helenfarrellart

This piece of paperart was inspired by an ancient engraving on a stone in one of my favourite places  -- Loughcrew, Co. Meath. It is now hanging on a wall in Boulder, Colorado.   My parents used to bring us on Sunday afternoon drives to visit these old ancient megalithic sites, and  I know many people have a love of this place or are inspired by it.  I remember doing an essay on it while in art college, and trying to bring myself to a time and place that predated modern civilisations and religions . There is more information on Loughcrew on one of my previous posts. " Sun Radial" , Loughcrew, Co. Meath Various papers, embossing and glue Dimensions : 50cms x 40cms Inspired by engraving on backstone in cairn T Here is a photo my uncle Val Farrell took on one of his forays to Loughcrew. I particularly like this one with its strong ,defining light and dark shadows. It was taken from the inside of Cairn T.

I love dogs and I love drawing and painting dogs.  I often stop and simply look at dogs for ages... Their gait, their expressions, their colouring, their attitudes, their bone structures, their limbs, eyes, paws . Our mutual relationship with dogs is a very ancient one.  "Spaniel swimming" Acrylic on wood 50cms x 40cms "Lab swimming " Acrylic and chalk pastel on canvas 45cms x 60cms "German Shepherd" Acrylic on wood panel 40cms x 50cms 

"Approach into Moynalty village from Kells, Co Meath " Dimensions :  60cms x 30cms Pen and Ink drawing " Main Street, Moynalty " Dimensions :  60cms x 30cms Pen and Ink drawing

"In the mountains I met with Love Saturating Being dissolving barriers  Wholeness in every moment of Creation in gratitude and wonder" I could never have imagined a landscape like this one before Kelly, Ann and I  drove the long 8 hour drive from Denver,Colorado to Arches National Park, Utah in July earlier this year. In anticipation of our two day only trip, I had read about the area, but nothing would have prepared me for the sheer,dramatic physical experience of this shockingly, stunning landscape. A timelessness seemingly untouched by thousands of years of life on earth. "View from Windows Arch" We were surrounded by harsh and exquisitely beautiful formations. It was easy to imagine this world being created. The following are snippets I wrote in my diary before going to bed on the first evening of our trip. 7pm ..arriving in  Arches Park "Balanced Rock" Drove to Balanced Rock.  Walked around.  E...

This project was a real treat.  The inspiration for it came from "Little People in the City", - a compact book of absorbing  photographs of tiny, painted handmade models of people by the urban artist Slink achu. Slinkachu is a London-based artist whose creations can be found in doorways and cracks in the pavement across the capital . "Mixing sharp humour with a delicious edge of melancholy, Little People in the City brings together the collected photographs of Slinkachu, a street-artist who for several years has been leaving little hand-painted people in the bustling city to fend for themselves, waiting to be discovered… Oddly enough, even when you know they are just hand-painted figurines, you can’t help but feel that their plights convey something of our own fears about being lost and vulnerable in a big, bad city.” The Times. We loved his work, and ran a sculpty/photographic workshop based on this theme as part of Ranelagh Arts Festival 2012...

16th June....Bloomsday takes place every year in Dublin. The "inclined" young and old folk need no encouragement to don their Edwardian gladrags , and take to the streets of Dublin for fun and frolics, as they celebrate " James Joyce " with other Joyceans across the globe. " Bloomsday Poster " on Mountpleasant Park railings, Ranelagh, Dublin 2012 But a little bit about Bloomsday.. Bloomsday celebrates the day on which the action of James Joyce’s novel  Ulysses  takes place, 16 June 1904, the day on which (we believe) Joyce first went out with his future wife, Nora Barnacle. The day is named after Leopold Bloom, the central character in Ulysses . The novel follows the life and thoughts of Leopold Bloom and a host of other characters – real and fictional – from 8am on 16 June through to the early hours of the following morning.  One of the earliest Bloomsday celebrations was a  Ulysses  lunch, organised by Sylvia Beach, publisher ...

There are 102 artists from 29 countries taking part in this   innovative show, which comprises 2D and 3D paper art works unrestricted by technique, style or material. The Amateras Annual Paper Art Exhibition was established in 2009 to promote the exploration worldwide of paper as an art form. According to the organisers, "the purpose of the exhibition is to stimulate the development of creativity and innovation, to exceed the ordinary imagination of using paper and to promote the exchange of ideas and sharing of original experiments." The exhibition continues until June 2nd in the Art Alley Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria.  More information available on their webpage www.amateras.eu  Two of my paperart works have been selected for inclusion in this show in Sofia, which is part of the Amateras Annual Paper Art Exhibition Bulgaria.  "2012..flow.."  15cms x 20cms Tracing and cotton papers, torn and layered "2012..heart op...

"Fairytale of the Irish" Mixed media   90cms x 120cms  Christmas Eve morning at 6am.. an image calling.. The Irish Times providing inspiration.. The Pogues "Fairytale of New York" playing in the background..

here is a link to The Iveagh Gardens.  http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/dublin/theiveaghgardens/ This morning, I simply needed to be around green grass. Compared to many major cities, we are blessed in Dublin to have a haven of public parks, all with easy walking distance from each other. So off to Iveagh Gardens with me, where I found lots of green grass, and this root.. " "roots...gnarled...disintegrating... what have you nourished... what lofty heights have you supported... time now to let the soft earth take you ..." 

Some new paperworks.. "2012 - now is the time" Papersculpture - crepe paper, gold paint, and acrylic glue, 20cms x 15cms these have come out of quiet spaces.  "2012 - ...flow..." Torn, and layered tracing paper and cotton paper, 20cms x 15cms Quite empty ,on one hand doing these, and quite fulfilled on the other. "2012  -  heart opening " torn and layered tracing paper  and cotton paper, 20cms x 20cms "2012  - Reflection" Torn papers  15cms x 20cms

I haven't been here for a while, - because.. I've  taken on a short (ish) Post Grad Course in Arts in Healthcare Settings in NUI Maynooth, and as its been tasking my hitherto " more relaxed" brain..I've been to concentrating my energies on finding my way around reading lists, library cards, books, papers and all the paraphanalia that seems to accompany a Post Grad Course.. "Vessel" Photo of curious window, I have always had a thing about windows and doors. A wonderful group of 15 women..all doing this course for various, and very various personal reasons. We have to put our heads down and together - down lowww, until the end of May. All are artists, - dancers, poets, writers, musicians, and visual artists, who are in some way involved in the area of introducing arts ( not as in art therapy, which has a more clinical role) into hospitals, nursing homes, community centres , rehabilitation centres and lots more in Ireland today. This area...

Two paintings , two gifts " Seanie and Ned", acrylic on paper 30cms x 40 cms It gave me great pleasure to do this painting of Seanie and his treasured best pal , Ned. The impetus to paint this came after his dog died, of old age, as they do , ..but not until Seanie had spent months tending to his pal with trips to the vet , administering various potions and pills, and trying to stave off the inevitable day. Seanie had been a brick to my Dad, in the months before he died, as he tended to Dad's beloved garden, rebuilding walls , edging lawns, trimming hedges, and quietly being present in the background. It helped him hugely , simply knowing that there was a man about that was able to do the things he no longer could, even if only for a while until things would get " sorted". So, now this painting hangs in prided place, and I know its loved which is a real gift for me. "Eniskerry" watercolour, 30cms x 40cms. And this wat...