It's the first day of Spring here (in the Northern Hemipshere). It's also called Imbolc and Lá le Bríde. I love the arrival of Spring 🌿 It marks the the end of Winter and the beginning of a new cycle of life. The brighter days and (hopefully) milder weather are a welcome change. It's a season of growth, and holds the potential for new things to grow and blossom. 

 
I've started working on a new body of work. The ideas and inspiration behind this body of work has been swirling around my head since this time last year. It's really exciting to finally give these thoughts the time and space they need, to be fully explored. The title for this body of work was one of the first things that sprung to mind. This happens quite often in my practice. Titles are really important to me. I use the title, and the emotions that those words evoke, as a sort of umbrella under which I have freedom to experiment, explore and express. A container as such. Within this container, I am trying to intertwine the spiritual wisdom of ancient Irish folklore with the principles of Feng Shui*
I am drawing inspiration from my natural surroundings, the mystical landscapes of West Kerry and the ancient traditions that once thrived there. I'm interested in the interconnectedness of the natural world and the symbiotic relationship between nature, energy, and spirituality. The Bagua** serves as a guiding force for this work, influencing the subject, colour palette, and energy flow in each painting.
 

*Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese philosophical and metaphysical system that seeks to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment. The term "feng shui" translates to "wind-water" in English, reflecting the importance of these natural elements in the practice. The goal of feng shui is to create balance and positive energy, known as "qi" or "chi," in the spaces where people live and work. **The Bagua is a key tool in feng shui, representing the energy map of a space. It is divided into nine sections, each corresponding to different aspects of life, such as wealth, health, career, and relationships. Practioners use the Bagua to determine how energy flows in a particular area and make adjustments to enhance positive energy.

 

I hope you enjoyed getting a little insight into my art practice and hearing about some of the ideas behind this new body of work. I'm looking forward to seeing how these paintings develop over the next couple of months. Even though I have a framework for each piece, I don't have any plan or preconceived image in mind for the paintings. There is a lot of freedom and risk taking involved in my practice. I don't know what the finished pieces will look like. I allow my subconcious to come forward, I trust the guiding force in my body. Trust is the hardest and, the most rewarding vehicle for my paintings to emerge. 

"I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life - and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do. Trust the process, and don't be afraid of the journey." ~ Georgia O'Keefe

 


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