Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Millenium Garden at Birr Castle









When we left our cottage located within Birr Castle Demesne and stepped through our "secret" door in the wall, we were in another world, the world of the The Millennium Garden - a formal garden of the highest order. Since I am a lover of the more informal, meandering cottage garden, full of colour and energy and the wildflower meadow, ripe with nature's throw of the dice, the geometric order of the formal garden took some getting use to. It didn't take long to recognize that the number four was a prominent feature of the design and straight lines were everywhere.

I fully expected the geometry of this garden to show prominently in the composition of my new work, but up to this point it hasn't. It has, however, displayed itself more subtly. Behind one of the statues near our door, the vines around the arbour where backlit. The resulting piece created from this experience has an interesting look. Again you only get a slice from the whole painting. Just enough to tease.

4 comments:

p said...

thanks for your words/comment....
isn't THIS a peaceful place to be! too much art, who cares :)
so is the top photo your work?

M said...

The top photo is a slice from a 10 x 24 work based on the photograph of the arbour and statue. I'm saving the real thing for exhibition.

Anonymous said...

Margaret - still not quite used to this format. I made a comment and lost it! But what I want to say is that I think your words are delightlful and was fascinated by what you said on photography. Being a landscape painter myself I so agree with this. I love the photos of the garden too. Hope you will come back, or that this might encourage other artisits to do so. Alison Rosse, Birr Castle

M said...

Alison,
Thanks for the response. Technology is frustrating. Several of my friends have lost their comments in the nether world of the internet!

Having access to the grounds of your property at Birr Castle was one of the high points of my life. I don't think I have ever felt peace and excitement co-existing within me before. I so loved the early morning walks when my friends were fast asleep, but the world was so awake. For any artist interested in nature in any of its many guises, I could highly recommend this as a destination. One of the goals of my blog is to introduce others to the joy I experienced while staying at The Bothy. Keep checking back, I have lots more to share in the coming months.