About

Over the summer of 2021 members of AAEX and MOPOSOGS collaborated in quite a brilliant way

Led by Caoimhe O’Dwyer of AAEX and Dara MacGabhann of MOPOSOGS, interested members from both groups submitted work to be included in the project.

Caoimhe sent a folder of photographs of visual submissions from AAEX to Dara, Dara sent back a folder of written work in the form of poems, prose and songs from MOPOSOGS to Caoimhe. The works were randomly assigned to the artists and writers to respond to. Awash With Colour includes the initial submitted works and the subsequent responses.

It took three two-hour Zoom meetings, to reveal the works and their accompanying stories; often filled with emotional connections, no-one could have predicted.

Overall 92 poems, songs, works of prose and artworks were created as part of the project.

One example of the serendipitous nature of the collaborations on this project is the story behind Angela and Una’s pieces.

Angela McCrossan from MOPOSOGS poem, ‘Antrim Coast’ was randomly assigned to Una Curley of AAEX. Una responded with a line drawing featuring the Antrim coast. It turned out that both women had been in the same location and inspired by the same vista. Although both pieces had been created before either had met, their work compliments each other’s perfectly.

Antrim Coast – delighting in a splash of colour

There are little Benbulbins in this landscape too.

Behind me the baa of mother calls her own close.

Below strong youthful bones oar in rhythm for heightened pleasure

Across rippling pools, a cacophony of movement, with hypnotic effect.

Nearby daisies pop their heads, ready to expand as sunshine promises a peek.

Above birds have their view too, an overview swift and wide

As they gather momentum

Then change direction in one swift swoop.

A comical bee does its own thing,

His line is more direct, less of a dance

He’s on a mission, gets right to the point.

And what do you know, a heron,

Glides down, lands camouflaged among the rocks

And rocking sea.

She ducks, then stretches her neck

Aerobic workout, while gulls, it seems, are knocked off their perch

As this queen of fishers struts her stuff.

She’s solitary too.

Doing it her own way.