Creative Nudge – Takes My Breath Away

Greetings from Ireland!

Sometimes the thing that inspires us cannot be captured by a camera, because it is a feeling or a memory that can only be expressed by an creative mind.

They say that when you come to Ireland, you'll see shades of green that you've never knew existed. The image that I have in my head now is after miles and miles of patchwork-green fields, dotted with sheep, under grey clouds but saturated from rain. Colors brighten under the sun, but they also are more saturated in Nature when wet. Occasionally on this trip we've seen both, (wet, but drenched with sunlight) and that is an amazing shade of green!

This view was captured at Slea Head on the Dingle Peninsula, which is the most Southwest part of Europe (including the Blasket Islands)… the closest land to the west is the east coast of the US. In fact here they refer to Boston or New York as "the neighboring parish".

This scene is spectacular because you come around the bend on a narrow snaking road high above the cliffs and crashing waves, when suddenly there is a dramatic sweep of green, with dark rocks that drop suddenly to the beach, and then the turquoise water sparkles beyond. A few simple cottages are seemingly tossed across the landscape, and the ubiquitous grey rock walls stretch up the sloping hillside, containing hundreds of sheep and cows.

It feels like the edge of the world, but there were 43 of us sharing the experience. The sun came out just in time to capture this remarkable view, and to illuminate the jeweltones that sparkled after a rain. No wonder the ancient residents believed in fairies and magic!

I hope hope I can share with you this moment when I gasped, and was just blown away by the sweeping landscape. I am taking lots of photos, collecting books on Celtic art, and drawing Celtic designs in my sketchbook. We have a fantastic group and they are having a great time together!