SACRED EARTH

TREES WATER ROCKS

A PAINTER’S ALCHEMY

Icelandic glacier - natural pigments vivianite, malachite, bone black and silver leaf on gesso boards

Galician Petroglyphs - natural lump pigments ochre, vivianite, earth green, bone black in oil on paper

Scottish trees and Neolithic burial sites - natural pigments malachite, vivianite, bone black, ochre, green earth in oil on gesso board and paper

“Modern humanity has forgotten the respect and sacredness with which we once held our planet in. I am inspired by the ancient wisdom of our shared ancestors who existed in parallel worlds of understanding - they were profoundly in touch with the cycle of birth, life, death and reincarnation. I see my artistic journey as a sacred walk from our shared past forward into a positive collective future”.

Fiona McIntyre

SACRED EARTH

AN ODYSSEY ACROSS THREE FRAGILE LANDSCAPES

Iceland, Spain, Scotland

Water, Rocks, Trees

ICELAND

And I remember a wasteland of extremes

Scabby geysers erupting from sulphurous flesh

And I remember obstinately confronting the tempest

And squalls of unspoken words dissipating into air

I remember when darkness was cataleptic

Stifling paralysis all pervading

When words ceased to have meaning

And language was rendered void

I remember reaching out to touch a mountain

And standing on the map of Iceland

Millions of droplets of melted ice

And forked ribbons of glacial silver

I remember a startling clarity of vision

And an iced volcano hovering on the sea

Vivid slates of sky reflected in water

And steel ships steaming in the cold

I remember laughter, dancing and song

And the fiery madness of Thorablod

I remember the dispassionate belief of a white bear

And watching its ascent

I remember when words ceased to have meaning

And longing to be understood

SPAIN, GALICIA

And I remember fields of sand

Relics of memory strewn wide across the beach

I remember walking arm in arm with the sea

And waves of unspoken words dissolving in spray

I remember when darkness ceased to be fearful

And became palpable and radiant

When clumsy thought transmuted

And rose above the ordinary

I remember touching the shipwrecked shore

And standing on the map of Galicia

A metamorphosis of unfolding history

And rhyming stones divining the breeze

I remember a blinding white epiphany

 And incense cutting through the listless air

Legends and song shared on a broad terrace

And being cleansed with drinks of fire

I remember the madness of Rapa das Bestas

And the paroxysm of wild emotion

I remember a fettered mare straining for release

And watching its liberation

I remember when language could find no words

And longing to be understood

SCOTLAND

And I remember a vision from long ago

Ancient mountains of great beauty

And I remember walking with the breeze

Streams of words gliding on its currents

I remember when darkness was mysterious

A mantle of pregnant meaning

When words were rich and varied

And language had no bonds

I remember exploring fresh-water snails

And lying on the body of Scotland

Fresh green star moss

And burns gurgling through forests

I remember the drowsy warmth of summer

And smouldering sun rising from water

The smell of smoke from beach fires

And beds of pebbles

I remember the passion of piobaireachd

And the fraternity of ceilidh

I remember breathing ancestral dust

And the feeling of belonging

I remember when words were rich and varied

And language had no bonds

TRANSLATIONS

ICELANDIC

Och ég man eyðiland andstæðna

Hrjóstrugir hverir gjósandi úr brennisteinskenndu holdi

Og ég man þrjóskulega mætandi freistingunni

Og óhljóð otaldadra orda dreyfast ut í tómið

Ég man þegar myrkrið var svefnsjúkt

Ðrúgandi lömun réði ríkjumð

Ðegar orð misstu þýðingu sína

Og tungumál ekki lengur gilt

Ég man löngun til að snerta fjall

Og standandi á landakorti Íslands

Milljón dropar af bræddum ís

Og flæktir borðar af silfri jökuláa

Ég man furðu tæran sjóndeildarhring

Og jökulhulið eldfjall fljótandi á hafinu

Himnamósaík endurspeglast í vatninu

Og stálskip rjúkandi í kuldanum

Ég man hlátur dans og söng

Og eldheitt brjálæði þorrablóts

Ég man stillilegt álit hvítabjarnar

Og horfandi á hann rísa

Ég man orðin missa þýðingu sína

Og löngun þess að vera skilin

GALEGO

E eu recordo campos de area

Reliquias da memoria esparexida pola praia

Eu recordo camiñar do brazo co mar

E as ondas de palabras non faladas disolvéndose no esprai.

Eu recordo cando a escuridade deixou de ter medo

E tornouse palpable e radiante

Cando o pensamento torpe transmutou

E levantouse por enriba do común

Eu recordo tocar a beira naufragada

E de pé no mapa de Galicia

A metamorfose da historia en desenvolvemento

E pedras que riman adiviñando a brisa

Eu recordo unha epifanía branca cegadora

E o incenso cortando a través do aire lánguido

Lendas e cancións compartidas nunha ampla terraza

E sendo purificada con bebidas de lume

Eu recordo a tolemia da Rapa das Bestas

E o paroxismo da emoción salvaxe

Eu recordo a egua encadeada esforzándose por liberarse

 E observar a súa liberación

Eu recordo cando a linguaxe non atopaba palabras

E desexando ser comprendidas

GAELIC

Agus is cuimhne leam fradharc bho chionn fhada

Beanntan àrsaidh, is mòr am maise

Agus is cuimhne leam bhi a'coiseachd leis an oiteig

Uillt fhaclan a'gluasad gu ciùin air an t'sruth

Is cuimhne leam an t-àm nuair a bha dorchadas dìonhair

Falluing cèille truime

Nuair a bha faclan beartaach agus iolarach

Agus an cànan a bh'ann gun chrìoch

Is cuimhne leam seileachagan a bha a'rannsachadh

Agus na laigh air corp Albainn

Còinneach ùr uaine

Agus uillt gu gluganach a'gluasad troimh choilltean

Is cuimhne leam blàths pràmhach an t-samhraidh

Agus a'ghrian a bha a'cnàmah-loisgeadh ag éirigh bho'n bhùrn

Agus fàileadh cheò bho teintean traghad Is mol

Agus leabaidh dèideag

Is cuimhne leam lasan phìobaireachd

Agus càirdeas a'chéilidh

Is cuimhne leam a bhi a'tarraig annail dhuslaich shinnsireil

Agus a'faireachdainn gum buininn do'n àite

Is cuimhne leam nuair a bha faclan beartach agus iolarach

Agus an canan a bh'ann gun chrìoch

©Fiona McIntyre 2022