In July of 2012 I spent 3 weeks at the wonderful Cill Rialaig Artists retreat in Kerry. During this time I worked on some mixed media paintings and I also made a sculpture of a Hare, which was exhibited at the 2012 Sculpture in Context Exhibition at the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin in Dublin.
Cill Rialaig village sits on the side of a mountain, It is sheltered by the mountains on one side and wide open to the sea on the other. Every day the weather was completely unpredictable, like most of Ireland, but even more extreme. You could wake up and your cottage would be completely shrouded in a thick fog, that could last all day or clear to a bright breezy sunny day.
It was here that I saw some mountain Hares, which unless your looking out for them you might easily miss, as they blend so well into their surroundings. I was amazed at their size especially when they stood up on their hind legs. Back in April I had somehow decided to make a Hare for the Sculpture in context exhibition, I took this as a sign that I was on the right track.
