Greetings from Ireland

So here I am in Ireland, having arrived Sunday night after a long day in transit and 2 hours driving on the left in the dark to my destination, an artist’s residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in County Monaghan. “Annaghmakerrig”, as it is known around here, was the family estate of the actor Tyrone Guthrie, whose will specified that it be maintained as a residency for artists (visual, literary, musical, etc.). There are up to 20 artists staying here at a time, anywhere from a few days to a couple of months. It is close to the border with Northern Ireland, and jointly funded by the 2 governments, so there are usually quite a few Irish artists here, both from the north and from the Republic, as well as an assortment of Europeans, a couple of Americans, and maybe Canadians.

There are two housing options for artists here, staying in the “Big House” or in the “cottages”, which are really like apartments in the old farm buildings. I’ve stayed in the house before, but have started to opt for the quieter space of the cottages, where I seem to better collect my thoughts and focus on studio work.

I have been here 4 times before, so arriving here was like coming home. It is lovely and lush, especially after Iceland, and a place where I have always felt at peace in the quiet and welcomed by the warmth of the people. Family issues at home have much occupied my mind in the days since I arrived, but I am happy to be here and settling into my house and my studio, with windows looking out into the garden and lots of space to rattle around and put up work on the walls. The project I’m working on here (more on that later) will take me out and about, so I’ve rented a car, a real luxury! 

The Big House

from across the lake

The cottages

My cottage

studio building

my studio