Eilidh Carrigan

My Celtic Sketchbook

Elizabeth — Sat, 20 Sep 2014 19:21:31 +0000

Celtic Doorstop; The Secret Life of Walter Kitty

Elizabeth — Sat, 20 Sep 2014 19:15:23 +0000

This is a doorstop idea that I had based on my painting, The Secret Life of Walter Kitty.

Celtic Pottery Tiles

Elizabeth — Sat, 20 Sep 2014 18:47:04 +0000

A Male embellished upon from a dover celtic book, on a pottery tile.

Trying to Sing Again

Elizabeth — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 00:20:16 +0000

For nearly 5 years since my stroke, I have been trying to sing again. Exhaustion has played a huge role in not being able to even think about it. But over the summer, we had a little party and invited some musicians to come and play, as well as some friends to come and listen and it was wonderful…..mostly! I was so tired afterward!

Eilidh (Elizabeth) singing for friends.

In the Old Days

Elizabeth — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 00:12:02 +0000

In the old days, I sang with a duo called Awen. It was comprised of the two of us, Kevin Reams and myself. We performed quite alot….coffeehouses, pubs, bars. We opened for a few people such as Aoife Clancy at the(now closed) Inn at the Grey Goose, Cormac McCarthy at the Kennebunk Coffeehouse, and we also played at the Highland Games at Lake Champlain. But, my favorite act we opened for is Dick Gaughan at the Inn on the Blues for a concert put on by the Seacoast Guitar Society.

Kevin Reams, myself and Dick Gaughan before the show.

Dick Gaughan playing and singing at the show.

Dick Gaughan with myself, invited up to sing another song….Song for Ireland.

First Concert in 5 Years

Elizabeth — Wed, 28 May 2014 17:46:13 +0000

Here are excerpts from my show at Kremples Center

After 5 years, I found myself able to sing again! I have many things that impinge on my singing ability in regard to my sight, my hearing, my exhaustion, my attention and more. My ability to take a deep breath is kind of slow, but lately it has improved. I still need to read the lyrics off of the page. It seems I can glance at a few lines and remember them, but very quickly my brain heads toward nothingness. I know that is hard to comprehend, and would be a welcomed situation if it wasn’t for wanting so much to remember by heart the words that I once knew so incredibly well. Oh, well. Just after the stroke, one of my doctors said that he expected me to regain most of the brain power that I had lost….I am counting on that. That is what keeps me pushing so hard. Even so, I am grateful to have come so very far as I have.

Krempel’s Center is a place in Portsmouth, Nh, that caters to people with all types of brain injury. I haven’t been able to make use of it so much because I have a young daughter, but the work and community that is built there has a tremendous amount of merit. I am very proud to have performed my first concert there since my stroke. Most humble thanks to Jenny Freeman, who works there, and hired me to sing for the people at Krempel’s Center. After the performance, Jenny said that they would love to have me back to perform again, and so I am planning a return visit sometime after the first of the year.

My mother, whose stories can be heard on this website, always wished that her performances were recorded. It is because of this that I decided to record this performance (even though my voice isn’t what it was or could be- perhaps you can hear me gasping for air and clamoring for a shred of energy) . Regardless- I want my children and grandchildren to be able to hear me sing!

I was accompanied by our friend and local musician and recording engineer, Jim Prendergast (Mill Pond Studios), who also plays (and sings) with my husband, Steve’s band, Great Bay Sailor.

I hope you enjoy this show!

What have they done to my song

Part 2:

Tiger Mask

Elizabeth — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 23:49:18 +0000

Art therapy yields Grrreat Result

This is the first time I have written on this site, and the first time I have written publicly about my stroke. It is the first of many blog posts, and I am immensely grateful to anyone who would take the time to read it.

Speaking of firsts, since the stroke 3 years ago, I decided to try painting on pottery to try and rehabilitate my right hand. It was so slow and frustrating, but it is paying off, as you can see from the photos of my Tiger Mask that I completed after 2 years of painting on tiles and other pieces. It took me many, many, many hours to paint, but it was worth it!

If you care to see this for real, it is on display at Firefly Pottery in Portsmouth Nh. http://fireflypottery.net

There has been quite a lot of improvement on many things, and I look forward to keeping you posted on how I’m doing and how the recovery is going. Thanks for reading!