Final arrangements have been made, suit cases are open, arts supplies have been purchased and currency converted.  We sincerely hope that you will follow along and share our experience.  The first blog from the Burren should be posted on June 7th or 8th, or as soon as we can settle in a bit.  We welcome your [...]

I was sorting through all of my pre-departure e-mail yesterday when a new message appeared in my inbox. I want to share this with you.  The message is from Hailey O’Donnell, a member of the class of 07,  and a double major in both studio art and art history.  Hailey was a member of the [...]

Hello from Ballyvaughan!  We arrived safely after an uneventful flight that actually departed on time, and arrived early.  Kudos to Aer Lingus.  I have now flown with them on three occasions and they are batting 1000.  It can be done.
Our students are all settled in, stocked with provisions, getting the rest they need to counteract [...]

Tuesday began with the assignment of studio space in a cavernous studio/art gallery display space.  I’ll try and photograph the space at some point because this space is one of the strongest features of the Burren College of Art.  Each student has been assigned a space approximately 12 feet square and they have pretty much [...]

The last two days have been very hectic. I suppose that comes with the territory of trying to compress into three weeks what we normally accomplish in an entire semester. Our students are proving to us that they are up to the task. Yesterday we walked through the hills of the Burren [...]

Many of you have sent me e-mails asking how to comment on the blog entries.
 
Click on the Arts in Ireland section on the home page.
In the upper left hand corner you will see the archives section.
Click on June 2009
Click on the entry title on which you would like to comment.
At the bottom of the page [...]

As a teacher you occasionally have the kind of day that confirms that you have chosen the right profession.  Today was that kind of day.  In the past 10 hours in the studio, I have witnessed that sacred golden time of self realization and complete joy in my students as they successfully reached beyond what [...]

 
Today we left Ballyvaughan for Galway and spent most of the day there.  This trip provided our students with a little much needed and deserved R and R.  We have asked a great deal of them over the past week and we needed to provide an opportunity for the creative juices to regenerate.
Galway is a [...]

Sundays are a day of rest!  Students are given the day off to do whatever they need to do; food shop, rest, sleep late, or they can work in the studio, make photographs or do absolutely nothing.
This gave me an opportunity to set off on my own to make photographs.  I re-visited places I had [...]

 
We have had another very full day here in the Burren.  Our requirement for this experience is that everyone be in their studios working by 9 AM, or on location, or making art in some way.  Our students are putting in 13 or 14 hour days here and the results are truly amazing.  
During the [...]