Dublin

The school arranged for a trip to Dublin for us students this past weekend. It was filled with great art, good food, and good company. There is so much I could write about the trip, but I'm much too lazy. Here are some photos instead:

Francis Bacon

Outside of the Willie Doherty exhibition 

(I will never get tired of seeing Willie Doherty's work)

this sign

Gorgeous photographs of Irish poets and musicians

I've taken it upon myself to document my body's presence in this country. There are precious few photographers at my art school to do it for me.

rainy view from the bus

Botanical Gardens

perch

even in Dublin

kelp beer at The Liquor Rooms on the Quays. It was not only surprisingly not-bad, it was absolutely delicious.

definitely coming back to this place.

Liffey

Next we went to the Workman Club

a short one-hour study I made today

A new tube of paint I bought in Dublin, with my nearly-finished painting in the background.

Week 2

This week has been marked by the start of a new project, the sampling of several beers from microbreweries around Ireland, spinach salads galore (we got groceries recently), and rain. There's not much else to say, other than that my housemates and I are beginning to suspect that our house is haunted. Tomorrow we have big plans to comb the mostly-washed-away shore for washed-up bottles and other debris (for an art project, of coarse), then walk to Monk's to thaw by the roaring peat fire with a pint of Murphy's and plate of their glorious chips. I can hardly contain my excitement.

Here is a sequence of photos of some curious ponies I ran into on my walk home the other afternoon...

(So cute!)

I've been reflecting a bit on the year so far and how these last two weeks already differ in tone from last semester. Last semester was full of novelty. Everything was different and exciting and every spare moment was spent either working in the studio or exploring.

This semester will be more academically rigorous, but already feels easier because of the comfort and familiarity of being back. I feel somehow safer this time around. Because of this, I feel more free with my art, and also free to embrace the pleasure and leisure that Ballyvaughan has to offer. I want to eat at the restaurants, take advantage of the proximity to Galway (and NUIG's library…it's not all fun and games), walk to Luna Lovegood's house, watch movies and read a book or two just for the fun of it.

 I know what I have to do for school and I have a plan, but I'm no longer panicked about it all. I'm really looking forward to enjoying Ballyvaughan as much as possible as it begins to warm up this Spring. 

Hopefully this plan isn't too horribly naive...

Week 1, 2014

After my first week back at school I am fondly remembering little comforts from home that I indulged in over break. Dogfishhead beer, Scout sleeping on the couch, long walks on Muse Road, and of coarse the warmth of being surrounded by family.

This week has been particularly cold and rainy, with some of the worst storms Ireland has had in 15 years smashing the coast and flooding cities and villages across the country (including Ballyvaughan). 

Because of this, I haven't spent much time walking and exploring, and because of the cold indoors, I haven't begun to paint yet. This week has involved a lot of topic research, aesthetic planning, and a Sherlock marathon or two with my housemates. (If anyone reading this has not yet experienced the magic that is BBC's Sherlock, drop whatever you're doing and click over to Netflix and start watching episode 1 right now. You'll thank me later). That part was really nice. 

Tomorrow my housemates and myself will take a day trip to Galway, get a few groceries and maybe see a movie. I have resolved to attempt more trips like this this semester. I think they go a long way towards making a place feel like home, and just resting the mind. 

Sunday I plan to begin cutting and priming canvas in preparation for my first cluster of portraits. I'm excited to begin work on a project that truly fascinates me.

Sunday evening is the final episode of season 3 of Sherlock, which, now that our TV works again, will be truly epic. Seriously though, I have waited two long years for this season to be filmed, and it's every bit as glorious as I had anticipated. Luckily my housemates and friends all over town are as passionate as I am. I've never seen so many people come together over a TV show before, even during the days of "Lost". It's a community-wide event, the viewing of this season's 3 genius episodes.

I have a feeling this semester will fly by. 1 week of the 15 is already passed. It's also possible that one week will be spent in London. Trying not to get my hopes up about that one yet.

A lot of hard work and complex ideas will need to be squeezed into the next few months, but for now I'm content to sit in my warm room, with my mug of coffee, listening to the Dubliners and reading the last few chapters of my last pleasure book of the year before diving into my pile of reading and documentaries on cult leadership, terrorism and religious abuse. Deep breath.

Happy Friday to all.

Made it back to Ireland

So, we ended up flying out of Boston at 9 o'clock. It should be noted that every flight scheduled to fly out of Boston after 8 had already been cancelled, but after a 3 hour delay on the runway, somehow our plane still felt that it was worth the risk to take off. 

So after another bumpy flight across the Atlantic, I landed back in Dublin, which was experiencing its own brand of severe weather. It wasn't a pleasant landing, but we made it, which is the important bit. I bonded with a lot of people on board the plane, which was nice and a good way to ease back into the country. Then I caught the bus to Galway where I spent 7 hours killing time until my bus to Ballyvaughan. It was so great to have so much time in a city that I love with absolutely no agenda. 

I stopped at an adorable, tiny pie place just off of shop street to have lunch (vegetable curry pie with mashed potatoes, mushy peas and gravy), then wandered through the shops, purchased a mug that looks fantastically similar to Vibert pottery, and eventually settled in a cafe to read. It was a great start to the new semester.

Now I'm safely home in Ballyvaughan, enjoying the familiarity, taking walks in the rain, reuniting with my friends one at a time, and having a glorious Sherlock marathon with my house mates before watching the newest two episodes tomorrow afternoon. As much as I still miss everyone back home, it is good to be back.

End of the Holidays, Back to the Grind

Heading back to Ireland tomorrow with whiter teeth, fatter thighs, cleaner clothes, and enough chocolate to feed an army of angry Americans…which is an accurate description of what my house will turn into come finals week.

I really should have spent the morning packing and finishing up last-minute errands around town, but instead I spent the early hours of the day sitting with Scout by the roaring wood stove, watching Frazier, drinking coffee and eating pumpkin bread. It was perfect. Now I'm procrastinating further by typing this entry before taking my final Muse Road walk of the season (and my first Muse walk of the year), with the hopes that I'll find it in myself to pack up sometime before dinner. (A very far-fetched hope).

The last few days have been very emotional for me, as the shock and novelty of being back in Botetourt is finally wearing off and I'm remembering all the annoyances and dead-ends of this area that drove me to seek school abroad in the first place. But I've also grown a bit panicked about leaving again, as I've settled back into a comfortable routine of sleeping in my own bed, in my own room, surrounded by my collections of Ironbound rocks, old bottles, and all of my books, waking up every morning and coming downstairs to my family, a cozy fire and a pot of (Dunkin Donuts) coffee. It's always difficult to move, grow and change and Ireland represents all three of these things in my life.
The changes that have come from my time in Ballyvaughan have been overwhelmingly positive and necessary. I know that living in Ballyvaughan is making me a stronger, kinder, deeper, more creative, more generous, and overall better person and I appreciate it for that.
The only catch is that these changes don't come about from a life of easy, luxurious comfort. Not that Ballyvaughan is in any way uncomfortable…I mean, I live in a very charming house, with considerate, thoughtful and, most importantly, fun fellow students, I have my own room, a shower and a community of vibrant, supportive and warm people that I've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the last few months. But it's always hard to leave what's warm and familiar for what's wind-blown and slightly less familiar, even if the latter is what will ultimately take you to a better and more rewarding future. (I should also mention that Boco's role of the "more comfortable" place will completely reverse during the summer months when I'll be THRILLED to be in a country whose summer afternoons don't consist of regular 100 degree, full humidity, tornado warnings and power outages. It will be nice to live with open windows and bright skies and I will become exceedingly spoiled).

I think the bottom line at this point, is that I'll always have a home in Ireland and in America, and no matter where I am, there will be aspects of the other home pulling at my soul. I can't help but see this as the blessing that it is, and determine to enjoy wherever I am blessed to live to the absolute fullest. Having said this, I'll make a toast to Boco with one final mug of coffee, and mark my arrival in Clare with a lovely pack of dark chocolate Digestives. Cheers.

My bedroom view at home

One of my choice memories of this trip at home were the multiple times I overheard my niece, Emma singing the Sweeney Todd classic, "Not While I'm Around" to herself as she played quietly in the corner of the room. (Always beginning with the phrase "demons are prowling everywhere"…reminds me of those gloriously scandalous after-quiet-hours-Sweeney-Todd shower duets at LU with Elizabeth).

Scout is by far the hardest member of the family to leave, mostly because I can't Skype with her. I'll miss snuggling with her in the mornings and during those late night House-Hunters viewings.