the cockleshell gallery

IMMRAM, FISHTALES AND BIRDSONG

An immram is a medieval Irish tale of a supernatural sea-voyage, essentially Christian in aspect. Initially the source of inspiration for this series of paintings came from a study of the sixth century manuscript “Navigatio Sancti Brendani Abbatis” (The Voyage of St. Brendan the Navigator). The text, an account of the seven year voyage of Brendan in the company of sixty monks, is wonderfully descriptive of fantastical, fabulous events with many strange adventures and supernatural creatures.

I selected certain events in the story which allowed me to incorporate many of the themes and ideas I have been working on to date: the sea, Celtic imagery, magic, the elements, the night sky e.g.
1 doing battle with the amazing sea-monster with eyes like vessels of glass;
2 the paradise island with exotic vegetation where every tree was at the same time in flower and in fruit;
3 the tree so covered with dazzling talking birds that you could not see the tree.

The sgraffito technique which I use lends itself to this kind of work.