Ballymoney Artist takes flight...

After experiencing a bit of a posting drought recently, my ‘blogger’s block’ appears to have been eased by local artists and their exhibitions. When the routine of the daily commute gets in the way of savouring life, action is needed. This is particularly pertinent today as the normal Friday surge in morale is being countered by an unusually strong feeling of pessimism. The shortcomings of my current employment are rather too evident at the moment. I may moan a lot but would consider myself as someone who generally looks on the bright side, so having a downer on a Friday worries me. A fundamental tenet of my philosophy on life is the need to achieve a good life-work balance. At the moment this is not happening. The daily, 47 mile drive to work is becoming tiresome. The road works at Glengormley appear to be getting a bit closer to their conclusion; but not quick enough. I figured out that the daily delay there alone, wastes the time equivalent to that needed for one round of golf, each week. Nuff said.

On a more positive note it has come to my attention that someone I haven’t seen in years has made a bit of an impact in the Art world. Her name is Sharon O’Reilly and we shared a house for a while in Belfast; strangely enough I now live just round the corner from where she grew up in Ballymoney. Having gone back to university and graduated with an honours degree in fine art she has now used her experience working in the caring services to produce a work of art involving a range of people who are disadvantaged in different ways.

This is in keeping with my recollection of Sharon who was and presumably still is a very caring person. I remember being in the car, driving across Belfast one spring evening when she noticed a great swathe of daffodils at the side of the road. On a whim she decided her ‘old ladies’ (she was working in a care home at the time) would love a bunch of flowers and asked me to pull over. Quite a few minutes later she reappeared with an enormous bunch of daffodils which she proceeded to dole out to the ladies in her care. They were delighted. Typical of Sharon. To have a look at her installation visit the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum at Cultra, Holywood, just outside Belfast. For a preview, visit the UFTM website and have a look. http://www.uftm.org.uk/learning/The_Spirit_of_Flight_Public_Art_Project/

If you are visiting NI and looking for an excellent day out, it’s worth considering the Folk and Transport museum. The kids will love it as there is plenty of space. The village, created using actual buildings from around the country which have been dismantled and rebuilt on the site, is a great way to experience the way we used to live.