Last Name
Ryan
First Name
Mai
Place of Birth
Ireland
Member since
01.03.2001
Date of birth
12.05.1950
Technique
Mouth painter
About Mai
Growing up on a farm near Cashel with two brothers Mai had an idyllic childhood, loving the rural landscape about her. After secondary school she trained as a nurse in Dublin and then returned to her home town to complete her course and qualify in general nursing. Her plan was to return to Dublin to train as a maternity nurse.
But on the bitterly cold night of January 12th 1976 Mai’s plans came to an abrupt end. A tragic accident when the car she was travelling in skidded on a patch of frozen sugar beet which had fallen from a lorry left Mai with a broken neck and paralysed from the neck down.
After a period of rehabilitation Mai lived for some years with family members until 1990 when she moved to St Mary’s Hospital in Phoenix Park.
It was the casual words of a nurse here that led her to a new career – her boyfriend taught art and maybe Mai would like to attend some of his classes.
After a year Mai had learned the technique of painting with a brush held in the mouth. A further course of lectures in Dun Laoghaire with teachers from the National College of Art helped her become more proficient and for three years Mai had the use of a studio in Temple Bar.
In the year 2000 a friend who received an MFPA Christmas card told Mai about it and before long Mai had her work assessed and became a member of the Association.
Mai mostly painted landscapes inspired by her surroundings in the park.
Sadly, Mai passed away in September 2020 after a short illness.