Art Exhibition: Stradbally Six

 Art Exhibition: The Stradbally Six

Art exhibitions always inspire me, there is so much creativity on show.  I had the pleasure of attending the opening night of the Stradbally Six Art Exhibition recently. The work was amazing, the artists just as much. Their humility.  A willingness to talk so openly about their work. An  acceptance of this madwoman high on the buzz of it all.

It was a liberating experience, because their passion ignited my own. I felt like I was sharing their creative journeys with them. You know that feeling when you are in the zone. Well, I was definitely there.

No Camera, No Notebook

Have you ever turned up at an event and realised that you were totally unprepared? There was I, at an art exhibition of all things, with no means of recording the occasion. Without a camera, yet everyone knows my passion for photography. Lacking a notebook, when I’m supposed to be developing my writing skills. But maybe that was a good thing.

Sometimes when we are trying to capture the moment, we can end up focusing on the wrong things. We forget that we have our own senses to experience it, our own brains to understand it and our own emotions to respond to it. We don’t have to rely on outside props, like cameras. So I let go of my self annoyance and allowed myself to get lost in the moment. It was exhilarating and I left on a high.

Down to Earth

I came down to earth with a bang about five minutes later. After leaving the Art exhibition, I went into the local pizza place. They asked what I wanted and I answered, ” Pizza “.

There were two guys behind the counter and the looks on their faces were hilarious. ” Mmm, what kind of pizza? “, one of them asked, trying to keep a straight face. ” You know we do pizza here? You just need to choose, ” he said, smiling.

I suddenly realised that I was away in airy fairy land, totally distracted by what I had experienced earlier. Pulling myself together, I chose an option at random. It turned out to be delicious. Happy days.

Photo from Laois Co. Council website