COLERAINE and Derry player Ruairi Mooney has been putting his passion for painting to good use after embarking on a fundraiser that will see him produce 100 original pieces of artwork over 100 days in support of mental health charity AWARE NI.
The Portstewart native, currently in the thick of club championship action with Eoghan Rua, started the project six weeks ago and it will run right up until New Year’s Eve.
“I might have to allow myself some wriggle room on Christmas Day,” he laughs, “I don’t think it would look too good if I didn’t show my face until the evening.”
For each piece of art sold, Mooney is donating 10 per cent of the proceeds to AWARE. Now on day 34, “well over 20” have already been snapped up as he draws inspiration from the landscape around his home town and the north coast.
“Thankfully the response has been really good so far.
“Where I am, it’s so scenic. That’s why so much of what I’ve done so far has been based on Portstewart.
“I have always appreciated the natural surroundings here - I’m a big fan of the north coast, I could never see myself living anywhere else. It’s the perfect place, really. Still at this time of year, I would be in the water every day, then you’re going out for a walk, or driving down the road.
“There are so many places and things to take inspiration from.”
Still, 100 days is a considerable undertaking. Mooney understood the scale of the challenge when first approaching AWARE, and admits starting and finishing a piece inside a day over such a sustained period requires a huge amount of discipline.
“There’s a conspiracy theory among some of my team-mates and friends that I’ve got 100 pieces sitting in the back room here and I’m just popping them out, one at a time. I wish that was the case because it would save me a lot of stress.
“But no, I get up early - I’m fairly strict with my time – then I’ll sit down and decide what I’m going to paint. Honestly, I’m as busy as I’ve ever been. That’s the way I wanted it to be, I wanted to give it my full effort, and I’m probably painting 40-50 hours a week.
“I’m sort of treating it more like a craft now, rather than something I just do for fun, so it requires that bit more dedication. It can be frustrating as anything at times, there’s days I don’t feel like doing it, but you have to push against any resistance.”
With Derry’s Championship campaign coming to an early end at the hands of Donegal back at the start of July, Mooney has established a solid routine since the club season clicked into gear – and has found the worlds of painting and playing compatible thus far.
“It’s fitting in the same way as anybody with a job fits it in I suppose – I try and keep the painting as close to nine-to-five as possible, and the two of them are a nice balance really.
“For one I’m standing still in a room with nobody around me for eight hours, then I’m running around a pitch with 29 other players. I’m just enjoying playing away with my club, football and hurling, and we’re getting to the business end of the season now.
“Thankfully I’m injury-free and enjoying it. Hopefully it stays that way.”
Away from the field, though, Mooney is delighted to be able to channel his energy into something so worthwhile.
"I decided to do the 100 days of art as a way of challenging myself to be disciplined and develop my creativity and focus.
“Creating a different piece of work every day lets me share more of my art with people and develop my artistic style. I know AWARE's services are important but also particularly vital for those struggling throughout the pandemic.
“I feel very grateful to be able to use my passion for art to help a cause such as this. I have always loved creating art; I feel it is so important for people to have something in their lives that they feel passionate about, whether it is art, music, sport or whatever. These hobbies can be so important for your mental wellbeing; a chance to switch off and give yourself a break from stresses in your life.”
Margaret McCrossan, community and events fundraising officer at AWARE NI, said: "We want to wish Ruairi all the best for the rest of his 100 days of art challenge.
“We have been impressed by his talents with the pieces he has created to date. We're also very grateful for Ruairi's support to help us raise awareness and funds to allow us to continue to support those affected by mental illness here in Northern Ireland."
For information on AWARE NI's programmes and support, visit www.aware-ni.org, and to keep up to date with Ruairi Mooney’s 100 days of art challenge, check out his Instagram @artbymooney
