Two Feltmakers Ireland members, Patricia Conroy and Corina Hogan, recently enjoyed an artists’ residency at Áras Éanna Art Centre on the island of Inis Oírr. Founded in 2000, the centre is housed in a converted weaving factory dating from the 1980s. It supports a wide range of creative practices, including visual arts, writing, music, theatre, and film.
From Patricia:
We received a residency through Creative Places Tuam, funded by Galway County Council, in conjunction with Áras Éanna ar Ínis Oírr. They take approximately 40 residencies a year, welcoming artists from all parts of Ireland and also from abroad.
Our residency was two weeks long, with accommodation, a work studio, and a 1,000 euro stipend, which we shared equally between us.
Every day, I went to the studio and worked, as it was so great to have time and space. The rugged, wild, windy Island was so energising. I left everything on the mainland and just being there to create was fantastic. I created lots of work and experimented with areas I never normally have time for.
The Landscape:
I did two big pieces, wet-felted Merino and then Irish wool, to compare, putting pieces of sea debris through the wool vessels I made. I did some dyeing with sea plants and got a lovely colour from the shipwrecked “Plassey”. I made lots of art and walked around the whole Island, taking photos of things I want to explore further.
The chance to speak Irish was great. I feel connected to the past and the ancestors when I do this. I have lots of research to do now, particularly around seaweed and natural dyes!
Dyeing with Seaweed:
Patricia’s Artwork:
From Corina:
Our time on the Island has been an incredible journey of gathering materials / photographs of the Island and has given us more material than we will ever need for future paintings and felted creations. We experienced all weathers, which led to some brilliant photos, and we are more than excited to get started on a few felting creations.
Áras Éanna was a large space, which was filled with creations and inspiration. We navigated through the wild storms, and the island certainly made us feel alive.
The Landscape:
What a wonderful opportunity to have the freedom and time to experiment with various possibilities and also just the time to focus on our creativity.
I started a few projects during the two weeks, and now I am looking forward to completing them over the next few weeks and creating more pieces for years to come. Patricia was wonderful and taught me a lot through her dyeing and wet felting.
The Sunrises and Sunsets were exceptionally beautiful, and the skies will forever be in my creations, as they were stunning. My favourite part of the day was early morning, when I captured the beauty, and I took pictures every morning because the skies were incredible.
I will be using the beautiful rusty-coloured Plassey Shipwreck as the opening section of a craft book that I am eager to get started on, and I cannot wait to felt the cover picture of the Plassey. Watch this space…
Corina’s Artwork:
Creative Places Tuam gave us this fantastic experience alongside Galway County Council, which funded it, and Áras Éanna on Inis Oírr, which gave us the space to work and the lovely warm house where we stayed. Any artist would benefit hugely from this time out from the real world to focus on their craft.
We also taught the other two housemates (two acrobats) how to felt, and they LOVED it!
Connecting to Feltmakers Ireland West:
On Sunday the 25th of October, members of Feltmakers Ireland West planned to take the ferry to visit Patricia and Corina to see what they created during their residency. Unfortunately, rough seas prevented the trip.
Instead, the group met in Tuam and connected with Patricia and Corina via Zoom. Those attending enjoyed a needle-felted sheep workshop led by guild member Katarina Hruskova. Although the weather made it difficult for people to get around the island, one local participant was able to attend, and others on the island expressed interest. Big thanks to Patricia for that day, as Corina was sick with a chest infection and Patricia did all the work from their end.
After the residency, Patricia also brought back some wool from the island for Katarina of Woolstore Ireland to process on behalf of a local resident.
Conclusion:
The artist residency at Áras Éanna Art Centre sounds like a wonderfully productive and inspiring two weeks for Patricia and Corina, with plenty of new ideas and experiments to follow! Thank you for sharing your rich experiences and beautiful photographs with us.
To find out more about Áras Éanna Art Centre and its residency programme, visit their website: https://aras-eanna.ie/en/
Their Instagram: @araseanna @corina.lewis.hogan @roundtowerwool @creativeplacestuam @artsofficegalwaycounty
