***2010 is gearing up to be a very interesting year, even for our standards. We have been trying out new ideas and one of the most interesting and I have to say potentially enjoying tours we will have running are our new Art tours***

Wicklow In The Muck Weekend of Ceramics

If you come on this adventure with us you will be invited to see Wicklow with a new perspective. You will be given the opportunity to explore your creative talents through clay, learn new skills, and have fun. We will be visiting some really beautiful places, and discovering the magic of Wicklow, literally on the doorstep of the capital.

The weekend is a balance of creative work inside, and outdoor exploration in different locations.

Clay as a medium is elemental and offers the opportunity for direct interaction between you and it. This ‘hands on’ quality brings us into the moment in a way that can be very relaxing and beneficial to a person as a whole. This happens through an unconscious process that engages the right side of the brain, through centring, slowing down mental activity, focusing on something outside of ourselves, and allowing non-linear thinking to influence our direction in the creative journey. The brain to hand connection with clay is not just through hand eye co- ordination but also through the sensory stimulation of touch; it is an all round experience that people always notice is very relaxing and seems to make time fly by.

Walking offers another way to relax and tune in to the beauty of what’ s all around us in wicklow. Food for the soul, the natural world offers a balance to the answers us humans come up with for the question of “what’s it all about?” The rhythm of walking brings us bodily into a different head space and allows us time out from our busy lives and time to regenerate so we can return with renewed energy and inspiration.

During the weekend you will be introduced to basic hand- building techniques that have been in use for thousands of years. Indeed, the builders of the oldest known structures in the world, our own ancestors at Newgrange, are known as the Beaker People because of the shards of decorated Beakers found in the passage tombs when they were first re-opened. We will explore low relief sculpting, and how to use decorative colour glazes on tiles. You may discover skills you never knew you had, and go on to fullfil your destiny as a ceramic artist extraordinaire. Whoever you are, this weekend will give your artist a chance to come out and play.

We will be walking each day with the opportunity to go off trail, so bring your boots and rain gear. The natural world that is full of wonder and detail will spread out before us with endless opportunity for invention and for the growth of our own creativity. Gaudi, a personal hero of mine took his inspiration from nature and was the driving force for the creation of some of the most unique architecture of the 20th century.

The techniques you will be using will be grounded in a practical way in an appreciation of the natural beauty surrounding us in wicklow. This will happen by taking trips out into places of outstanding natural beauty to gather a toolbox of natural objects and inspiration, enjoy the places we find in perhaps a new way, by looking at these places through new eyes. From the macro to the micro, wonder abounds, once you relax, unwind and open up to what’s always been there.

Structure - Day 1

9:30 a.m. Saturday Morning: Up and out with an early start, we’ll cease the day and loosen up with a walk by Avonmore River. The river winds its way from Lough Dan to Laragh and out to the sea . You’ll need a digital camera, and a small sketch book is optional, however we can provide you with materials if you prefer. We’ll explore the world of the river side through sketching and photo, paying attention to colour, line and pattern of the river environment.

2 p.m. Build a coil pot of your design, with references to the morning’s walk.

4 p.m. Coffee break, Intro to on- glaze techniques, and an opportunity for you to go wild with your creativity and paint tiles in bright colours or muted tones. By now you have plenty of starting points from sketches, photos and found objects. When fired, the tiles will be unique permanent ceramic works of art. The work when finished is rain proof and to some extent frost proof, but if you want to hand it down as an heirloom you’ll need to bring it indoors in winter.

6 p.m. Break for dinner: If you choose, you can return in the evening to work on your creations, or just relax in one of Laragh’s country pubs.

Structure - Day 2

8:30 a.m. Sunday morning Breakfast, ready for off at 9.15. Today we walk with a mission in mind. In the tradition of Andy Goldsworthy, we will be traveling through the landscape looking for an invitation to create on site. This may be the simple act of piling stone upon stone or creating a form with sticks and leaves. This is an exercise in seeing space and form and playing with what we find to create new worlds and flights of fancy.

12:15 p.m. lunch on sight if weather is pleasant. Return to the studio with ideas and objects of curiosity.

Afternoon: finish coil built pot, and explore low relief tile sculpture, or tile painting

5:30 p.m. Finish up and say Goodbye, start planning your next creative journey!

You will bring home with you a feast of ideas, good memories and new friends, as well as interesting photo documentation of your creative journey. Due to the nature of clay work, you will need to leave your creations with us so that they have time to dry properly and be fired in a kiln to 1000 degrees and more! We’ll arrange a collection point or delivery to you within 10 days.

What you will need:

Extreme Ireland will provide all the gear necessary to work for the weekend. We will even bring your creation at the end of the weekend back to our workshop where we will have your masterpiece ready for you within 10 days

Cost €350.00

Included in this price is your tranport from Dublin, accommodation single room, full board, 3 course dinner in the evening along with some wine

This amazing trip of discovery begins in February and will run for the duration of the year. There will be a maximum of 8 people per group so you will get the most out of the weekend. You can contact us for further information on info@extremeireland.ie. So dont be shy, get your interest in early

Our Resident Artist Emily McCullagh

Emily's shares her passion of the search for magical places in nature with the quest to follow the creative magic that resides in all of us. This has brought her to Belfast where she studied art in University of Ulster, and to the west of Ireland where she has spent time in nature following the creative path. She runs workshops with all ages and abilities in many mediums. Recent creations include cement sculpture and vibrant festive painting. she also enjoys guiding walks in the mountains and holds a mountain leader qualification. For pictures of her work, visit Emily's Website