Friday, Saturday, Sunday...

Friday

I was ready to catch the bus at 8:45 Friday morning, but I needed a break and the tree pints the night before didn't help. So I let the bus leave without me and I had a late leisurely Irish breakfast. Then went shopping for a sweater and another pair of jeans, thank you USAirways. You'll be getting an invoice.

I spent the rest of the day trying to nap, watching a movie, and fretting about the upcoming evening's function: a critique. I was asked to be one of three artists to critique participants' work. I HATE CRITIQUES. I HATE HAVING TO CRITIQUE ANOTHER ARTIST'S WORK. I HATE HAVING ANYBODY CRITIQUE MY WORK. But I'm in don't-turn-anything-down-mode, and I agreed to it. I had a couple of glasses of wine to fortify myself, then shot off my mouth a while in front of the artists. Couldn't wait to crawl back to my hotel room, which is where I am now, hearing live music from the pub 2 floors below.

My suitcase arrived Friday night around 7:30, just as I was leaving the hotel for the critique.

Saturday: Enniscorthy

Early Saturday morning we were bussed to Enniscorthy or 'Scorthy (Irish: Inis Córthaidh), the second-largest town in County Wexford. With a history going back to 465 it is said to be one of the longest continuously-occupied sites in Ireland.

Enniscorthy Castle, which dominates the skyline, was built in 1205 and was a private dwelling until 1951. It is said that Queen Elizabeth I gave the castle to the poet Edmund Spenser because of the good things he said about her in his poem "The Faerie Queen."

We poured out of the bus and spread out over the town in search of places to paint. At 2:00 we gathered at the town square for a Quick Paint. At the blast of a horn we were to begin painting and quit 2 hours later at the second blast. All easels with their wet canvasses were formed into a circle around the square and judged. First, Second and Third winners were announced (none of which were me), and the entire exhibit was available for sale to the public. Ten percent of sales went to a suicide prevention charity. I sold mine to a fellow artist.

SUNDAY: Framed paintings to Greenacres Gallery.

The culmination of the week's labors is to be an exhibition at Greenacres Gallery, around the corner from my hotel. I saw a lot of Do Not Disturb signs on the doors in the hotel hallway; artists busy framing, I suspected, because I turned housekeeping away too. Each artist is allowed to submit 3 pieces. The exhibition will be Monday afternoon. I can't wait to see what everybody has done. There are some impressive artists here.

By the way, it is my oldest daughter's birthday today. Happy Birthday, my beautiful AnnaBo.