Nature Interlace

Nature brings Springtime pictures designed by children of Snugboro school and made by Sally McKenna

I have always been fascinated with interlace as the basis of celtic knotwork. When learning to draw the curves associated with the lines of the interlace one begins with a system of diamonds. For the steel superstructure of the arch for Snugboro school in Castlebar County Mayo I welded together steel rod made into diamond forms, overlayed and then welded them together. The natural elements attached to the steel were made of copper , glass and beads and suggested by the students and designed by them in a separate art project. The bumble bees , the daffodils. the sunflower and the bird were all drawn first by the children . I then took the drawings to the studio , cut out the copper pieces and braised them together.
The ninth century Book of Kells, Ireland’s most treasured ancient manuscript, was painted on the margins with interlace intertwined with animals and flora of the natural world of the monks. As part of the art residency the children were brought to the Museum of Country Life outside of Castlebar where they were able to turn the pages of the facsimile of the book of Kells housed there. A curator guided their experience and then they came back to the class room and they drew their own page using xeroxed copies loaned to them by the museum staff. We were truly fortunate to be able to see the Book of Kells so close at hand.