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.