FEATURE// GERARD DEVLIN
GETTING CREATIVE DURING LOCKDOWN GERARD DEVLIN
ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO I thought I had all I needed. Wonderful family, loving partner, beautiful, detached house, great job and a lovely car. After a sequence of events too much to explain here but a snowball effect meant I lost everything but what I learned then I still had my family who have been my rock. After moving back home to my parents in Magherafelt. After a year I felt a little trapped. Was a cycle of work home dinner bed then all over again! So, I thought I need to change this. Started travelling on my own, of which I got a bug for. I’ve been to many many places but then one day I decided I liked this one place so much I thought I could call it home and that was Benidorm. I met a guy and that made the move easier. Though we did split after about a year and I have virtually been on my own since. And for the first time since coming out I have begun to appreciate myself as a person. So, all was going OK. Not the dream life of living in the sun that everyone thinks. Same life struggles but at least the sun shines more. Then an opportunity came up for me to open my own bar, this was something that I had always wanted to do. Something for me to put my heart and soul into and to be proud of. So, I jumped at the chance and began preparations to refurbish the premises so that I could be ready to trade as soon as I officially signed. And boy it was a stroke of luck for me in the end that this had been unintentionally delayed by a month cause along comes the dreaded C word. I have since come to realise and appreciate that there is a bigger C word that many many millions of people and families must deal with daily. Nonetheless, life as we all knew it was put on hold, mainly from the effects of the major lockdown. Living on my own and not being allowed out only for essential shopping once a week. I must admit to struggling with the loneliness. During my process of decorating the bar.
FIFTY // GNIMAG.COM
That incidentally fell through in the end being a victim of the restrictions that are currently in place, I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for. So, I thought I’ll get a blank canvass and paint what I had in my head. I done a few then before the lockdown but was during the lockdown that I really got into it. Ordering my paints and canvases from Amazon and just kept painting. As you can see the theme being rainbow pride colours behind silhouettes but was more a splash of happiness in some of my darkest days of lockdown. It was shortly after lockdown when I then showed some friends what I had been up too, I got such positive feedback that I realised that maybe I can share these with other people and maybe also try and make some sort of a living which is where I am now. I get asked sometimes who my inspiration is, I would like to say particular artist names but to be honest it’s actually just life itself. I think it has been the lockdown that has brought my talent to the front that I have never really had any confidence in. I have decided to follow on this theme but also can adapt to any colour scheme that is required. I have just completed two paintings for a local bar/restaurant that you will see here. And have also agreed a space for displaying my work in the local area. If you would like something individual and unique to hang at home or business contact me with your requirements or ideas and I will produce a piece specifically to your needs. No two paintings will be the same. Contact me on Facebook at DevArt or my own page Gerard Devlin.
