Sunday

Sovereign III- Meadowsweet



Last June I was invited by an American friend to go on a walk in #Kilshanny led by qualified herbalist Emma Wilcox.  She drew our attention to he abundant variety of wild herbs and plants in the roadside hedgerows and their potential as food, for healing as well as their beauty.  I felt that during the dry conditions last Summer the vibrant dark green hedgerows were in stark contrast to the fields of wilting thirsty crops.
In September I was in the #Tyrone Guthrie Centre for two weeks and a new series of paintings emerged.
I titled the series Sovereign, meaning something of the land, in its own territory.
Sovereign III – Meadowsweet;
Gold leaf and silver on a jade  background depicts meadowsweet, a creamy perennial found in meadows, woods and marshes.
Meadowsweet was one of 3 herbs held sacred by the Celts and was used to flavour mead, for pain relief, to stop bleeding and as a disinfectant.  It was included in bridal bouquets to attract love, peace and happiness. Since 1838  it was synthesized and sold as aspirin, deriving it’s name  from the latin name  Spirea Ulmana- and in time the non steroidal anti inflamatories now used.