Brigadoon Lives! (They just had the country wrong)

So yes then, I’ve a question. Is it rude to take photos of the people sitting on top of you? Last night there was a moment during the 6 to 9 club at the pub when Carol was leaning so far across Laura that she had to prop herself on my knee, and Eamon and Ann paired their two heads with mine in an effort to hear every word, and their heads — the one crisp and bearded with white in an Indiana Jones hat and a fierce listening expression — the other a brilliant red with her green eyes forward and kind — had their faces just so in the evening light until they positively glowed, and I knew I was among angels. Carol was filled with the spirit, quite literally as she was gleefully telling them their house is haunted, punctuated by numerous slaps on my knee, and they were eager recipients. Mind you, I’ve only just met these people, and quite honestly, it was like being enveloped by a fully mystical experience. But that’s the Irish for you.

And so it begins, my lovely month in Magical Listowel, with her pretty shop fronts, her wild and rugged countryside, and her endlessly embracing people. Yes, sometimes to the point of squuushing just a bit, but I’ve decided to find it charming and love them up right back.

My first couple of days have landed me smack in the middle of writer’s week. Now where I come from, that might be a bit daunting, writers having that general aloofness thing going (some use a different word, but let’s be gracious), but in Listowel I’ve been given autographed books with a grin and a bow, serenaded by two of the most ethereal songwriters I’ve ever heard, quoted poetry from atop a daisy-covered bank, smiled at (who knew we could smile?), bear hugged, and made room for at the bar, that last being a true gesture of love indeed.

And so my stay in this country where nothing is as you expect is off to a starry-eyed start, as I wander wide-eyed from the town center (where they’ve placed a piano and every tinkle of the ivories brings out cellists and fiddlers and toe-tappers) to the shore and find myself between two flowery fields of horses and foals, manes flying as they run with exuberance toward the mountain-ringed sea and back again while I’m serenaded by two young boys on banjo and bodhrán. Magical indeed. So crossing my fingers this won’t have disappeared in the morning.

Big hugs from Pam, my fabulous flatmate and co-artist-in-residence Laura McRae Hitchcock, and the generous and infinitely talented Olive Stack!

 

 

 

Day 4: Lovely Listowel, Ireland

Mickey McConnell playing and singing during Pub Theatre Night at John B’s.

We may as well stay at John B’s for one more entry while we are at it!  I did this painting after our first time at Pub Theatre Night at John B’s pub.  Mickey McConnell is a well known folk singer in Ireland and wrote a song called “Only Our Rivers Run Free” 50 years ago at the age of 17.  What was remarkable is how powerful it was to be packed in a pub full of people…standing room only….and hear these people solemnly sing the chorus along with Mickey.

Its worth it to watch him perform it as he did when we saw him right here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTrksuLyKLA

As I research more and more about what they refer to as The Troubles, it is still confusing to me.  While it is political, the people of Northern Ireland who are mainly protestant want to remain part of the UK and the people of the Republic of Ireland who are mainly Catholic want all of Ireland to be Ireland.  I don’t get the sense at all of religious intolerance where we were.  I’m sure there is some as there is intolerance of some sort everywhere in the world but I did not witness it.  There is, however, a genuine sadness that not all of Ireland belongs to Ireland.  When I met so many of the people of Ireland and saw how hard working they are and how generations upon generations have owned stores, shops, pubs, farms, etc, I felt the sadness over the division of their country.  What I witnessed was the creative way the sadness comes out.  I saw that in everything the people of Listowel did.  They have used artistic creativity in everything.  In joy, in sadness, in the beauty of their environment.

These people are so creative and their environment has nurtured that.  They see the beauty in their country and show it in their art, music, literature, plays, etc.  It spills out in their wonderful story telling and humor.  As Kerry calls it, I did the ugly cry at that Pub Theatre Night because of the beauty of their pathos and the strength of their humor and sense of community.  I was really grateful to be there that night.

http://www.etandressfineart.com

Day 3: Lovely Listowel, Ireland

My painting of Billy Keane, owner of John B Keane’s pub and a total superstar! This was the first painting I did in Listowe1l

This is a continuation of the story from Day 2.  Pretty much the moment we entered John B’s pub, we started meeting people.  Olive knows everyone.  Its that simple!  Billy Keane (owner of John B’s) came in from the back and came over to meet us and say hello.  In the conversation, I told him that my focus in my time there would be painting the people of Listowel and the surrounding areas.  At this point he jumped up and went back to the back.  Did I say something wrong?

Moments later he returned with a book that is the faces of Ireland.  The entire book is nothing but interesting faces against black backgrounds.  To back up here, Billy is a character.  He has a presence that you can’t ignore.  You will find out more about this in subsequent posts but he has a quick wit and is an excellent story teller.

As he was looking through the book, though, looking for particular faces he could tell a story about (he is also in the book, by the way), I saw him sort of go away for a moment.  At this point, I did not know that his mother was gravely ill.  His father, John B, and his mother, Mary Keane, had raised their family above the pub.  Mary ran the pub while John B wrote and the kids all had their parts as well.  The light coming in from the window cast a hard line on Billy and, when I painted this from the photo I took, I had the background of the pub fading to black as he thumbed through the book because, later on, I realized more fully how he and his family were well known faces of Ireland.

Finding out later how ill his mother was and how she had always told them to keep their ‘shop face’ on and continue business as usual no matter the circumstances, I realized how important it was to show the depth behind the colorful character.  I loved the way this turned out.  People who came into Olive’s gallery when it was up would either immediately recognize it as Billy or would talk about how he looks like his uncle or his father in my depiction.

Billy is continuing to run the pub with his shop face on until it becomes his regular face again and he is doing it with honor and humor just as I imagine his parents would like it.

As a side note, Billy gave me the book he was looking through.  I love it!

http://www.etandressfineart.com

Day 2: Lovely Listowel, Ireland

My first painting while in Ireland!

When we arrived in Listowel, we got our bags settled, figured out WiFi, and had a yummy late lunch at Mai Fitz on Olive’s recommendation!  Afterwards, we walked around Listowel to get ourselves acclimated.  By the time we got back to Olive’s gallery, it was close to closing time and Olive wanted to take us to John B. Keane’s pub (lovingly referred to as John B’s).  John B. Keane was a playwright, novelist, and essayist who died in 2002.  His presence is still all over Listowel through his writing, in the statue in front of Lynch’s Bakery, his silhouette sculpture in the European Garden of our walking path.  The Field was made into a movie in 1990 starring Richard Harris and John Hurt.

Silhouette of writer John B. Keane of Listowel found in the Garden of Europe!

We ran upstairs to freshen up and realized there was a card waiting for us.  We opened it and it was from Lillie Morris (an artist from Georgia who will be part of this residency next year) with the most wonderful note inside telling us that she had purchased a bottle of wine for us at John B’s and we could go on over and enjoy it!

This story will continue in the Day 3 entry but we arrived at John B’s, sat down, and I saw this man sitting at the bar watching life go by.  He seemed comfortable and completely rooted on his stool.  I got this photo of him without him knowing.  I went and introduced myself and asked if he would mind if I painted him and he was delighted.

When I did this painting, I decided to skew the perspective a bit on the other stools to further make the point of his being rooted at that spot and the others were floating until another regular took their place for a pint and a story.  As you will read in subsequent posts, there were plenty of stories to be told.

Please check out http://www.etandressfineart.com to see more of my art!

Short and Sweet

My painting of Billy Keane, owner of John B Keane’s pub and a total superstar! This was the first painting I did in Listowe1l

Tonight, my beloved brother Bill and my Beloved friends from across the pond (even though now it is me who is across the pond) arrived in Lovely Listowel and I got to show the town off!

It was an awesome first impression to walk them down for a bite to eat at John R’s and have people stop to say hello that we have met while here!  Our bite was amazing and I took them over to Gurtenard House where Bill will be staying and they all got the grand tour and thought Kathy was wonderful and a visionary!  We started back towards the square and I was hoping to have them meet Vicar Joe and, lo and behold, he was just coming out and took a moment to let everyone in to see the spectacular St John’s Theatre.  We went to see the house that my friends from England are staying in and it, too, was awesome!  A perfect getaway!

We decided to eat at Mai Fitz for dinner and, acting almost like a bookend for the trip, Emma (who waited on Kerry and me the first day we arrived) was on hand to make our dinner absolutely delightful!  The food was really spectacular and, although everyone was full, we still ordered desserts to share and they were incredible!

Last but not least was a run to John B’s for Pub Theatre!  You know how you can totally build something up to the point it can’t possibly live up to it?  Yeah…I built up Pub Theatre at John B’s to a fare thee well and it not only lived up but exceeded all expectations!  What a night!

So now, here I sit.  Back at the apartment Kerry and I have shared for the past month realizing that our lives have totally changed and we can’t believe how lucky we are!

Tomorrow we go to Dingle.  This is a place that has been recommended since the plane landed.  Cannot wait!

Change is a comin’

The boats outside the castle in Killarney National Park

It has been said that, in order for an artist to grow, they need to leave the comfort of familiar surroundings and head off somewhere new.  The whole design of an artist residency is to give artist’s that opportunity.  I think of Gaugin in Tahiti or Van Gogh moving around France.  You can see strides in their work that correlate with going to unfamiliar places.

I have never been one to do landscapes but there is something about the way the sky moves in Ireland…a constantly roiling stew of blues and greys…or the constant variation of light play that has made the landscape come alive for me.

I can see why there are so many incredible poets, writers, and artists here.  We went to John B’s tonight to simply show support for the loss of Mary Keane.  They continued on with Pub Theatre and it was absolutely incredible and included two soliloquies performed from plays by John B. Keane. One from The Field and one from Big Maggie.  I can’t truly explain what it is like to sit in this historic pub and see these actors become these characters in front of our eyes but I will be reading The Field and Big Maggie.  It was that compelling.

Is it any wonder that the landscape in this magical place has taken on a personality for me?  It’s a compelling character that needs to be captured. It’s no wonder Listowel is so full of creativity and art.  It is deep within the soil here and rooted within the people who have lived here for so long.

Many thanks to Billy Keane for opening the doors to his pub tonight after the loss of his mother and reminding we temporary Listowelites why we love it here so much.  And many thanks to Olive Stack for putting this opportunity out there for us to find!

With Respect

Listowel lost a great lady yesterday.  Mary Keane, widow of John B. Keane and mother to Billy, Conor, John, and Joanna, passed away.  Olive told us we would have loved her just as everyone here did.

Please read about her here:  http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/listowel-mourns-passing-of-publican-mary-keane-31454241.html

“Vicar Joe” Murphy

Loved the props stored on the second floor of St John’s Theatre!

Olive had mentioned to me that Joe Murphy would make a great portrait right out of the gate when we arrived here.  She said his nickname is “Vicar Joe” because he is the manager of the St John’s Theatre and Arts Centre in the Square.  It is housed in an old protestant church where, according to Joe, there weren’t enough protestants to keep it going.  It was given to Listowel and was made into a beautiful space for theatrical productions as well as concerts featuring anything from classical strings to American bluegrass!

I went over today to see Joe in his space and to get to know him a little better.  He loves this place and you can see it all over him.  The old church is absolutely beautiful and we are really excited to be seeing a play there next week!

There is more to Joe than running this theatre but I didn’t know how much until Kerry and I watched a DVD he gave me where his story was told on a television program.  Joe’s family has been here for generations and, as we have seen with so many people here, his other profession is as a cattle rancher!  It was fascinating watching this DVD and seeing this completely different side of Joe than that of Vicar Joe.

Listowel is a hot bed of creativity.  The arts are alive and well here and you can hear it in the music written and sung by Mickey McConnell, hear the readings by local writers such as John B Keane and Gabriel Fitzmaurice, see the beautiful art by Olive Stack, and be treated to musical and theatrical productions brought here by Joe Murphy.

I asked Joe where was his favorite place in the theatre because I wanted to paint him where he is happiest.  We were standing on the stage at this point because I had wanted to admire the beautiful stained glass windows depicting Faith, Hope, and Charity (which Joe said are needed when running a community theatre) and what he said struck me as so perfect.  He said its more like a favorite time.  It’s when the show is over and the people have left and the theatre is quiet but there is still that buzz of energy in the air.  He sat down on the edge of a table on the stage, with Faith, Hope, and Charity behind him.  That is how he will be painted.

I will be putting up photos of the paintings I have done so far after the reception on Friday.  We will also be taking photos of Kerry’s class tomorrow night to share!

Peeling Back the Layers

Our beautiful view of Listowel!

Kerry went to the farmer’s market again on Friday and spoke with the gentleman we met our first Friday here that we called Joe The Butcher.  She had a long conversation with him where he shared more of the details of his and his wife, Caroline’s, daily life.  We realized that he wasn’t Joe the Butcher.  They are Joe and Caroline:  Owners of Rigney’s Farmhouse Bed and Breakfast.  They are caterers, processors, parents, and part of the local community through the Listowel Farmer’s market.  You can check out their website here:  http://www.rigneysfarm.com/ to see all of what they do.

When Kerry returned, we were getting ready to leave for our trip to Bunratty so we had time to talk in the car on the way.  This conversation has lasted for the last three days for several reasons.  Since our arrival in Listowel, we have been met with generosity, thoughtfulness, kindness not only in spirit but in gifts given to us in the form of a stocked kitchen by Olive, coffees one morning by Dominick, a cake by Marion, fresh laid eggs and creamed honey from Jayne Gardidge, and even a stranger who saw us trying to find enough change to pay for parking in Galway and came over and helped us make up the difference.

These are incredibly hard working people living unbelievably busy lives but they still take the time to make us feel welcome and accepted.  They are so proud of Listowel, and of their families.  When Johnny took us by the Abbey and showed us his family’s grave sites and the sites of other families of the area who have been here for generations, it was impossible not to be moved.  These people know and care about each other.

As Kerry and I worked in the studio we have been provided today, we talked again about the pub theatre night at John B’s.  Last night there was a party at John B’s celebrating the 50th year of Mickey MacConnell’s song “Only the Rivers Run Free” and we were lucky enough to hear Mickey sing it during pub theatre night.  We didn’t just hear Mickey sing it, though.  The people at the pub were singing along with him.  It was so beautiful and haunting and it still struck us today as we spoke about what it is about this place that seems to be touching something very deep inside us.

Mickey MacConnell performing during Pub Theatre night at John B’s.

The people of Listowel are not only inspiring our art.  They are inspiring our souls.  They are teaching us to work hard but don’t forget your friends and family and, by all means, make someone new feel like they belong.  We will be having a reception this Friday at Olive’s gallery.  We want to give a little back to the people who have been giving so much to us.  We want to celebrate the people of Listowel and let them know that we plan on trying to live up to the very high bar they have set for living life as it should be.

First Class and Pub Theatre Night!

So much talent in one room!

Yesterday was a day full of emotions for me.  Kerry and I are truly having the time of our lives.  I wake up each day more grateful for the experience we are having here with the lovely Olive Stack and the people of this incredible area!

Last night was my first class here and to say it was successful would be an  understatement.  I am getting chills even now looking at the photos I took of the work these women produced.  We went an hour over because I was so caught up in the magic that I didn’t even realize what time it was.  PLUS, there is a lovely tradition of breaking halfway through for tea, coffee, and cookies!

For anyone who knows me, I get a thrill out of teaching these classes and, as I told these wonderful ladies last night, I get the feeling that I am looking over the shoulders of the fauvists and German expressionists whose work I so admire and who were so trailblazing in the art world. The pieces that they did last night were remarkable and I can’t get them out of my mind.  But it was more than that.  One of the ladies said it was very freeing.  Oh heavens!  I can’t believe this but I’m emotional again!  I spent most of last night in tears or laughing!  What can be better than that?  It is freeing for me, too!  Each one stretched themselves and it inspires me to stretch further!  I know why I get so emotional!  Being in a room filled with people creating art and watching them develop their own style before your eyes…there is an energy that is created that is as close to heaven that I think we can get here on Earth.

Once the class was over and we said our goodbyes, Kerry and I hot footed it over to John B’s pub.  Last night was Pub Theatre night and we were told not to miss it!  By the time we got there, the place was packed!  Luckily, there were two seats left at the bar and we were able to sit right down.  Billy Keane is quite the character and has the innate ability to hold a crowd in the palm of his hand.  He read selections of his father’s poetry and told stories and we were taken on a journey that, one moment, had me laughing and the next had me emotional again.

Pub Theatre Night at John B’s is an absolute MUST DO for when you are in Listowel! And yes, you will be coming here!

We also were thrilled to hear the music of singer/songwriter Mickey MacConnell!  To get a taste of what we enjoyed, you must go here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL7jyXCQ2Zc&list=PLpvWENIqv1ynL243f8pDTIXLoChAuIoAI  It will be worth your time!  Mickey’s music, again, took me from laughter with The “Ballad of Lidl and Aldi” to tears with “Only Our Rivers Run Free” and  “Supermarket Wine”.  It is very easy to get swept away listening to well written folk music sung by someone who has felt deeply.  I will be taking his CD’s home with me so that last night’s experience will be easily relived!  Happily, he also gave me permission to do a painting of him!

Lastly we were regaled with the sonnets of Gabriel Fitzmaurice! (To read about him, go here:  http://writersweek.ie/writers-week-event/peggie-gallagher-and-gabriel-fitzmaurice-book-launches)  He was not only wonderful to talk to but his poetry and his reading of it was incredibly entertaining!  Whether he was speaking of his beloved wife, his time spent teaching, or (my favorite) of some kook who kept breaking out the windows of Ballybunion with a slingshot, we were kept laughing and engaged!  All three of these men are national treasures and we were so honored to meet and speak with them and thoroughly enjoyed the evening!

There is no way to properly explain what this Artist Residency is giving us in terms of inspiration and profound memories.  There will never be a way to truly thank Olive for this opportunity.  There will never be words strong enough to let the women who took my class know how much my time with them meant to me.  It’s probably why I am so emotional again.  My father used to say that my all too easy tears were just from all the powerful and beautiful emotions spilling out because they were too big to keep contained.  Thankfully, I have a handkerchief a kind gentleman gave me last night to mop them all up!