Summer dreams and valentines

"Talking All Morning," 8 x 10 140 lb d'Arches rough press paper

Cooped up.... 

Pandemic one. Quarantine two. Bitter winter storm, three. I don't want to know what four is.

So, thoughts of the good old summer time--warm sunny days, green grass, lush leaves, lazy river, good friends outdoors.

Today's little painting is a "study" because I'm trying something different, something to learn, to push myself, because I feel in a rut.

This is inspired by a little black and white photo, "Talking all morning," taken alongside a river in Ireland by poet David Whyte, that I found in his book "Essentials," given to me for Valentine's Day by Susan. I won't show you the photo, and I'm not trying to duplicate it. It's pretty rough and I'm not exactly happy with this, but enough to share.  If the next one is better, I'll post it.

I saw it and my imagination started adding color. Remember wanting to talk all morning with someone, pre social media, when everything just "clicks," one thought leading to another, no time-table, only the gentle rush of a river, grassy slopes, maybe a picnic lunch?

Soul's journey

"Soul's Journey," 8 by 10, 140 lb d'Arches cold press paper

Watercolor is a journey, a journey of learning, of experimenting, of trial, of error, of frustration, of color, of discovery, of magic, of a soul searching.
In these desperate days of pandemics of virus, racism and political chaos, we need peace, focus, beauty more than ever.
This morning I had no idea what to paint, but then I remembered my canoe.
I miss my canoe, especially at being out on Arcadia Lake at "First Crack," of dawn, when there is stillness and beauty and ...peace, as the natural world wakes up.
A recent program on the river Shannon in Ireland jarred my memory of solitary canoe trips, where I, alone in the universe, journeyed beyond my imagination.
It's a big step for me, because as a child of the arid Southwest in New Mexico, I'm basically not comfortable with  of lots of water. Bad things happen there. But we need water to live. Journeys.
So today's watercolor, near the end of the day, metaphorically, another study of complementary colors--red/oranges and violets, "Soul's Journey."

St. Pat's Unicorn watercolor

St, Pat's Unicorn, 5 x 7 140 lb. Farbriano Artistico cole press paper

Unicorns. What is it about unicorns? Don't know, but surely St. Pat must have had one as a guide, an inspiration.
And Ireland is surely a land and culture of magic. Even the stars and moon are green.
Some of the magic still exists, based on the response to my earlier unicorn paintings, which are selling.  Thus here is today's watercolor.
Matted and for sale of course.

Flag of rebellion and a Saint's country

The flag of Ireland over a statue in Dublin--Cathal McNaughton/Reuters

'Tis a small country with along history and huge influence.
As revelers celebrate St. Patrick's Day here and in Ireland and elsewhere this week, this is a salute to that independent, rebellious heritage, and to the residents  of that country who are readers of this blog.
The flag, like many around the world, is a flag of rebellion. Officially adopted as the country's flag in December 1921 when the country gained independence from Britain, it had been around for about 80 years as a symbol of resistance. It was first used in 1848, with the colors switched, in a failed revolution led by Thomas Meagher. Instead of being sentenced to death, the leaders were sentenced to Australia.
Ireland's "Great Hunger" in the late 1840s help spur both the rebellion and waves of immigration to America, binding the countries' common heritage and culture, which continues today.
Meager said the green represented the Catholic majority, the orange the Protestant minority, and the white, a lasting truce between them. The Protestants were settled into Ireland in the 1550s by the British. Independence came with the division of the country, with Northern Ireland staying with the United Kingdom.

"The Arms of Ireland," an earlier flag, a gold harp on a green background was a symbol of nationalism from 1798 to the 20th Century, and is now the flag of one of the country's provinces.
The tricolor is a powerful symbol in America too. Unthinking, and xenophobic Florida officials in Atlantic Beach passed a law earlier this year forbidding the display of any national flag but the American flag. The resulting uproar, after an Irish pub that had long displayed the Irish flag was ticketed and order to remove the flag, forced them to back down this week. Not smart, especially with St. Patrick's Day coming up.

St. Patrick and the Irish attitude

The patron saint of Ireland was first a teenage slave for six years in Ireland before escaping, but after becoming a cleric, he returned to Ireland as an ordained bishop in 432 AD. He served till his death, March 17, 460. Within 200 years he was already revered as a patron saint.

Ireland gets its name from the invading Celtic tribes which arrived about 600 B.C. Calling their new home "Euerilo" from their homeland, it evolved to old Irish "Eriu" to "Erie" in Irish and "Ireland" in English. Their druid religions were overcome through the efforts of St. Patrick and others.
A history of invasion, occupation and rebellion have shaped the Irish attitude and nationalism. After the Normans conquered England, they invaded Ireland in 1169 and the country was ruled as a kingdom by the British crown. In 1603 a victory at Ulster gave Britain complete control, and the following years included land confiscations and importing more Protestant settlers. Rebellions and violence continued until a Home Rule Bill in  1912 provided for solving "the Irish Problem." World War I and politics and more bloodshed  in a war of independence delayed action until the truce and division of 1921 that gave Ireland its independence as the Irish Free State.
"Sláinte!"

Sources: 
www.irish-genealogy-tookkit.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick
http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/users/ireland/past/pre_norman_history/iron_age.html
http://www.great-britain.co.uk/history/ireland.htm
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/13/17293622-irish-flag-flies-again-at-pub-after-ban-sparks-outrage