Shamrock Inn by Wadsworth Jarrell depicts a mundane bar scene from an establishment in his neighborhood in Chicago. Painted in 1962 during a year of experimentation and following his graduation from the Art Institute of Chicago, Jarrell was working as a photographer and his canvases from this time are gritty, expressionist renderings of daily life. Depicting everyday instances of Chicago life, Jarrell captures the bar scene through swift brushstrokes and muted color pallets.

Inspired by theories learned in school and the influence of post-impressionism, during this time Jarrell would focus mostly on horse racing, jazz clubs, and bars; often bringing a sketchpad with him to such locations. He would often visit the Shamrock Inn during the day so as it sketch the bar when it was empty and quiet and then later at night to get a feel and taste of the atmosphere, soft lights and reflections. In Shamrock Inn, Jarrell is using a cubist approach, influenced by his instructor from the University of Chicago, Laura McKinnon. He utilizes color to depict movement and stability, exploring his imagination and creating the figures in the scene directly from his mind. These themes would recur throughout his career, with his palette evolving into the brighter and bolder color combinations later associated with AfriCOBRA.