Just two days ago I had the privilege to welcome nine students from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland to my studio and home here in the Burren. They were accompanyed by their incredible photography tutor Phyllis Berger and Howard Ehrenfeld also a photographic lecturer who has a strong background in painting.
Phyllis who travelled from Baltimore to New York in April earlier this year to see my show suggested that when she was back to Ireland next she would bring her students to see my work and discuss what I 'see' as I walk in the landscape.
Listening to the students talk about there experiences here in Ireland and the various studies they are involved in was fascinating. Boo prepared tea coffee and scones not to mention her homemade brownies which the students devoured! It was a wonderful coming together and great fun.
After we had established the various fields the students were working in, which ranged from Biology to English Literature I had the chance to show them some Observational Still life paintings followed by Landscape works, my works for the Shell project as well as discuss my current working methods in the studios.
Then we ventured outside. I asked the students.
What do you see?
What do you know, what interests you?
I'm interested to stimulate you to tell me what you know!
It was all very fascinating to hear of their personal and collective experiences here in Ireland.
I ended by saying.
'Know what your contemporaries do and what the old masters did but never fall into their conventions'. A bit of advice I have begun to take on board more seriously myself. Which leads me to my next blog post - coming soon.
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