The metal path

 

I promised some shots of where I am at present in the studio and workshop.

Here's where it starts:

 

the everpresent 'bloody' gloves

 

the etched plate



 

the etched image

 

 

The etched and aquatinted image

 

 

 

More of the same.....

 

 

...and variations..

 

 

....this next one(below) was an acetate of a ruin in Holycross that was made part of the above  leading to the titile "Two Ruins"

 

There is other stuff happening too:

The  box, in the process of destruction, and its future contents

....and finally, a drawing.....

 

 

 

                                                                                             ......think about it

 

 

 











The Path of Parochial Gothic

A recent very quick walk around Thurles gave me a start when I saw what I thought were a bunch of layabouts lounging around outside shops and harassing honest people about theier daly business of consuming.

However, closer examination found that they were layabouts alright but not dead drunk as I first suspected.

 

Dead dead

 

 

great shoes

 

 

S-M from the looks of it

 

 

Oh how I would love to be able to cross my legs like that

 

 

barely hangin' in there

 

There are others - Thurles has bought the Gothic

 

 

Path of gothic retaken

I suppose it is true that you can never go back but you can go again so when a few days ago I found myself with some minutes to spare and bike to hand I took a little turn back up to St Marys Cathedral.  One of the most surprising things I discovered was that the last pretender to the throne of Montenegro is buried here having died in 1991 in Barringtons Hospital..... couldn't even make a fist of the name though; there are others with unusual names here:

...but it seems as if there are quite a lot of Dutch names in Ireland.

The church itself is magnificent and Beth Nagle tells me that concerts are absolutely wonderful here.:

 the sonorities must be magnificent


A couple of other odd things caught my fancy  -not least this exceedingly important date in recent Limerick history as noted on the timeline:

Priorities noted.

Another rugby related event is commemorated albeit a more sombre one:

 

this is part of 'A Pitch for Shane'  - a memorial for the murdered rugby player Shane Geoghgan - and it is wonderful that this has been at least partly preserved.

 

 

To more relevant subjects  - we had our progress reviews last week and it was fascinating to see everyone's work in place but also notable that there is a generally quite dark tone to the studios oeuvre:

 

 

Cian

 

 

 

Cliona

 

 

 

Luke

 

 

FR

 

-a bit overcooked  but showing all work to date and a number of possible directions for the future.

 

I have just realised that I have taken very few photos of the actual prints made so I will remedy that during the week and post.

 

 

Perhaps these images should come under the heading "don't try this at home"!

 

The box is developing.




There is another event taking place in a weeks time and I haven't said anything about it till now but for better or worse here is some notice:

All welcome

 

 

The Path of Gothic

Stop Press! - Special Edition-

This is a report on a wonderful dérive  around medieval Limerick today conducted in a fascinating way by Tracy Fahey who is giving the Gothic seminar and despite a few early splashes threatened rain held off and made the tour a great success.

This is an idiosyncratic take on the walk which I enjoyed enormously and more importantly learned loads about Limerick.

The tone for the day was set much earlier in the print room:

 

Really it is only ink but every thing I do these days seems to have a hint of menace; and then on my way back up to get my coat I found we had visitors:

 

eerily coincidental, n'est çe pas?

Anyway the tour began in the church gallery and proceeded down and across the Abbey river(never knew the name of that stream) to inspect and hear about Baal Bridge:

 

 

 

We went on from there to St Marys Cathedral - stopping for a brief look at Fannins Castle ( behind Georges Quay) - .......

 

 

 

 

 

 

.....where we pondered the significance  on graveyards and cemeteries as important heterotopias and formers of myth and story; here is the vault of the Sexten Family:

 

 

An interesting discussion on the style of Gothic architecture in the cathedral and how it differs from that employed across Northern Europe - much less vertical

 

 

Thence to the Shannon and Johns Castle:

 

 

that sky is reminiscent of that over Toledo in one of El Grecos paintings

 

 

 

 

This is such a wonderful entrance that it seems a pity that it could not be the doorway to the castle

 

Looking back to Englishtown and St Munchins from the bridge:

 

 

I couldn't resist this :

 

 

a medieval signature on the parapet.

 

The finish with coffee was great .

 

 

 

 

The overgrown path

 I was just looking at the most recent post and then I look at today's date -  I find it hard to believes that it is almost a fortnight since my last entry.

First I must congratulate Eoin Barry on a masterful (Sorry about that ) delivery - most impressive .

... and while we are on the noticeboard theme here is something else you might consider:

 

This is an exhibition you should consider visiting first of all to support the artists concerned but also to back up the people who work so hard with these artists and who see to it that their work is viewed.

 

Here's a nice picture (that's enough to get one shot at dawn in a certain art school)

 

 

Having put in a long day last Friday I was walking up to Thomond Park and this presented itself - I count myself lucky not to have been under it as I know someone waiting for a bus who was - very wet.

 

Here's another nice picture :

 

...a bit more enigmatic

 

This was beside the track at Limerick junction and there must be a story here -where is the body? why is there no blood? Is there a shrivelled foot inside?

 

This image will reappear in some form.

 

These two are perhaps not so nice:

 

 

 

 

The investigation of my own corporeal being is going to new lengths .

 

I have been doing some printwork also and shortly some of that will appear here.

 

Meanwhile here are a couple of small drawings done in various waiting areas:

 

 

siting in dentist's waiting room - ok loads of laughs

 

 

 

 sitting in barbers

 

More sooner rather than later