Themes emerging
As I prepare for Art In My Garden I feel themes emerge from the past months, as they always do. My painting and process is one of discovery and a meditative expression of my experiences: past, present and perhaps, even, the future. I’m guided by repetitive and consistent comforts which carry me through each year.
Having reflected on a letter from an art mentor of her sacred trinities I found clarity emerging on how this year is progressing for me. My trinity is linked and is showing up in some new work which I’ll share in person at the event.
Island Memories: My travels have taken me back to Sri Lanka ශ්රී ලංකා which was a homecoming of tropical force. Jewel tones, rich red earth, cinnamon, aubergine, turmeric, ginger, cloves and lemongrass, perfect tea, lush forests and azure seas. A jumble of sensations and memories.
Coastal Comforts: Beach combing on the west coast of Ireland and in Donegal. One of the simplest ways for me to let go and be taken back to a worry-free childhood. I return home from each walk shaped by the sea physically and metaphorically. Pockets heavy and mind lighter and enlivened. There’s a reassuring beauty in feeling the weight of worn pebble hewn from ancient bedrock, it makes me feel rooted and sure. There’s something for me in acknowledging the rusted hinges and chains on an abandoned dock, layers of peeling worn paint on doors bolted shut tight against the weather, the trusty inanimate objects working hard to keep us safe.
Safe havens: Imagined shorelines with mountains and light in the distance - again and again and again. There’s a story in that somewhere..I’m still listening out for it.
