“The magic of fire, the alchemy of glazing captivates me,” says potter and Mayo resident Anthony OBrien, whose new book of pictures and poems captures views of Croagh Patrick that are distinctly his own.
Dedicated to his mother, the painter Kitty Wilmer O’Brien, the pictures in the book were originally made in stoneware and exhibited at the Sea, Sky, Shore Gallery in Westport.
Their glazes came literally from the earth of Co Mayo – glacial clay from Old Head, wood ash from Tully Lodge, powdered rock, quartz and feldspar. The three-line poems celebrate life there "but also reflect on its hardness, the impermanence of its beauty and joy", he says. 36 Views of Croagh Patrick (€13 from Anthony OBrien, Louisburgh, Co Mayo) will be launched in Westport next month.
Deirdre McQuillan
