The artist swims year round dropping into the cold lakes of her local landscape to immerse in nature for mental well-being and intuitive flow with watercolours. Cavan is a county with a rural geographic location variously described as Ireland’s north midlands/ a border county/ the hidden lakelands.
Cavan famously has 365 loughs or lakes – one for every day of the year with age old names to make poetry from…
Annagh, Carricknahuroo, Corrawaddy, Dumb, Drumcrow, Grimes, Gubdoo, Killywilly, Lady’s Lake, Nagloghderg, Oghill, Shankilly Lower, Skuddal …
Imagery, stored by acute attention in the present, re-activated by acute contemplation in private is how I work as a poet.
In Michelle Boyle’s work I see this acuity above all. The daring, muscular brush strokes of her painting, form a vibrant conversation with the remarkable variety and delicacy of her palette.
In her plein air work we find at first glance, familiar features; the purple trees, and violet grass might be Irish but transformed by a mischievous glance and the ardent light that plays over them, seems born of a stronger sun, in a sensual land
-Mary Dorcey, Poet Ireland
Water-based paints / silk 3m x 1.5m