Studio Classes start Thursday & Sketches from Ireland (Fellowship of the Ring, of Kerry!)

While it's on my mind, I'm going to mention that my studio classes for "Sketchbook Journaling" are starting up this Thursday.  Here's the link to the scoop if you'd like to join us. It's close to full, but you might want to be on the waiting list- as I think there will be an opening in mid-October.  Also- you can click on the images to enlarge them! 

Now, back to Ireland- We started our first day with a quick demo and focusing especially on the thing that really 'cracks the nut' on success with watercolor - the pigment to water ratios!

The best way to quantify and explain that? Relate it to something we are very familiar with - FOOD! Tea (so weak that it can't get itself out of the pot!), coffee (a little more pigment), Milk (more pigment yet), cream (heavier still, you might not be able to see through it), and butter (almost straight out of the tube). Once you understand this, that's a big part of the learning curve.  Getting a bit of practice time in so everyone is familiar with their new supplies:

We have lots of opportunities to take in the local beauty. We had a carriage ride waiting for us in Knightstown, with Joe (of Valentia Ice Cream) and his horse Max. Can you imagine a guy that would be any more popular than that? (horses, home-made ice-cream, beautiful scenery, oh my).  

We rode past the pretty church on the way to Knightstown (many years ago, I painted a wedding commission of this place - good memories!).

Here's the view coming into the pier area of Knightstown, where you can ride the ferry over to the mainland.

Down the main street of Knightstown, this colorful coffee shop happens to be a great place for lunch...

I was really happy to see that there was still a lot of wildflowers in bloom, recent storms hadn't taken them out! There were montbresia and fuchsias filling the hedgerows, and wild blackberry brambles still putting out berries! 

This was along the road back to Valentia Ice Cream; to the left of us - cows in the pasture.  Below us, the Valentia Light house shines in the sunlight of a beautiful Valentia day!

We followed up our delightful ride with ice-cream! I got to chat with Joe's wife after she scooped up ice-cream for us. They are just closed for the season...but we are special guests that day.  They have expanded and added a whole new room, and patio-deck, as well as a play space for the kids! What a treat getting to visit with them again!

From here it's time to head back to Barbara's cottage for lunch! Yes, we worked up a nice appetite photographing the town, and all it's views. The ice cream was a bit of an appetizer!

The men are contemplating lunch, and the afternoon activities to come! After lunch, we cross the bridge to Portmagee and head south to Ballenskelligs Beach to visit the ruins, (and sit for a sketch if so desired!). 

Ever since Luke Skywalker made it out to Skellig Michael, everyone has been discovering what we've known all along....Skelligs Chocolate is FAB!!! 

Need we say anything more about that?! Now that we are fortified with a mug of hot chocolate, we proceed on our way, to Waterville, and Hogshead beach for a bit of beach-combing and views, and sunset!

The path to the beach is so lush!

and some can't resist getting their feet wet!

These stones are the colors that inspired my decorating choices in my home.

Looking back up the hill - another pretty view!

It's not difficult to imagine that fairies would live in such a lush and tender landscape!

The big view back up the hill!

The sun sets on our first day! 

We head off to dinner, and are already worlds away from the 'selves we left behind in the states'.   Is natural beauty important? Yes! Can it change our lives? Yes!  Does it continue to amaze and enthrall us? yes, yes, yes! Our humanity has us hard-wired to appreciate beauty in our daily lives!

Return from Ireland - a weeklong journey to paint & tour

6"x8" oil on linen mounted on archival panel

"Morning Fields, Valentia Island, Co. Kerry"

For more information, or to purchase, click here. 

 

View from the plane as we fly into Shannon airport.

 

After an overnight flight leaving JFK Saturday evening, we arrive at Shannon airport at 6am. 

This first day of our trip, we must acclimate ourselves to our new time zones (five hours later). No napping! - or you'll find yourself awake at 2am ready to start the day five hours too early! We gather ourselves for the drive out to the coast where our workshop takes place. A bit of 'purposeful sightseeing' will get us used to our new time zone & hopefully alleviate the jet lag.   Leaving Shannon, we stop in the town of Adare for a break & a bit of tea and scones. 

Bark of a cork tree at Adare manor house.
 

We make a short stop at Adare manor to stretch our legs and see this incredible place! One of the most fascinating things I've found is the oldest Cedar of Lebanon, there on the grounds. It is said to be the oldest in Ireland and Great Britain, planted around 1645!

The gardens were rather spectacular there, as usual!

 We also make a stop in Foynes, along the Shannon River, and then head over through Ballybunnion to Ballyheigue. We have a bit of lunch at a tiny bistro along the beach at Ballyheigue Bay. Then we continue to wind our way through Tralee, and down through Killorglin, Glenbeigh, Caherciveen, and Portmagee before crossing the bridge to Valentia Island. Mary and Jim Lane, owners of SheaLane B&B welcome us to our home away from home. We get freshened up for dinner, and our meet and greet at Barbara and Tom Mastaglio's cottage. Barbara operates "Art on the Ring of Kerry" and is the 'Queen of Fun', making these art workshops and retreats possible.  There are so many wonderful things to see and do in this area of Kerry. It's a lot to pack into one week! She has been cooking dinner for us while we have been making our way across the countryside. Cooking aromas greet us as we enter the cottage. 

We've had some time during our travels to get acquainted with each other, and now all get to meet Barbara and Tom, our hosts during the retreat. We go over our itinerary for the week and take a tour of her property. 

 Above, from the patio, over looking Portmagee, across the channel.

Going to have a look at Barbara's studio.

So, enough about arrivals day. On Monday we begin our workshop at 9am.  Yes, it does rain in Ireland every day...or almost every day, usually not all day long, and if you time it right, there's always a bit of every kind of weather.  We started out with a bit of rain, but we have a fantastic multipurpose room at our B&B. It's a 'solarium', with windows on all three sides, perfect for painting from life, when it's pouring outside.  There's a different view in each direction you look. "Morning Fields, Valentia Island" was painted inside Mary's solarium room, looking north, as the weather changed outside.

Our first lesson is on simple landscapes, skyscapes, landforms, atmospheric perspective, composition, focal points, SQUINTING as a painting practice, as well as dealing with rapidly changing views due to weather, while plein air painting. Each day we'll cover a new painting subject while covering these topics.