Featuring one of the most popular and beloved Irish prayers of all time this lovely print is waiting to be a perfect gift for a special friend or hang on your own walls. Effortlessly flowing knots, rich greens, soft blues, and brilliant golds evoke the feeling of rolling hills, rushing water, and storm swept skies of the Celtic homelands.

The prayer reads:

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
The rains fall soft upon your fields, and
Until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of
His hand.
Traditional Irish Blessing

Designs for this piece are rich with history spanning hundreds of years. The outermost knots are adapted from knot work found in the 7th century Book of Durrow. I developed the script from a combination of traditional Celtic style letters and text found in an 8th century Gospel of St. Matthew. The base design for the corner knots were taken from a 9th century border and changed to fit the overall scroll theme of the knot work in the piece.

The original piece was painted in fresh egg tempera hand ground with the finest Kremer pigments and 24k gold leaf adorning the corner knots and capital "M" .

Original measures 20in x 16in

This piece was created on Pergamenata, a specialty paper that mimics the look and feel of animal skin vellum. Like vellum it is hydrophobic and reacts to moisture in paint, ink, and air by wrinkling. This is not a defect, rather it adds to the character of the piece. This subtle rippling effect shows up in scans of the piece and will thus be duplicated in the prints. (Prints are 100% flat and it does not effect the framing .)

***UNLESS OTHERWISE REQUESTED*** All my prints are printed with an extra 1/2" border for easy matting and handling. Leave a note at checkout if you do not want this border.

To add 24k gold leaf see this listing:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/583157926/gilded-irish-blessing-celtic-wall-art?ref=shop_home_active_13&frs=1

For Personalization see this listing: https://www.etsy.com/listing/546589879/personalized-irish-blessing-may-the-road


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When it comes to the world of art reproduction not all prints are created equal. You truly do get what you pay for. Here is what you get when you order a print from my shop.

The Company
I do all my printing through a professional print company that specializes in giclee fine art reproductions; in fact it is all they do.

What is a Giclee Print?
Giclee is a special blend of science and art that is perfectly suited for delicate printing jobs where color accuracy and attention to detail are crucial. Prints are usually produced one at a time, as the process is painstakingly slow. Compare this to other printing styles such as lithography, which are mass-produced on high-speed presses.

The inks
The inks are archival grade and fade resistant. The advanced color management technology used in the print process allows for a large color range so that every print has vibrant true-to-life colors. (Sometimes they even look nicer than the originals!) With the proper care your print will stay bright and beautiful for generations.

The Paper
Giclee printers are able to handle thicker papers than traditional printers. This ability opens up a wide variety of lovely papers to choose from such as heavy weight watercolor paper, or even canvas. The paper I have chosen for most of my works is a nice balance of quality and affordability. It is an acid free, archival quality, heavy weight (230 g, 9.5-mil) paper with a smooth matte surface.

***Most of my art is completely customizable. Convo me if you are interested in having a print made on a different type of paper***