Brian McHenry

‘You cannot see them, they are not there anymore’ by Brian McHenry

Brian McHenry has fallen for St Kilda; it's wild history and it's aching desolation. In his explorations of the history stories and landscape he is producing some amazing studies and illustrations for a zine and sharing an incredible history.

Above: St Kilda Mailboat Below: The St Kilda Wren

Above: The SS Dunara Castle 
Below: Endpaper with signatures of the islanders requesting to be relocated to the mainland.

"The text is from National Records of Scotland and is the petition signed by the islanders themselves requesting government assistance to leave the island. The document was dated 10 May1930 and was signed by the following:"

Stuart Cairns

Last night I managed to get through the fog to The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh to see some of Stuart Cairns work as part of 'The Irish Connection' exhibition, which is a group show selected from the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland's critical selection for 2015/16. I have been following Stuarts Cairns work for a number of years now. Stuart delights in nature and fragile beauties that present themselves to him on his walks are vital to his photography, sketches, jewelry and sculpture.
These gathered fragments of flora are part of a series of three dimensional drawings exploring what makes an object complete. One of the things that adds to their power is the beautiful shadows that amplify the forms and their poetry.

Lola Donoghue

Lola Donoghue is an Irish artist and illustrator from Galloway who makes these abstract paintings in oils and acrylic. 
"My paintings are captured moments of past experiences. However, when I begin, I never know what the finished piece will look like. The initial trigger is merely a springboard for my imagination; a vehicle for my creative urges. It is an emerging process. As the work unfolds, I may discover something by accident, which in turn dictates the direction of the piece. A representational piece usually ends up in total abstraction." Lola Donoghue

Time to pay tribute, Seamus Heaney

Two people who I really admired have died this week and so it is time to pay tribute and mark the passing of great souls one is the Irish wordsmith, poet Seamus Heaney (13 April, 1939- 30th August 2013) .

Postscript

And some time make the time to drive out west
Into County Clare, along the Flaggy Shore,
In September or October, when the wind
And the light are working off each other
So that the ocean on one side is wild
With foam and glitter, and inland among stones
The surface of a slate-grey lake is lit
By the earthed lightening of flock of swans,
Their feathers roughed and ruffling, white on white,
Their fully-grown headstrong-looking heads
Tucked or cresting or busy underwater.
Useless to think you'll park or capture it
More thoroughly. You are neither here nor there,
A hurry through which known and strange things pass
As big soft buffetings come at the car sideways
And catch the heart off guard and blow it open

Seamus Heaney

Bridget Farmer

On a whim, I wanted to look up an artist who's Post Graduate show I saw in 2003 at ECA. Bridget Farmer had written a book and it was lovely. I picked up a card and I have often wandered what had become of her since.

Well here are some of Bridget Farmer's wire sculptures as a taster of her lovely work.

Joe Hogan

I love these stunningly crafted baskets by Irish craftsman and artist Joe Hogan. He also holds workshops, I would love to go.

John Behan

John Behan is a fantastic Irish sculptor, famous for his Famine Ship.

Ireland has fantastic public sculpture and is innovative in supporting its artists. John Behan's sculpture is widely acclaimed and his work is celebrated in the many public commissions that he has had. Get to Ireland and enjoy its vibrant artistic culture.