“From Creation to Demolition: My First Art Job”

A Baptism of Fire: My First Job as an Artist

Hi, I’m Fran, and I’ve been a full-time artist for the past twenty years. Saying that out loud makes me feel old—but what a journey it’s been!

My very first paid job as an artist was unforgettable. Fresh out of college at 22, I had no idea how I’d make a living. Then a friend, a tiler with a creative streak, asked if I wanted to sketch a mosaic for the ceiling of a bar in Castleknock, Dublin. I jumped at the chance. Inspired by Celtic mythology, I created a modern take on traditional Irish designs—and everyone loved it. Up it went, 100 square meters on the ceiling! Leonardo da Vinci, eat your heart out.

Mosaicking a ceiling was a baptism of fire. The design had to be drawn upside-down and perfectly symmetrical. We smashed each tile by hand and stuck them into place. Weeks of scaffolding, adhesive, broken tiles, and sore, bruised hands later, it was done. Exhausting, tricky, exhilarating—it was everything I could have hoped for in a first job.

So when I found out the mosaic would be demolished along with the bar to make way for apartments, I felt a pang of sadness. That piece will always hold a warm spot in my heart. It set me on my path as a self-employed artist and taught me what it truly means to create something lasting—even if, sometimes, the world doesn’t keep it.

#art #mosaicart #modern #technique