Art for Anniversaries / Painter Lola Donoghue

March 4, 2014

green abstract painting lola donoghue

For wedding anniversaries, Michael and I have never really given each other presents. Neither of us usually feel like we really need anything, so we usually go for a hike or go out to dinner. But this year I realized I would actually like to have a few special things that one day I could tell my kids or grandkids about and share the story of that anniversary with them. And one day we would get to leave those special things to my kids or grandkids.

So shortly after our anniversary, I had a brilliant idea. Each anniversary, let’s invest in a piece of art! Doesn’t that sound kind of amazing – building an art collection one year at a time. And it gives us a whole year to look around or earmark articles about local artists we like, and to make a decision together on which piece it will be.   etsyfeaturedshop-art-loladonoghue-etsyinternational-etsyireland-01a

The only problem? We’ve already found an artist we want to invest in and we still have to wait another six months! Lola Donoghue is an artist based in Galway and we’re pretty smitten with her breezy abstract paintings already.  etsyfeaturedshop-art-loladonoghue-etsyinternational-etsyireland-003

Lola was featured on the Etsy blog, so we got to know a little bit about her artistic process and were hooked straight away!

“My paintings are captured moments of past experiences. However, when I begin, I never know what the finished piece will look like. The initial trigger is merely a springboard for my imagination; a vehicle for my creative urges. It is an emerging process. As the work unfolds, I may discover something by accident, which in turn dictates the direction of the piece. A representational piece usually ends up in total abstraction.”  etsyfeaturedshop-art-loladonoghue-etsyinternational-etsyireland-004

Michael especially likes the darker pieces, and I was leaning toward the lighter ones, so I think we’ll spend the next six months trying to choose one!

So, the countdown to our anniversary begins! You can find Lola’s artwork in her shop on Etsy!

5 Comments

  • Reply Aimee March 4, 2014 at 11:42 pm

    I love this idea and my husband and I are always saying we should collect art instead of taking the more traditional route of gift giving, but always forget. The first painting above the couch is my favorite – so beautiful!
    (Not sure how I found your blog, but I love Ireland (I visited for the first time last November) and I’m moving to Maine in the summer! I’ve enjoyed reading through your past entries!)

  • Reply Mary Catherine Boyle March 5, 2014 at 5:40 pm

    That’s a wonderful idea, Emily. You will also chronicle your own evolving tastes and document a history of your lives together.

  • Reply Happy Friday! | From China VillageFrom China Village March 14, 2014 at 9:38 pm

    […] week was yet another whirlwind week, filled with three photo shoots (including one at Lola Donoghue’s house, one on the streets of Dublin’s Creative Quarter, and one at a sushi bar in […]

  • Reply What You Should Do This Weekend: RHA Annual Exhibit | From China VillageFrom China Village May 30, 2014 at 9:45 pm

    […] artists are up and coming. So right! I want to bring Michael back to do a little research for our anniversary gift later this summer. He’ll be easily persuaded, in part because he enjoys the RHA, but also […]

  • Reply Art for Anniversaries / Annual Search - From China Village August 4, 2015 at 2:18 pm

    […] cliffs or dinner in town. We have no plans this year, but we’re continuing our relatively new tradition of finding a piece of artwork to add to our collection in honor of our annivesary. It’s our […]

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