The Arthouse • group • Louth
Group Category • 2025We looked at the photography of John Hinde and his famous postcards of Ireland. We saw how each county looks so different to the next. Glaciers carved out the island over thousands of years - the valleys and lakes, bogs and riverbeds, green fields and rocky hills. Using chalk, charcoal and oil pastels, we recreated the Irish countryside as postcards. Instead of using paintbrushes, we used our hands to carve out the natural forms and experiment with the textures. Our fingertips smudged distant mists, we scratched out rocky surfaces of mountains with our fingernails, and we blended cloud edges with the palms of our hands. Using natural materials like chalks and charcoals can help to connect us with nature.
“These Irish landscape postcards are a thoughtful and sensitive response to the beauty and veracity of the Irish countryside. The use of chalks, charcoal and oil pastels, moved and smudged by hand gives each scene a wonderful atmospheric quality. Every small postcard has its own mood, and together they feel like a rich journey across Ireland's valleys, lakes, bogs and hills”