Irish Arts Blog

Carna, West of Ireland

The bus carrying the last of the renters and students is slowly pulling out of the village.

Even the seagulls seem thrilled.

Not to mention the neighbour Smiths (originally from Southhampton) in the house next door.

One of those magical autumn weekends when you have the area all to yourself.

I’m standing by the back door, at sunset, having a conversation with you about the beauty of the failing flowers.

You ask, ‘are all yellow flowers your favourite?’

I laugh and say ‘no silly, not all yellow ones!’

‘Just this one?’

“How did you guess?”

 

Magical Nature

by Cristina Colli

Lately I have been experimenting with digital macro photography. I did a series of composites  inspired by mosaic techniques, using my own photos as tesserae.

I am very pleased to say that "Magical Nature", a composite created with  photos taken mostly at the National Botanic Gardens, has been selected by artist Brit Hammer and published in her new book “Break Out! Your Pathway to success”.

The book, aimed at visual artists  who want to create a successful art business, is packed with full-page images of beautiful art. It is available at blurb.com and at e-junkie.com (e-book format).

Leviathan Tree

 

 

I paint primarily from imagination, this way I can capture the essence of the tree without having the expectation of it being preconceived. I spend quality time in nature, walking in the woods,  observing the colours of nature & taking in the good vibes. When I return to my studio to work I usually close my eyes & then I can see the tree in my mind’s eye. Sometimes my vision has fluorescent qualities, I try to capture this when I paint trees.

Blood Cup

 

 

 

 

There was no gold plated chalice to contain this earthly blood

But a cup from heavens above - the chosen vessel

& a dark shadow cast from a heavenly light source materialized my vision

As it was meant to be.

 

Acrylic on canvas 40x40cm 2009

Tidal Flux

cm 20 x 25 - Tidal Flux by Cristina Colli

This is another piece in the series inspired by the tide currents and their effect on the beach.
I used glass smalti, stone, gold, pearls and shells.
I collected the shells during a walk at Bull Island. Some of them had been polished by the sea and had such an interesting texture that I used them almost whole, to show their beauty.

Mountains

While skiing in Austria recently I fell and tore my ligaments. Naturally, I cried and cried and cried for what seemed like days but once I came out of a the blur of tears I have started to become focused on the mountains.  Not in the winter season cause I am still annoyed at them for causing me so much pain but the mountains in other seasons. 

How the light hits them and how the shape is never wrong

nature just makes them that way

the mornings can be different to the evening setting sun

 

how big and powerful they are and how comforting they can be.

Mountains so much fun and so much pain!!

Curragh mosaics

 

 

by Cristina Colli

I was commissioned these mosaic panels by  a client who trains racehorses. He works and lives by the Curragh, an open plain in county Kildare, and he wanted two non-representational mosaics inspired by the area, with an emphasis on water and horses.

I chose a series of design elements to convey my impression of the Curragh:

- at the bottom and top part, colours are inspired by limestone, while the fragmented sections portray the pattern created by intersecting gorse bush branches;

- the blue area represents water from the aquifer, while the central part stands for the grassland of the Kildare plain;

- repeated organic shapes in yellow and browns are inspired by galloping horses and convey their speed, rhythm and energy.

 

Out of Africa

I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills. The Equator runs across these highlands, a hundred miles to the North, and the farm lay at an altitude of over six thousand feet. In the day-time you felt that you had got high up, near to the sun, but the early mornings and evenings were limpid and restful, and the nights were cold.”

Out of Africa, Isak Dinesen

I am heading to Merrian Square this weekend - it is my first time getting a pitch on the square.  Being of the age of less and less firsts, I am truly excited! Going through my stock of work in preparation for my day of cold and rain, I came across this piece inspired by another first - my first trip to Kenya.  I had seen the movie and read the book and had fallen in love with Kenya and of course himself with the rugged hat and sexy swagger!

This painting hopes to capture the break of day and the breath taking strong unforgiving colours.

a long time

by cliodhna

I had almost forgotten about this place. I have been really busy, traveling, moving, doing two weeks in the pyramids of Teotihuacan and then in Tepoztlan for a course in dreaming. Keeping up my own blog at the same time. Thanks to 'post in the future', I could arrange it for a week or so in advance and then forget about it.
I come here and see some beautiful art posted while I have been gone. Mosaics, photos, a pair of cuff links. I bought a bracelet from Lynn and I still haven't seen it yet! Its for a Christmas present for an Aunt and it is sitting with my sister waiting for the right time. I will have to get them to send me a photo of it on someones wrist.
Art wise, I have done some embroideries and have set up my oil studio again. Something about the smell of oil paint. Nothing like it. It smells magical, opens doors in my imagination, calms me, peaceful. I have just finished a picture which I have not taken a photo of yet. AboveI have posted a work from a couple of years ago which it seems I am returning to this simplistic style, swirls, dots, decorative, symbolic. Next one is a recent one

It is from the rainy season here in Mexico. We have finished with the rain and now it is COLD! I am surprised by this. I have four years in sunny heat and now suddenly with the altitude its got cold. Might even snow! (which for me being from Ireland and very exciting).

xx clio

Waterways Exhibition

The Waterways exhibition is part of the "miniature" series of exhibitions annually held by the British Association for Modern Mosaic - BAMM.

This exhibition is held in London, at the Canal Museum and it runs until 8th November.

The theme is inspired by the venue. It encompasses many areas including associated wildlife, landscape, history and canal art (Roses and Castles) itself.

I contributed two pieces:

A rose is a rose by Cristina Colli

“A rose is a Rose” takes its inspiration from the rose motif typical of canal folk art, with its vibrant, bright colours often set off by a dark background.

Gliding through by Cristina Colli

“Gliding through” is dedicated to the beauty and elegance of swans, often seen swimming gracefully through the water of canals.