Thursday, June 14, 2018

Letting go of the old - making room for the new


 I am tidying my studio.

Painting with crow flying into red vortex. Lichen covered twigs added as 3D 'Crying Crow' - 'On the right path' - detail
'Crying Crow' - 'On the right path' - detail

Space clearing is of course not just for 'actually clearing space'.
It is about reconnecting with the 'old',
and preparing for what is to come.


Over the past few weeks I have made great progress. Ten minutes at the time. The last bits, the boxes a bit higher up will be done in the coming week, with the help of my summer-creative-support.

Space clearing also involved letting go of some of my sculptures and tapestries. Most are now being fostered by loving new minders. That is the evolution of creative work.

A lot of pieces just need to be in my space until I am ready to move on.
'Crying Crow' - 'On the right path' is one such piece.

'Crying Crow' - 'On the right path'
85-65 cm
It hangs in my studio, but I think it is time to let it go and make space for my new Butterfly Puppet. A collaborative project with Artist friend Spark Deeley . I created the head and body of the butterfly - Spark painted these incredibly beautiful silk wings.
The head is about 10 cm, so overall quite a big piece.
It can be held and moved by the stick on the back of the head. It is still a work in progress.

Butterfly puppet-Collaboration between Corina Duyn and Spark Deeley
Butterfly puppet- still a work in progress.
Collaboration between Corina Duyn and Spark Deeley

Anyway, back to 'Crying Crow'  - ' On the right course'.

"Crying Crow was a painting I made in 2003. I was very ill, and found myself in a dark place. 
Birds were my inspiration to survive. I wanted to fly into the light again.

I literally crawled out of my bed to paint the dark background on this A2 sheet of wood.
Back to bed for a rest.

Hours later, or maybe the next day, I painted to colourful vortex. A few days later the crow.
I called it 'Crying Crow'.

Liam Murphy wrote in his review of Hatched, in the Munster Express (2006)  "... The paintings in this book are beautiful, like CRYING CROW as a dark bird soars hopefully into the glowing red vortex with the caption  Pain - ting."...
Exactly ten years later, this lonely crow became part of a larger flock again.

I started college  one night a week. A HUGE undertaking, but the Disability Studies course did change the direction of my creative work and my life. 

One of my fellow students brought a bag full of lichen covered twigs one day for my art.
As it turned out that these twigs came from ancient trees at the grounds of Monastery and great flock of crows gathered on these trees at night.

I was on the right course.

Now, I think it is time to move on again. To let it go. To make room for the next flight.
A new era of puppetry has commenced. New work has to be created. And new people to teach.

If you are interested to own 'Crying Crow' - 'On the right path',  please contact me.
This painting/3D work can not really be posted, so needs to be collected.
Any reasonable offer accepted.


Further reading/viewing
  • My creative story and puppet making was featured on Irish National Television RTE Nationwide. Scroll to 16 minutes into the program.
  • If you are interested in a Puppet Making Course, please contact me and I will forward course details. One course starting end of June, the next in August.
  • Review mentioned above: