Beth Emmott | artist

Connemara Ireland

August 17th, 2010

Up early yesterday and picked up our rental car. Good location as straight shot out of Dublin to the N6 – divided highway – so had to drive on left for a while. Were used to it by the time we hit country roads. Straight across Ireland to the WEST. Lots of farm land, sheep cows and bails of hay. Very textural landscape. Hilly with stone walls as we got more west.

Spent some time south of Galway around the Burren and decided to go to Connemera. N6 around Galway has the most circles or roundabouts I’ve ever seen but they make it very easy to get past the city. Got to N59 and stayed there! Most beautiful magical drive trough barren mountains and lakes with lots of heather and sheep. misty then rainy. Stayed in Clifden at the Benbaun House just outside the town center—turn left at the Esso station and it’s just up the hill on the left—can walk into town. Dinner at Mitchell’s—wonderful seafood. Waiters a bit too full of them selves. . .

Just had a full Irish breakfast and we’re off to Achill Island and then to Ballycastle.
Sorry, no images will post some next time.

Ireland

August 16th, 2010

Book of Kells Sign

Can’t take pictures inside!

Flew into Dublin Airport and took a cab to our Hotel—The Clarence at 6-8 Wellington Quay. It was too early to check in so we left our luggage, had a light breakfast at the hotel and set out. First order of the day was Trinity College and the Book of Kells which was created c. 800 AD. We’d been told the lines get pretty long as the day went on so . . .

Line to see book of Kells

Here’s the line as we left—and growing.

Next, we walked over to St. Stephens Green and wonderful, beautiful park in the center of Dublin, grabbed lunch and at 2:00 Went to the National Archeological Museum. We’d seen a lot of their gold collection when it had been on display at the Philadelphia Art Museum, years ago but I wanted to see the Bog man exhibit.

Where has this summer gone?

August 12th, 2010

Been too hot and buggy to enjoy my garden. Lots of time spent trying to wrap my head around HTML5 and CSS3 for web work. Did get to see Kevan, Erin, Cooper and Fletcher one weekend.

Will be heading for IRELAND soon on a job/vacation. One of my clients, has an arts foundation in County Mayo and they want to increase it’s web presence so I’ll be meeting with the people there to get a feel of the operation and the area. Bob is coming as well as I want him to shoot video for it. We are going a few days earlier to do a little touristing in Dublin and on the west coast and then will stay in a cottage on the North Atlantic. Not to shabby.

Never been to Ireland, hope to see the Book of Kells and do some hiking. Then back as school starts the next morning. I enjoy projects like this (duh) for the obvious but also because the time spent working on it after I return is like my head is still there.

Don’t know if I will have much internet, certainly not in our cottage so that will take some getting used to but if I do, I’ll post about it.

Oh, never did get a fig tree.

Fig Trees

July 19th, 2010

Just after the last post I stopped at Whole Foods in Philadelphia and they are selling Fig Trees! Gotta get one!

Bartram’s Garden

July 19th, 2010

Went to Bartram’s Garden. Very hot but a nice breeze, took two tours, one of the grounds and one of the house.

Fig tree

I didn’t know Fig trees would grow in Philadelphia!.

Born in 1699, John Bartram became America’s first great botanist and with his son William identified and cultivated over 200 new plant species. In 1765 King George III appointed John as Royal Botanist, a position he held until his death in 1777.

1790 Yellowwood tree

July 2010 storm damage of Historic 1790’s Yellowwood Tree.

Research has shown that this tree planted by John Bartram, has been damaged in previous storms and hopefully will recover.

Many plants are direct descendents of ones he cultivated, including one of his most well known, the Franklinia, (Franklinia alatamaha), he named it after his friend, Benjamin Franklin.

Storm King Art Center

July 9th, 2010

On our way back from Connecticut, we visited Storm King. Located in the Hudson Valley, 50 miles north of the George Washington Bridge, this art center consists of 500 acres of rolling New York hills and fields containing over a hundred post WWII works by renowned artists.
It was a very hot muggy day when we visited and I had not done my homework as it was a spur of the moment visit. But, via a wonderful orientation tour followed by one of the tram tours which stop at various points allowing you to get on and off at will, we received one of the best sculptural experiences imaginable!

We have many works by these artists in Philadelphia, but to see so many all together, one after the other and more just around the bend . . . A garden of Art

stormking
Alexander Calder’s Five Swords and Mark Di Suvero’s Pyramidian