In Love With Ireland

I had the best summer vacation ever: June 26 – July 10 I led a student tour to London, Paris, Switzerland, Venice, Munich, Heidelberg, and Amsterdam. Even though the trip began with a weather delay, resulting in a loss of our first day in London, and two of the students’ luggage decided to take trips of their own – one for three days, the second piece of luggage for 14 days (not showing up until the day before we returned to the USA!), it was a fabulous, wonder-filled trip for both myself and all of the students. Then when we returned home on the 10th, I immediately began washing laundry and repacking because the second half of my summer was an eleven day trip with other teachers (no students) to Ireland for a Teacher Convention tour. I boarded the plane for Ireland on July 14th and didn’t return until July 25th. In fact, I didn’t want to return!  I am head over heels in love with Ireland.
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I cannot praise the tour company I use enough: EF Tours. The EF people who traveled around with the 42 teachers who toured Ireland were so courteous, so fun, and so very accommodating: Hélène Vincent, Josh Gosdin, Cameron Mansanarez, and Emily Roy. Our tour guide, Cathal from Cork, was equally amazing. And the teachers I met? I hope I have them as friends for life.

BUT… Ireland…. I so love Ireland.

And then school started. And teaching. And workshops and writing of lesson plans and learning new students and….and…and…..

And my creativity hit a wall. Hard.
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But it’s back! I was introduced to a Russian painter and installation artist’s (Valery Koshlyakov) work by a student, Sarah Modisette. Immediately I thought of a photograph I had taken of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Killarney, Ireland. (Actually the official name is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, but is better known as St. Mary’s.) I need to work on the more abstract manner Koshlyakov uses, but I like the feel of the freedom the paint marking uses with this style. And now I am starting another…because when the creativity is flowing… RIDE THE WAVE!

St. Mary's Cathedral
(Our Lady of the Assumption)
Killarney, Ireland

acrylic on cardboard
​14"x27"