Yesterday I attended a workshop facilitated by artist Heather Brett in the Market House in Blacklion. The workshop was part of the “Response to Beauty” initiative facilitated by Heather to bring artists from the region together to generate an artistic response to the Cavan Burren and the wider Geopark. Elena Duff, a contemporary visual artist, provided an inspiring talk on using textures within art in relation to the Burren. This was followed by a wonderful talk from poet and playwright Noel Monahan on the “Lanugauge of the Landscape” at the new Cavan Burren interpretative centre. We took the opportunity to explore the Burren before wrapping up the workshop.

A huge thanks to Heather, Noel and Elana and all other attendees for an inspiring and enjoyable day. Elena has a solo exhibition currently running in the Ashbourne Library and Culture Centre in Meath. Check it out, her work is inspiring.

I took some time at the end of the workshop to wait for the evening light and capture some of the essence of the Cavan Burren. There was some spectacular light between the frequent showers of rain. Since last December I have been working on a personal project on the Cavan Burren and surrounding area that challenges us to contrast civilisation’s march towards a shortening attention span to that of nature and the landscape whose clock is measured in millions of years rather than minutes, days and weeks. I hope to present part of this work within the Response to Beauty initiative.