I’ve been lurking around the graveyard again, but only to say a few prayers for the dead souls buried there and capture the stonework of some of the crosses. This one caught my eye in particular for its detail on a beautiful frosty morning last year.   I think you might agree it must have taken the stone mason an incredible amount of time and patience. I can’t look at this cross without stepping closer to look at the detail and it makes me think about  my own Celtic connections.  My Irish ancestors, you could say, are like the knotwork of this cross: their history intricately woven and set in stone.  Their feet have walked this land, and though their footsteps have been worn away their path has been tread into the memory of the land.  Their hands have toiled, the fruits of their labour only enjoyed in their lifetime, but their efforts were not forgotten.  Their lives have been and will sadly never be again. Death has silenced their voices forever. Or has it?

Now, years later, new feet walk this green land and dance to a different jig.  A new but familiar blood flows and a new voice sings the Irish songs they knew so well.  There are no whispers on this Irish breeze to tell me if there were other artists in the family from a time long ago but maybe there is something in me that was a part of them and that might be the clue.  I have to wonder on as I make my way back to the car.

Coloured Pencil

You’re probably wondering two things:  firstly where is her left arm…and secondly how DO those shells stay on!

Her arms turn into seaweed…but as for the shells…your mind will have to boggle. I like the idea of doing a few figurative pieces and to support his would love to attend life classes, if only there were any in my area! This however, was something fun straight out of the imagination which is why it isn’t proportionally perfect.  Oh, the seashells weren’t from my head. I had a thing for drawing seashells at the time so they were little studies to frame the image with. I’d like to do her again. What do you think?

I sometime feel as if I am on a journey of sorts, to seek out happiness. We all are. In doing so I’ve given some thought to the kind of things which make other people happy. We’re all different after all, and come from all walks of life and have different ideas of happiness. Perhaps your happiness is rooted in something like this Aston Martin DB9 – symbolising power, status and James Bond.

Or this Yacht which might symbolise freedom out on the waves – the sound of the wind flapping through its sails, feel the splash of sea salt as it hits the deck. (Sorry had to get at least one of my paintings into this post!)

Or it might be when you eat a wonderfully indulgent chocolate dessert…yummy. To hell with the calories!

Or feel the soft fur and hear the contented purr of a cherished family pet..

It might be to get out for a rigorous, but refreshing cliff walk with the family one sunday afternoon, enjoying the scenery around you, like here in Kilkee, County Clare.

(Painting by Ralph Goings)

Or it might be to just spend time with a friend over coffee, catching up on times past and putting the world to rights.

Or it might be to simply paint…

Art is a wonderful way to find peace and calm in the midst of hectic life. I cherish when I can sit and paint and I get enjoyment from watching my students painting too.

Discover the Artist Within workshops run again on Wedsnesday 17th/Thursday 18th Feb (10.30am – 2pm). Kilrush Community Centre. Book ahead to secure place. Contact me by email. All welcome.

(Photo of chocolate dessert courtesy of http://www.pdphoto.org)

Aside from blogging about what I do artistically I also like to write about other bits and pieces of life. Things I’ve noticed, things that have touched me.   This week I’ve  been looking at people’s facial expressions and I’ve come to the conclusion  people look a lot more beautiful when they smile.  It’s not an original observation, I know but it’s one that’s worth remembering.  Everyone knows that they look better when they smile and it’s how they want to be remembered in photographs, but what is worth remembering is that photographs are not looked at nearly as much as your face in everyday life.  So a smile shouldn’t just be reserved for that teeth-bearing word “CHEESE!”

Smiling releases happy hormones (endorphins) and when you see a smile it can have the same effect. It costs nothing and you always get it back! And Ladies, there is no beauty product out there that works better than a smile – trust me. I’ve put make-up on before hoping for a miracle and it doesn’t come near to wearing a smile. Make-up doesn’t make other people happy the way a smile does.

But what I think a smile does best is it brings a kind of peace between people, even strangers. It can bring people together and even unite nations.  After all a smile is a language in itself, like Art.  I hope this week is one to make you smile. One to share a smile with someone you know and someone you don’t! I also hope I managed to make  you smile..

All the best

April

I went for another walk in the chilly morning this week and took my camera. I was glad I did. Aren’t these Ivy leaves beautiful? I haven’t been up to very much apart from working on my latest colour sample for Ugly Rabbit – my current Children’s Picture book project. This latest illustration had been a frustration for me, and when I get frustrated I do two things: I remove the source of frustration completely or I stick at it. This was a week I stuck at it which fortunately was to my benefit. Not only did the picture work out in the end, but…

I had an Epithany.

Which for me is a bit like seeing the sun through the trees at last.

I know what it is I want to do and what I have to do. Whether it will be a plan that will work in this current economic climate I have no idea, but I am not ready to down paintbrushes and coloured pencils just yet.  If everyone did that we’d be in a tangle. The first thing I learnt was that I am so much more capable creatively than I realise. We all are! Secondly, I realised that Artists have to be business people and that includes me. It will indeed involve putting on a business head to make this all work, but I am excited.  In the meantime the first thing to do is start drawing…I’ve a number of illustrations to start working on besides my picture book and I can’t wait!! I’ll keep you all informed on my progress of course. Until then I hope you all have a great weekend. Ciao!

Yesterday I came home from a few hours at work and was so wiped out I could hardly focus. So I decided not to do anything to my current colour sample for ‘Ugly Rabbit’, the children’s story I am writing and illustrating at the moment.  From somewhere within came the urge to do some drawing so I picked up my pastel pencils and made a few marks in my sketchbook representing a honey bee. I love bees BIG time.  To me they are God’s little miracle makers  in terms of how they can turn pollen into honey.  But the Honey Bee is species under threat from some parasite and  American Bee keepers,  in particular, have suffered the price of losing their Bee stocks.  If you’re interested in reading more about this I found the article below.

As an artist, with a need to express my appreciation for the beautiful things God has given us in this world, I had an idea  to do a series of paintings of all the endangered species of wildlife on our planet.  It would have meant a crash course in how to become a wildlife artist, but I was willing to give it my all.  As much as I love painting seascapes and stones I feel there is so much more inside me that God wants me to paint.  I think I’d kick-start this venture with the Honey Bee. You have to start with what you have a passion about, and maybe with this sketch I already have!   

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/species-under-threat-honey-who-shrunk-the-bee-population-438340.html

“Life itself is precious…”

Another year is upon us and soon for me there will be another birthday on the horizon.  Ageing itself does not bother me as much as the idea that life itself is precious and you only get one chance to live it, and one voice to speak with. Words can be the hardest things to take back, so it is best to choose what you say carefully.  In the same way as Artists God has given us an extra voice with which to communicate with. Whether or not He gives us control over what our art will say I don’t know but the wonderful thing about art is that it is an international language that can whisper it’s message into the heart of a person.  It works on a subconscious level that only God can understand.   As recipients of someone else’s art we receive the experience.  As Artists all we can hope for is that our art sends out a good message or ‘feeling’  to others and provides them with some sort of inner calm in the tornado of life.

On that note, ‘if I have one life to live to the full, one chance to get it right and one artistic voice with which to speak then it’s time, I think, that this bird began to really sing!’

photo of candle above by www.pdphoto.org

Here in Ireland it is very cold, but while the east of the country and parts of the midlands enjoy snow, here in the west coast of Clare we’ve had nothing but ice and frost.   Today we woke up to a very pretty winter wonderland.  The pavements were crunchy instead of treacherous underfoot so we braved a little walk. Fingers inside gloves were numbed to the bone as we walked down to the Lifeboat station, past the park and onto the pier. With temperatures frozen at just 1 degree there was a thin layer of ice across the water around the boats at the marina. But why no snow for us? My children have NEVER built a snowman. Ever. Should I really be bothered that we don’t have it?

I’ve moved out of the kitchen and back up to my studio, which has been cleaned out after a few months of being a bedroom to whoever felt like sleeping in there.  It feels wonderful to have my own space again, though I realise I run the risk of becoming a hermit. Most of my evenings have been spent up here working on illustrations for my new picture book idea: Edward and the Ugly Rabbit.

I’ve a considerable amount more to do before I can send them off to an agent to look over but it’s good to be back in the driving seat with pencils in hand.  Hope that wherever you are, you’re all keeping well.  I’ll leave you with another music video from AIR who seem to be able to calm my mind at the moment with their electricpop.

Dear visitors and friends.Just a short post to say that I hope you will take the time to stop and listen to this beautiful song by ‘AIR’.  Consider it my gift to you in the moment.  I love music more than anything and though accused many times over of being into weird music by those around me, I put my musical taste down to a very strong creative need (laughs). Music like this helps me tune out of my surroundings and into the place I need to be in order to concentrate. Perhaps it relaxes me.  Herbal tea does that to me too, but I can’t post that up here without making a mess! (laughs again). So sit back, press play and enjoy!

Incidentally…if music inspires creativity I wonder what painting this piece would be…any ideas?

“Somewhere between dreams & reality”

Oil on canvas

First of all many apologies to all visiting only to see I haven’t posted anything new up in over a month. I’ve had a busy month, but not one I’d want to waste your time telling you about.

I lost my father last month rather unexpectedly. It’s rather strange to one day be doing the normal things of life then the next to find yourself hopping on a plane,  meeting up with members of the family you haven’t seen for years and re-visiting places you thought you’d never go to again. I come from a family very split up geographically so it was surreal to see us all gathered again in a place that means a lot to us. Then to come home again and have to try focusing on the normal again with so many memories good and bad swilling around in my head. Sleep has been so important and so very needed but even when awake I feel caught somewhere between dreams and reality.  With my mind all over the place it amazes me that when I’ve managed to focus and get things done. So on the artistic front things have been slow:  I haven’t even ventured into my studio, where the cats spend more time than I do. The curtains are closed in that room to stop the sun shining on the unfinished works I have there, and seem to sum up my painting life at the moment…hidden, protected, abandoned.

But 2010 will see me bounce back for sure. I have purposely set myself some specific goals that I intend reaching.

New work and a change in direction in my subject for painting in general. Maybe no more stones. Definitely to take on that commission in February and to teach my workshops. Then there are the two children’s picture book proposals to send off. And for fun some designs for calendars, cards and others….I am thinking it’s time to put my work into print somehow.

And definitely more coffee….maybe less chocolate…maybe not so often. And more exercise…

What will you do in 2010?