Francese Watercolor Workshops is heading to the Emerald Isle............

     The workshop will start at 10 AM and finish at 5 PM daily.  There will be two demonstrations each day using sketches of the Irish countryside, city scenes from local villages and fishing harbors located on the nearby Irish Sea Coast.  The buildings, flower gardens and grounds of Rita's estate also serve as excellent subject matter for landscape scenes.

    Students may use any size of painting surface or medium of their choice for this class.  In addition to Francese's demonstrations, there will be ample time during the day for students to work on their own paintings.  The following daily schedule will be utilized:

        Day 1:   Country farms with cows, farm machinery, etc.
        Day 2:   Irish City scenes featuring people, cars, buses, buildings,etc.
        Day 3:   Seaports with ships, fishing vessels, etc.

Contact Corn Loft Centre at www.cornloft.ie
Additional contact and registration information is available on the Workshop Schedules page of this web site.



Francese stated:  "I am very excited to return to Ireland and see my good friends Rita Lett, her son William, daughter Heather, Mr. Billy Moore and Walter.  This will be my third trip to Corn Loft Studio, having taught three workshops there in previous years.  Each time, I arrive to a huge welcome with plenty of good food and wonderful conversation around the kitchen table."

"Grand" would be an appropriate description of their home on the estate!  Upon arriving at the front gate one is treated to a row of towering trees that are more than one hundred years old.  The trees are home to thousands of swarming crows demonstrating their flying skills and creating quite a ruckus.  At times, the noise is almost deafening!  I've enjoyed many of morning strolls down the land just to say "Hello" to the birds!"



The Corn Loft Studio is located behind the grand house.  It was used as a horse stable or barn for many years.  The owners have now remodeled the top room into a wonderful painting area.  There is an overhead mirror for the students so they can enjoy the daily demonstrations in comfort.   

Frank also says, "I can't forget the daily tea time with Rita's wonderful scones.  Every morning I would sit in the kitchen, have breakfast and watch Rita make her famous scones for that day's class.  I look forward to having tea and scones with old friends and making new ones."

 
Erin Go Bragh

Have you ever seen the saying printed on a Shamrock shaped button?...or heard someone shout the phrase while toasting St. Patrick's Day at the local pub?...probably wearing a green top hat and hoisting a mug of green beer?  If you haven't, you need to get out more!!

The Irish folk lore behind the phrase is as interesting as the history of Ireland herself.  A little "internet" research reveals that the phrase probably originated with the words Go bhfanad in Erinn go brach (May I stay in Ireland forever!) or Go bhfillead go hErinn go brach which roughly translates "May I go back to Ireland forever!"

Over the years the saying has been modified slightly to fit the cause the users happen to be supporting.  Politcal parties, military units and sporting teams have all employed a version of the saying as their rallying cry.  The pronounciation of the phrase has also changed over the years, probably influenced by the various dialects of Ireland's counties along with the Anglican influence of America's Irish immigrants.  The accepted translation of the phrase seems to have settled on one that states "Ireland forever" and is most often stated to proclaim a kinship with Ireland, her history and traditions and of course, her people.

 



Watch this page for information about Frank's second European workshop in Holland.