our best asset is our best export, too.

It's not murder, fear or famine
that makes us leave this time
We're not going to join
McAlpine's Fusileers
We've got brains, and we've got visions; we've got education, too!
But we just can't throw away
these precious years
So we walk the streets of London,
And the streets of Baltimore
And we meet at night
in several Boston bars
We're the leaders of the future
But we're far away from home
And we dream of you
beneath the Irish stars

As we look on Ellis Island,
and the Lady in the bay
And Manhattan turns to face
another Sunday
We just wonder what you're doing
to bring us all back home
As we look forward to another Monday
Because it's not the work
that scares us
We don't mind an honest job
And we know things will get better
once again
So a thousand times adieu,
fuck Bono and U2
All we're missin'
is the Guinness, and the rain

So switch off your new computers
with their facebook and bebo
We're leaving as our fathers did before
Take a look at Dublin airport, or the boat that leaves North Wall
There'll be no Youth Unemployment
any more
Because we're over here in Queensland,
And in parts of New South Wales
We're on the seas and airways
and the trains
But if we see better days,
Those big airplanes go both ways
And we'll all be comin' back to you again!

Boots or No Boots Artwork.

2009-11-18T10:03:00.001Z

This is the eagerly awaited second album from The BibleCode Sundays, released 25 May 07, (40th anniversary of the lisbon lions) through the bands website. The band was keen to have the same graphic look to the second album artwork as was in the Debut Album ‘Ghosts of Our Past’.

The title ‘Boots or No Boots’ refers to the work ethic of the Irish workers who helped to build huge areas of London. The Album artwork shows a group of workers in the foreground with the London skyline in the background seeming to rise from the earth they are working.

The lead singer of the BCS boys revealed live on Diverse 102.8 FM yesterday evening that the band have signed a deal that will see the Album released in the coming months through Scarlet Records.

Until then the album is available for download from the bands website: www.thebiblecodesundays.com

Ghosts of Our Past Album Artwork.

2009-11-18T10:00:00.003Z

The debut album artwork for The BibleCode Sundays was originally released in by the band in 2006. The original brief was to work from the title track and develop a look that would reflect the bands London Irish Roots.

I found an image of an old man with a pint, staring off into the distance – this seemed very poignant when coupled with the title of the album. He was faded to become almost see through – becoming a ghost himself. It speaks of places like Hammersmith (which is in the background of the cover), Shepherds Bush, Cricklewood, Kilburn etc that were huge Irish communities of migrant workers moving to London to send money home, or to start new lives. That generation has since died off, or moved home or out to other locations, yet the ghosts of those people live on through our generation.

The album was released in America in 2009 through Cosmic Trigger Records, and as a consequence the artwork was given a rework – this is the artwork seen above.

This album is available as a download from the bands website: www.thebiblecodesundays.com and from Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ghosts-Past-Bible-Code-Sundays/dp/B001CW7LW0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1258535617&sr=8-1

The King of Kilburn

2009-11-17T09:52:00.000Z

Above is a fairly new illustration entitled – ‘The King of Kilburn’. The inspiration for this image came from a number of different places.

Firstly, one of the reoccurring themes that pop up in my work is the focus of the Irish that came to London in the 1950’s & 60’s, their treatment, the lives they led and how they managed to survive. Both my parents were part of that mass emigration for work, so it’s a subject that is close to my heart.

I often heard stories from them, and other members of the family that made it across the water, about the poor conditions they both lived and worked in. The ‘King of Kilburn’ is trying to make the statement that even though this character was seen and treated by society at the time as a second class citizen, his roll as a Hot Asphalt Man gave him the opportunity to physically rise above the daily grind and constraints and affords him the opportunity to look over the roof tops while enjoying a cup of tea – making him feel like king of all he surveys.

It also is in stark contrast to the vast majority of people that moved to the cities from rural Ireland. My father would have looked out on forests and the Galtee Mountains as a boy growing up – he than found himself looking over the ever expanding city of London – it must have been a huge shock to the system for many of them.

Another source of inspiration was the song ‘The Hot Asphalt’ – an Irish Folk song, sung by among others Damien Dempsy. ( to check out a live version click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9Jj0F6VWRQ ). This seemed to sum up everything I wanted to say in the Illustration.

I’m currently working on a painted canvas version of this image – I’ll post pics when it’s completed.

Welcome

2009-11-17T09:21:00.000Z

So. I’m officially here. In the blog-o’sphere. Finally.

I struggled with what would be the first official post. It should be prolific after all this time, right? Grand in nature. Broad in scope… and then I thought – sod it – just introduce yourself!

So - my full name is Thomas John Gallahue – 2nd Generation Irish – living in West London. I was brought up in a fiercely proud Irish house hold – full of Faith, Gaa Sports, Music and family. All of these things have slowly seeped into the art that I create.

I gained a BA Hons Degree from Central St. Martins college and currently work as an Art Teacher in a Secondary School, as well as creating Art / Illustrations for a number of clients in the UK and Ireland. I’m married to an amazing woman who is incredibly supportive of what I do – as well as being my soundboard and chief reviewer! I still live in West London – with aspirations of living back home in Ireland… one day!

There will be no shortage of passion in this blog. Sometimes you may agree with me, sometimes not. I want to hear from you. Anytime and all the time.

So, there you have it. My little introduction to the blog-o’sphere. I want to use this space to record my thoughts, unveil new pieces of work, and comment on things that matter to me. If you have questions or comments, please ask!

Tom