I suppose I am overdue a change, I have been working on a painting, based on my lino print of the salmon of knowledge, Bradán feasa in the Irish language.
Here are some photographs of the work in progress, although it needs to progress quite a bit further yet.
the first stage, drawn in charcoal and fixed. The hazelnuts have been painted green.
a base colour in position
further work, mainly on the salmon, note the repositioning of the Newgrange passage tomb to below the hill-line
the present stage of the work
detail of the salmon
I will give an update later in the week, after I do a bit more to the painting.
Incidently, it is acrylic on canvas, 24 by 20 inches.
The painting has an accumulation of themes, the salmon is said to have gained it's knowledge from the hazelnuts that grew on trees around the magical spring from where the rivers of Ireland grew, hence the contorted hazel trees and hazel nuts. The Salmon was caught in the river Boyne, which runs through the valley at Newgrange, two more elements of the work. In the clouds and river, the swirls of the contorted hazel are echoed, also encompassing the spiral decoration from pre-christian celtic art found on the stones at Newgrange. All of which combine to create a history of the salmon of knowledge while the dissapearing river leaves us seeking knowledge of where it is going.
