Post Sabbatical Journal: Ireland

Saturday, May 7, 2011: Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare, Ireland

View from my room at Meadowfield.

We arrived in Shannon this morning close to 7 a.m. The Burren College of Art sent Paddy to collect us. The students used the ATM machine at the airport to get their Euros and soon we were on the road toward Ballyvaughan. The light on the landscape shone in that particularly special way that makes it appear as if the landscape itself was glowing with its own light. The yellow gorse and the whitethorn appeared illuminated. As we entered the Burren I saw the green of the hazel and the blue grey of the limestone stretch out before us.

Paddy drove us to the O’Lochlain house where the students are staying. Robert Ellis and Neil O’Lochlain greeted us and got the students settled in their rooms.

Robert Ellis job was to greet the students with a warm Burren College of Art welcome, which he did very well.  When he was satisfied that the students knew what they needed to know, he delivered Tom Hughes to the faculty house and brought me to Meadowfield.

When I arrived, Breada Keane the owner of Meadowfield was busy in the kitchen preparing breakfast for her B&B guests. She welcomed me with a warm hug and a smile, gave me some hot coffee and toast and jam. I had difficulty understand her at first, I’m afraid I’m a bit out of practice –I need to give myself some time for my ears to adjust to the soft Irish lilt. After my coffee and toast I went to my studio/bedroom to unpack. I have a large room on the second floor; it is full of light because of a large multi-paned window that overlooks Cappanawalla Mountain. Breada prepared the room by moving in a nice sized table for me to use as a desk and drawing table along with chairs in addition to the bed and dresser. I unpacked my drawing and painting supplies first –unrolling the drawing paper I brought along in a plastic tube. I laid the paper out on the floor and weighted it down with the guitar that I keep at Meadowfield. My hopes are that the guitar helps the paper to flatten out a bit. I unpacked the rest of my things and spent the rest of the morning getting the room prepared for my month long visit.

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