Handy if the house burns down

Got a very nice invitation recently to donate some piccies to the permanent illustration and cartoon archive at the National Library of Ireland.
Here's their blog about how I came to be (sort of) obsessed with poets : http://www.nli.ie/blog/index.php/2012/02/10/yeats-in-love-joyce-skateboards-and-dreamboat-laureate/

Ireland, 2010

This is us, now, Ireland, in the twenty-first century, 30th March 2010.
I may send this to Brian Lenihan later.

The Genius switch

Contrary to widely held belief, there IS in fact an "OFF" position on the Genius switch.
And Mary Coughlan has found it.

Room to Roam remastered

The remastered Room to Roam is out now. Cover by Mrs. West, unless you believe what they say in Wikipedia.
Get it here: www.mikescottwaterboys.com

Galway Exhibition

The next exhibition opens at the Bold Art Gallery St. Augustine St., Galway at 6pm on July 15th. Everybody is welcome and the show will be opened by the effervescent Ms. Sharon Shannon.

"Anthoneeeeeeeeeeeee!!!"

Sligo Rugby Club presented Anthony Foley with a specially commissioned Illustration the other week; this was not an easy piccy to execute but I think it worked out OK. It features various elements including family, children, Heineken Cup,Caps and Wasps as well as a thick volume on the shelf titled "Why I love Anthony by Gerry Thornley: Volume 1 of 66"
(I`m the short one on the right)

Exhibition news

The new work for 2008 is ready and will be showing in the following venues:
June 5th opening at Gallery Zozimus, Francis St. Dublin www.galleryzozimus.ie
This is a group exhibition with Kevin McSherry and Fintan Taite and will be opened by Sam Smyth.

July 15th Bold Art Gallery Galway during the Galway Arts Festival www.boldartgallery.com
July 26th Hawk`s Well Theatre Sligo during the Yeats Summer School www.hawkswell.com
August 5th Mill Theatre Dundrum Town Centre Dublin www.milltheatre.com
To preview or buy prints please visit www.anniewest.com/shop.php

The Ligind that is Peter Stringer

Peter Stringer launched Moxie the Underdog on Saturday- waived his fee and instead asked us to make a donation to the Children`s Leukaemia Research Trust.For more info please visit www.clrpireland.com.
The guy is just a wonderful decent polite charming handsome modest talented and fabulous human being.

Moxie The Underdog launch in Galway

Moxie the Underdog will be launched in Easons Galway at 11 am on Saturday March 29th. Peter Stringer, Ireland scrum half and Munster "Ligind" will be there to do the honours, meet the kids and sign autographs.
I will be there also.

Na Dódaí nominated for Celtic Film Festival Award

Children`s TV programme Na Dódaí has been nominated for best Educational programme in the Celtic Film Festival.
The programme is in Irish and produced by Imagine Media and BBC Northern Ireland, featuring storybook Illustrations by yours truly.

Yeats in Love

"Yeats in Love" opens at the 101 Talbot, Dublin. A series of limited edition prints depicting Yeats as a nerdy, whiny, lovesick poet who allegedly proposed to Maud Gonne at least four times before throwing in the towel and waiting until her daughter was old enough to try for. Eeeeu.
Senator David Norris was the guest of honour and delivered a ripping speech, confirming nearly all of the not very charitable opinions I have had about Yeats, Lissadell and all of it. It is reassuring to know that it is unlikely I will be escorted to the boundary of Sligo County with my backside on fire for daring to show Yeats in this way. Ambassador Tom Foley attended complete with "a bit of Security"; my son Bob rushed over to me in the middle of proceedings and announced "Mum! There`s guys outside packin`heat!". Just what you need really at an exhibition opening.
The exhibition later in the Summer moved Northwest to Sligo where Michael D. Higgins TD delivered another cracking opening speech and left many students of the Yeats Summer School in stitches; quite an achievement.
I still wonder about the whole Yeats and Sligo thing: he wasn`t born here, he didn`t live here... and we all know he isn`t buried here. The skinny around Drumcliffe at the burial was that it was just some poor French soldier.