Emma O'Donovan
BA Celfyddyd Gain / BA Fine Art
I was born sixty degrees north in Shetland. I am a Shetlander living in Mid Wales with an internal pull like a homing bird to Shetland. The Welsh speak of hiraeth, in Shetland we do not have a word for the intense feeling of loss at not being home. For me, the advances in technology and the use of web cams, face time and google earth are invaluable. For me, the web cam is my umbilical cord connecting me to my homeland. I have relied heavily on web cams for my art project 60o North, as it has given me real time access to my favorite landscape in Shetland. It has allowed me to see the Atlantic storms roll in their mighty power, and while I do not have the sounds, smells and feeling of the wind whipping around me, if I close my eyes, I can see myself on the cliff top loving the sea in all her glory. It is this love of the sea and coast, with its majestic power that I want to explore and hope to capture within my painting.
