Joya: AiR / Lesley-Ann O’Connell / IRE

I loved my residency at Joya Air.  The landscape is spectacular, it’s very remote and I was struck immediately by its silence.  I did the residency jointly with my partner and we brought our young son.  While it was challenging for us to create work under the circumstances, we took turns in giving each other quality time to absorb the place and create. I did a number of figurative drawings of scenes that captured my gaze, taking out my pastels to draw what was in front of me without overthinking.  I enjoyed the freedom of a limited time frame and site-specific task and it showed me how much can be achieved with restricted time and a small bit of focus.  This marked a break in my abstract painting practice.     

Joya: AiR is an immense credit to Simon and Donna.  They've created a superb space, blending their beautiful Modernist yet traditional set-up with the surrounding landscape with huge integrity.  Simon’s understanding of the ecology of the area and awareness of our impact on climate change has made me rethink a lot of my own habits and how they can be improved.  Donna’s vegetarian cooking was so delicious! Wow, I looked forward to those meals every evening. Both Simon and Donna were very accommodating to our needs during our stay.

Lastly, one of the best parts of the residency was the people we met, given the communal nature of the set-up.  All were from a variety of different artistic backgrounds and places.  They were so interesting and fun to hang around with.  It jolted me out of my post-covid, post-baby social slump!  

Lesley Anne O’Connell

Kevin Kavanagh gallery-Lesley-Ann O'Connell