thin veil

One evening when I was in Ireland, an Irish woman with whom I was discussing faerie lore and other ancient traditions remarked that "the veil is very thin here." The veil, that is, between the everyday world and one more mystical, powerful and spiritual. This phrase passed through my mind many times in my remaining days in Ireland. The beauty and atmosphere of the landscape, and the ancient and mysterious stone monuments I visited all brought her comment to mind (as did talk of Miss Worby, the resident ghost at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre where I was staying, whose existence seemed to be generally accepted and acknowledged.)

The idea of a thin veil for me was both metaphoric and actual--mixed in with the emotional and sensory memory of the atmospheric mists around Annaghmakerrig Lake. (See my previous post.) While in Ireland, and working with acrylics on paper, I began experimenting with this idea in paint, using thin washes of color, and since returning home I have continued this exploration.Below is a detail shot one of the acrylic pieces I did while at the Guthrie Centre...it's not very developed but I am leaving it as it is, a sketch that captures this memory.



Here are three paintings in my current Veil series, all recently completed, each 26"x22," mixed media and oil on panel. I believe there are more to come along.





Happy St. Patrick's Day to all! (For the first time ever, I feel just a tiny bit Irish!)