Spring has Sprung
An Oscar-winning encounter and al fresco lambs
It’s beginning to look a lot like Springtime… The first al fresco lamb was born in the field opposite us last week (though there are many tucked up inside barns), and the odd primrose and wild daffodil are peering cautiously through the dry grasses. The weather varies between blinding sunshine and blue sky to the more common heavy cloud, rain and gales.
Atlantic rollers at Cinn Aird, looking across Dingle Bay
On February 1, St Brigid’s Day, there was music and making crosses from rushes at An Díseart, the old convent that is now an arts centre in the middle of Dingle. The shape symbolizes the sun and fire, which represent Brigid, both Mother Goddess and Matron Saint (see my previous post The Amazing Brigid). The crosses are hung above doors to keep away evil spirits, in that rich mash-up of Christianity and Celtic paganism that is Ireland.
Also in the gardens of An Díseart, the Community Lamb carved by Ben Dearnley and the public at last year’s Féile na Bealtaine (May festival) is looking snug in its carpet of heather (see my post Fire, Water and Festivities).
There have been a few gorse fires around here this winter, but not as many as in previous years (it can only be done until the end of February). The farmers burn the gorse on the hillsides to clear the land for sowing grass. It’s horrible to see, especially just before nesting season, but farming regulations apparently require them to “manage” their land. And the gorse does have a tendency to snaggle up the sheep, due to their thick woolly fleeces and inability to stay out of trouble.
Every year we read of fires getting too close to houses and burning large swathes of forest and national park. That isn’t so much of a problem around here, however, since the foothills and mountainsides have largely been cleared of everything wild, and the grass is creeping ever upward.
In art news, this winter I’ve been experimenting with using acrylic paint, in an effort to get away from the fumes of oil paints and solvents – not to mention the very, very long drying times of oils. I’m finally beginning to get the hang of using acrylics (they are thinner than oils, you have to put them on in many layers, and the colours are not necessarily the same as I’m used to, despite the names).
I’ve entered my two most recent paintings for the Royal Hibernian Academy Open Exhibition. I don’t expect to be accepted, but you have to try these things, if only to push yourself and really think about what you are trying to achieve.
I think I’ve said before that I’m much less stressed working intuitively in an abstract way, rather than trying to reproduce exactly the stunning landscape of West Kerry (which, let’s be honest, can’t really be improved upon by a mere human). My work is therefore grounded in the emotions of a moment; a glimpse of light; an ephemeral phrase of music.
So everything I’ve seen, felt and experienced outdoors hopefully comes out on the canvas.
In another exciting move, I’ve been reworking my plein air workshop, Painting Wild Ireland, so that participants can book a single day, if they wish, rather than having to commit to a batch of days. My intention is to show artists some of the incredible landscapes (and seascapes) of the Dingle Peninsula that most people never get to see in an ordinary visit. For more information on this, please see my website, lynn-parr.com.
Oh, and something else that happened the other day: my brief but deeply interesting conversation with Oscar-winning actor Cillian Murphy…
It was in our local supermarket. After squinting at a top shelf without my spectacles, I turned to the person pushing a trolley behind me and saw it was Mr Murphy of Peaky Blinders and Oppenheimer fame.
With great aplomb I said: “Excuse me, but does that label up there say Pringles snacks are only €2.50?”
Laughing, he came over and peered at the label before replying: “Yes, it does!”
My Millenial niece was outraged that the encounter didn’t produce a “selfie”, but as I told her, if he’d wanted one, he only had to ask.
Loving this Spring post, always good to see how things come back from winter and begin showing colours again. The new work is stunning and deserves to be accepted in the RHA Dublin.