It's All About the Moment

Mary Cullen-Kelly, In Venice, photograph

Something about winter makes you slow down and really enjoy the quiet moments here and there.

Reflection

Looking back at photos I came across this image of a painting I sold 3 years ago, and I'm hoping that its owners are still getting pleasure from the artwork.  Titled 'In to the Blue', it was exhibited at the Dublin City Art Squad 20 anniversary exhibition.

'In to the Blue', oil on canvas, Mary Cullen, 2009

Great-Grandfather's Racing Boat on display in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny

The Nore Lass and Thomas Cuddihy's grandchildren
(artwork in the background is by Caroline Schofield)

The Nore Lass

I was so proud to visit Grennan Mills in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny during the summer, to see one of our great-grandfather's boats which has been put on permanent display there.  This racing boat, which is in fantastic condition, was built over 100 years ago.  Thomas Cuddihy was a famous boat-builder in the south-east of Ireland for many years, and built vessels that were used as working boats, including those used for the gathering of reeds for thatching houses, as well as building many racing boats.  This boat, the Nore Lass, was found in almost perfect condition at a farmhouse near Graignamanagh.  It was wonderful also to visit the boat exhibition with family, including my uncle, also Thomas Cuddihy, who still lives in the ancestral home.  A large shed that was built to accommodate the boat-building is still standing in the yard of that house, and is still used today (although not for boat-building!).

Glorious Summer

Photos taken in Altamount Gardens, Carlow, July 2013

Sounds of the sea

Wonderful summer evening in Youghal, sounds of the sea and silver shine on the water.  Good for the soul

Watercolours on Linen Paper

This collection of watercolours currently showing in the Carlow arts cafe on Dublin St., Cáfe Formenti, is really starting to grow on me, and I've got plans to re-frame some of the pieces individually, but also in perhaps in groups, and to make some more work too.

The work will be on display until the end of June, along with Brandon McLane's pen and ink drawings.

Retro in Carlow

Photo of me 70's style at the very funky Retro Shop in Carlow https://www.facebook.com/RetroPopUp.  Love their decor which they have updated for Eigse 2013.

1930s and Other Stories at Cafe Formenti, Eigse, June 2013





Mary Cullen, This is a 1930s Landscape, Watercolour on linen paper, 2012

Currently showing with Brandon McLane.  Really happy to have this suite of work on show, which is a series of small watercolours on linen paper.  Now that I've seen them framed, I'm thinking of other ways they might be shown, as part of a large piece perhaps.  Seems like they have a life to them that could go on for a while, hmmm, more musing needed.

The Blueprint: LIFE Blueprint Exhibition at Eigse Carlow 2013

'Life: Images of the Human Form'

Blueprint Artists Network
Eigse Local Culture Section 8th-16th June 2013
Courthouse Hotel, Dublin St., Carlow



Harpist with Grafetti, Paris, photograph, Mary Cullen, 2010



The Blueprint Artists Network, Carlow, was set up with the purpose of involving artists in the creation of opportunities for exhibiting in the local area and beyond.  
 
Experienced and emerging artists working in a variety of media including performance, visual arts and music, have taken part in the Blueprint show at Eigse over the past 5 years.  ‘Life’ is an exhibition of paintings, prints, photographs and drawings based on images of the human form, showing at the Courthouse Hotel, Dublin St., Carlow during the Eigse festival.

More from Galway

The previous post mentioned the sights and sounds found in Galway last week, including the tea cup window, as below:



Galway Tea Rooms, photograph, 2013



Visual and other feasts in Galway

I wrote about Don McCullin in a recent post, and how his comment that you don't need a camera, you can just spend time looking and taking in all that you see and that you can feast your eyes everyday, really struck home to me. 



Mary Cullen, Charity Shop Window in Galway, photograph


I've just been in Galway for the weekend, and as I drove along on Thursday evening, I thought about what he said, and how it really seemed so true as I drove into the huge sky filled with billowy grey and white clouds, grounded by clusters of stone walls and thin trees covered in a light frost of bright green. 

Galway always provides a menu of colour and sound, and this time was no different, from the dainty china cups suspended on ribbons in the window of a tea-room to the spikey-haired tambourine-shaking busker in cowboy boots giving a fabulous bellow of 'Ru-u-beeee.......don't take your love to town' as the sun came out from under the clouds. Fabulous.

Mentoring the Artist

I recently attended a Mentoring session organised by Artlinks.  I can honestly say that this was the most useful two hours I’ve spent in a long time! 



Mary Cullen, Positano, Italy, Photograph, 2007

This mentoring session was about arts practice, goals, career development, etc.  The mentor talked about the art world at local, national and international levels and how all these areas have to be considered - in time, not necessarily all together.  I admitted to her that 'art speak' really scared me, and she responded to this directly with advice and clarification.  She noted this was a barrier that could be tackled, but that would continue to cause me to avoid certain opportunities if I didn't deal with it.  That really struck home with me.  We talked about personal arts practice, and how work should be authentic and directed by the artist, and not the 'scene', however, the artist needs to examine and continue to add to and progress the the way they work, and to be able to speak about it articulately if and when needed. 

Art as Therapy

I've been interested in art therapy and therapeutic art for many years now.   In 1995 I was sent along to the Crawford College of Art (Cork)'s Art Therapy Summer School.  It was amazing.  I'd been working on a CE employment scheme, Dublin City Artsquad, and participants were given money to attend some kind of training.  Nuala Hayes (NCAD), was the scheme supervisor who thought I would enjoy learning a bit about art therapy, and wow was she right.  I couldn't quite believe that this thing called art therapy existed - it seemed to correlate with some ideas that were floating around in my head, but with so much more to it!  I was overwhelmed by the experience.  I had been trying to teach art and also to work in community settings and support settings such as a women's refuge, where there seemed to be a place for 'doing' some artwork with people, but where the tradition of teaching art didn't quite fit.  And now this idea of art as therapy, and also therapeutic art, was shown to me and it seemed to make such sense of the 'place' of artwork for the groups I'd met. 
One of the first books I read on the subject was Art as Therapy by Sean McNiff and I still flick through it now, more so as a talisman for remembering the power of that new learning than as a resource these days.  A few years later I went on to attend the Certificate in Art Therapy in Crawford, one of the formative experiences of my life I think really, and although for a long time I used the skills learned in my workaday work, now I carry with me into my own arts practice much of the contemplative, explorative, and (although I don't like the phrase, it fits here) stream of conciousness approach that underpins art therapy.   
Maybe it shows in my artwork, maybe not, but I think it does really, as below...

Mary Cullen, Was that the River?, Oil on Gesso, 18cmx13cm, 2013, €120.00

New Exhibition 'Trans-Atlantic' March 2013

Mary Cullen, 'When', Mixed Media, 13"x18" 2013, framed €120.00



Mary Cullen, 'Galway', Mixed Media, 13"x18" 2013, framed €100.00



Cáfe Formenti display



Mary Cullen, 'Force of Nature', Mixed Media, 13"x18" 2013, framed €100.00

Great to hang up some new work yesterday in Carlow's art cafe - Cafe Formenti, Dublin St., Carlow!  Artwork by myself, Brandon McLane (Carlow) and Angie Gerberina (US) went on display from yesterday, and it's a show to be proud of!  Christina and Richie of Formenti fame are well-known for their support of emerging artists and musicians in the local area.  The work will remain on show for the Pan Celtic Festival too, starting 2nd April 2013.  The show is called 'Trans-Atlantic'.

On the other side of Dublin St., I've got some textile work on display in the Courthouse Hotel, where new manager Caroline Dargan is determined to find a niche for local artists seeking a new venue to display their work.  Work up currently includes the following:

Loop Hd Lighthouse, Co. Clare



Loop Head Lighthouse, Co. Clare, February 2013

The house has been restored by The Irish Landmark Trust http://www.irishlandmark.com/ 

Morning Light

Mary Cullen, Antique Shop in Paris Market, Photograph, 2010

Beaumaris, Wales

Mary Cullen, Beaumaris Window, 2009

Venice Revisited

Here's an image on board created using the gesso mixed media technique I've been using ...




Mary Cullen, Shared Memory, Mixed Media, 2013

 

Mixing Media

I've been working with collage, gesso and oil paint recently and while results have been mixed, I'm having some success and I'm quite fascinated by the process and plan to keep on going...I'm using gesso imprints, photos, textiles to create patterns in the paint, and sandpaper to remove some of the imagery and built up paint surfaces. The results so far are quite atmostpheric and the colours are great.

Carlow Arts Office



Me in Lismore Castle, Co. Waterford with Richard Wright's installation

 In 2012 I was delighted to receive a bursary from the Carlow Arts Office.  I received an individual artists' grant which I used to help to develop my professional practice last year.  This was from the Carlow Arts Acts Grants.  I'm very grateful, it was great to receive the grant and also to be acknowledged by the Arts Office.