Arts

Back to the Future

Back To The Future by Kathrina Shine. Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely. A multidisciplinary artist based in Wicklow, Kathrina’s background is in architectural draughting/theatre/film and abstract/abstract realism paintings. Since 2011 she has mainly concentrated on painting. She works in acrylics, oils, inks, photographic collage with textures. The paintings are built, layer upon layer, the inks work less so. Textures include glass beads, lava sand, rice or small found objects. She works mainly with knives, but will use any object with a shape or an edge, that will make the right mark to balance the piece. What motivates her to paint in abstraction is a personal belief that pure realism is better captured in photography or film. Her major themes are extrapolated from nature, poetry, politics, mythology, technology, human emotion or simply the joy of colour. She is perpetually researching something. She received a distinction in the Principals of Visual Structure from FETAC (QQI) /UCLA and realised those same principals apply to fine art, filmmaking, set design and architecture.

She has always abstracted things, even when model making in architecture. Her buildings were always abstract with creative use of wire, wool, lightbulbs, anything that could be repurposed. Through her own journey, the artists she found herself drawn to are Yeats, Kusama, Kahlo, Miro as well as many others. n –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

SCARENTHOOD

The Presentation Centre, Enniscorthy The current exhibition 'SCARENTHOOD', is a series of original black and white comic illustrations by graphic artist Nick Roche. Nick's exhibition runs until December 18th in the main foyer gallery. The gallery is free to visit and open to the public. But you are asked to mask up, sanitise and be mindful of social distancing while visiting. n

Art & pics –make ideal Christmas gifts

Artist Jeanne Ffrench (paintings and ceramics) and Photographer John Holden held a joint exhibition during Wexford Festival Opera and decided to carry it on until Christmas. So if you looking for interesting art and photographs, visit their wonderful exhibition at South Main Street, Wexford.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ARTS CENTRES

Wexford Arts Centre: 053-9123764. The Presentation Centre, Enniscorthy: 053-9233000. ENNISCORTHY LIBRARY

Lymington Road - Phone: 053 9236055 enniscorthylib@wexfordcoco.ie https://www.wexfordcoco.ie/libraries https://www.facebook.com/enniscorthylibrary

Launching Caroline’s ‘Legend’

Local author Caroline Busher launched her third book recently at The Presentation Centre, Enniscorthy, to an appreciative gathering of family, friends, and fans.

The pandemic inspired novel The Legend of Valentine Sorrow is set in Sligo during the Cholera Epidemic of 1832, which is reported to have killed 1,500 people in approximately six weeks and contains many references to Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula, and his mother Charlotte Thornley, who lived in Sligo and survived the devastating epidemic. In fact, the name Valentine Sorrow came from a distant cousin of Bram Stoker called Valentine Blake Dillon who became Lord Mayor of Dublin and even gets a mention in James Joyce’s Ulysses.

The Legend of Valentine Sorrow begins in 1832 as the Cholera Epidemic is reeking death and destruction right across the country and bringing with it a plague of 200-year-old vampires. The main character, Valentine Sorrow, an orphan, is whisked off by girl vampire Clarabelle to a vampire’s lair and embarks on a life of amazing adventures. He is shipwrecked at the foot of an ancient lighthouse, he battles with Vampire hunters, and works as an illusionist in a Dublin theatre.

Valentine, along with Clarabelle’s vampire family, takes up residence in Casino Marino, an exquisite summerhouse in Dublin with hidden rooms and passages but an old enemy is about to seek them out intent on destroying them. The similarities between the Cholera epidemic of 1832 and the Covid pandemic of 2019 are extraordinary considering the almost 200 year lapse between them. This is an intriguing tale and a must for children who like the thrill of the scare. Launching the book, Alan Maguire of South East Radio said that it is no surprise that The Legend of Valentine Sorrow was shortlisted for the Teen and Young Adult Book of the Year Award because Caroline Author Caroline Busher with South East Radio’s Alan Maguire. Pic: Maria Nolan.

is so in tune with how young people think and feel.

‘Don’t be taken in by her demure and delicate image,’ he warned the Presentation audience, `There is a very dark side to this lady, but kids need to be reminded from time to time that the world out there can be big and scary.’ Enniscorthy, he said, is a great town for stories, in particular our amazing Castle and he wondered if Caroline’s next book might be set here, because he added, ‘There’s plenty more to come, this Irish Times bestselling writer is not going to stop anytime soon.’ Caroline read an extract from the book before thanking her many fans and readers, her mam and dad, her husband John and their three children. And she had a special mention for the Wexford Literary Festival and thanked them for their encouragement and support and for the people of Enniscorthy who have always made her feel so welcome since coming here from Manchester over twenty years ago. She thanked her friend and musician Helena Dunbar for the haunting rendition of the Coolin and her publishers Poolbeg Press and Damian Byrne of Easons for their tremendous endorsement and promotion. Well done to our magnificent Enniscorthy author, and if you have a reader in your house this Christmas do treat them to The Legend of Valentine Sorrow , trust me they won’t be disappointed.

– Maria Nolan

Caroline Busher (centre) with Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy (Cathaoirleach Wexford County Council) on left, and fellow author Maria Nolan on right.