A tribute to sister pauline

I went to primary school in Saint Columbas deaf facility in Cork, Ireland. It was there that I started drawing as a child and the school nurtured that talent. I was told at a young age that due to the combination of of my autism and deafness, it was unlikely I would go on to 3rd level education. The teachers and my parents knew I was capable of more and supported me fully in encouraging my talent and helping me believe I could push those boundaries ( I later went on to do Animation in Saint Johns College but story is for another day).

One of the teachers I had in Saint Columbas was a very impactful lady named Sister Pauline. Sister Pauline sadly recently passed away and I wanted to pay tribute to her through art. A fitting tribute for some so supportive of my art. This particular portrait had a greater meaning for me so I spent 2 months working on perfecting a level of detail that really captured the essence of Sister Pauline. As it turns out my niece and nephew currently attend Saint Columbas primary school and word got back to the school of my work. I was honoured to be invited back to present this gift to the school at an assembly where we not only got to pay respects to Sister Pauline but I was touched by the kind words about my work and my time there. It was particualrly special for me to have my parents, sister and niece there for this presentation and I’m pleased that this tribute is on display in the school and am sure that Sister Pauline would be proud of this work.