I started a new children’s art class today. Like yesterday’s new class, it’s one I haven’t taught for many months. This time it’s in the Gaelscoil in Oranmore, which is the Irish-language-only school that my kids went to. I had figured on taking about 12 children in total, and then I agreed to take an…
(Never) Always Work With Animals And Children Yesterday I saw some beautiful beech leaves that I wanted to paint. There was something so magical about them. The colours, the hues…I don’t know. I did try to go out and paint – I had been stuck in front of a screen all day – but God…
I met my fellow artists, USk Galway, today for a sketch-out under the archways of National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG). We huddled together from the cold under stone arches and sketched the beautiful 19th-century courtyard, called the Quadrangle, or Quad for short. It was a trip down memory lane for me: I walked through…
Anyone who has followed my work for a while will know that I have always been very discreet when it comes to posting pics of my children online. I can relax now, partly because they don’t mind and are already out there all over the place, and on a more practical level, because my eldest,…
There’s a beech hedge at the bottom of my drive. Over the last few weeks it has been a riot of flame-coloured leaves and every time I drive past, I think I really must sketch it. Days passed and I did no such thing, even though I knew they were starting to blow off with…
I occasionally teach Spanish to young people. It’s hard to get a fun vibe when you’re teaching a language outside of the country where it’s spoken, as it can be a little dull by comparison to be taught by one person. Learning Spanish in Spain means the following: – sun – warmth – fab new…
Every schoolchild in Ireland must learn Irish. You can only be excused if you arrived late into Ireland from another country, maybe 10 years old or so. Growing up, there was usually one or maybe two kids in the class who didn’t have to do Irish. We envied them more than words can say: they…
I’m a terrible woman for heading for Dr Google when something is wrong, real or imagined. It’s a mistake, I know, we all know it, but we can’t resist. So my machine was my first port of call the other day because I was experiencing a curious symptom. Everything tasted salty. No matter what tasty…
I love sketching at the bus stop while I wait for the kids. No one can disturb me. The car is tiny but it doesn’t matter. And the only subjects are some trees and a big grain silo so it doesn’t matter what happens. And if the worst comes to the worst and the kids…
Sixty years seems like an eternity to a child, but in reality it’s practically yesterday. The Battle of Britain Museum is a place to stir emotions like none I’ve ever experienced.