Keeper Solutions Launches New NFT to Mark an Incredible Year of Growth
Keeper Solutions proudly presents our second annual NFT, ‘Rounding Holy Island’.
The piece marks our commitment to innovation, creativity, and technology. Keeper Solutions wanted to mark a significant year of growth in a meaningful way, and a way in which we could share with our community.
This artwork was commissioned by our company founder, Stephen Walsh, so we could create a limited-edition digital collectible for friends of Keeper Solutions. A total of 200 editions were minted. The entire process has been an experimental one in that it finds a useful context for NFTs despite the widespread collapse in the value of cryptocurrency in 2022.
About ‘Rounding Holy Island’
Our first NFT ‘Rounding the Fastnet’ was created in 2021 to mark Keeper’s 10th year in business. Our second NFT continues with the maritime theme, this time on Ireland’s inland waterways.
Keeper’s 2022 NFT, ‘Rounding Holy Island’, features two historic artefacts associated with Lough Derg and the River Shannon in Ireland; the ancient Viking longboat and the clinker-built indigenous Shannon One Design which celebrated 100 years of existence in 2022.
Keeper’s Founder, Stephen Walsh, brought together Dublin-based artist, illustrator, and printmaker Tom Moore (known affectionately in the art world as Cereal Tom) along with poet/composer/musician Owen O’Súilleabháin to provide the soundtrack. Technical advice was provided by Keeper Solutions software developer, Danko Sacer.
Commenting on the NFT, Tom Moore had this to say;
“I had coincidentally just visited Lough Derg with my family when Stephen contacted me about the project. I was especially keen to be involved after he introduced me to the music of Owen and Moley Ó Súilleabháin.
After building the scene for some weeks, the guts of which until that point involved making as accurate a replica as possible of a Shannon One Design sailboat, I realised I was dissatisfied with my portrayal of the lake water with respect to the music. So, I sought an approach that reflected a lake’s capacity for more tranquil, glasslike water, with this change informing the look of everything that followed.”
Creating the Soundtrack for ‘Rounding Holy Island’
Musician Owen O’Súilleabháin was tasked with creating the soundtrack for the NFT, which runs for a total of 1 min 36 seconds.
It started with French horns. “When I heard that the Vikings were going to make an appearance I immediately said that I could hear the sound of French Horns. Stephen replied, “don’t forget the uilleann pipes!”
Owen then went to his father’s collection and a piece based on the old traditional Irish air ‘Bean Dubh An Ghleanna’ (Dark Woman of the Glen) emerged. He took samples from a full symphonic orchestral arrangement featuring the uilleann pipes playing the melody and also some saxophone and french horns. This, coupled with a filmic soundscape encapsulated the action.
The uilleann pipes (which are the characteristic national bagpipes of Ireland) announce the indigenous Shannon One Design boat emerging from behind Holy Island. Then with a great splash, the Viking long ship penetrates the scene heralded by the horns. At the close of the piece, the church bell rings in homage to the Celtic Christian monastic settlement on Holy Island. The great Round Tower is an icon of a golden age when Ireland was famed as the Isle of Saints and Scholars.
Stephen, Tom, and Owen’s vision for the piece is presented beautifully as a digital collectible, marking Keeper Solutions’ commitment to innovation, creativity, and technology, and their appreciation of the continued support from their community. Keeper has gifted this NFT to a tightknit group of friends, colleagues, partners and team members as we celebrate another amazing year in business. We thank you all for your continued support, creativity and hard work.
You can check out the full NFT here. We hope you enjoy it!
