Crazy Dancing Bluebells by Rod Coyne

“Crazy Dancing Bluebells” is derived from a series paintings created over several years painting in County Wicklow’s Kilmacurragh Botanical Gardens. it was later part of a group exhibition in the National Botanical Gardens, Dublin. This vivid, energetic oil painting would make the perfect addition to any home or office for art collectors, nature fans alike. It offers a window to a world of springtime excitement.

It is signed on the front and carries a date and inscription by the artist on the reverse.

“Crazy Dancing Bluebells” a painting on Autopilot

“Crazy Dancing Bluebells” is a painting by Rod Coyne is one of those rare moments in art when everything comes together to create the perfect picture. Rod set out to depict that fleeting season between Spring and Summer in the inspiring surroundings of the Kilmacurragh Botanical Gardens, Co. Wicklow.
Rods Bluebells painting and five others were part of the “Kilmacurragh through the Years” exhibitions together with six other artists at the National Botanical Gardens in Dublin in 2014.

“I was determent to capture bluebells but also the fleeting light between April showers. Although it’s May the weather didn’t disappoint, and you can see the rain jacket coming off and on and off…in the video. But a great thing happens when I’m distracted by the weather conditions, namely, I forget that I’m painting at all and go completely onto autopilot. In practical terms this means I’m just doing without thinking, which means I cant over-think any part of the process and nor do I get precious about the picture. The result is an honest canvas created directly form the sub-conscious.” – Rod Coyne.

You can see more painting videos and interviews on Rod Coyne’s You Tube channel.

“Crazy Dancing Bluebells” born of Kilmacurragh

Most people have never heard of Kilmacurragh Arboretum, a tree lover’s paradise half an hour south of Bray, Co Wicklow. For many years the gardens were neglected and the Queen Anne-style house was left to crumble because of an ownership dispute. It was only when the National Botanic Gardens took over the estate, in 1996 – the Land Commission had aquired it in 1976 – that its botanical treasures and champion trees were rediscovered.
To understand the serendipity that led to the unique collection of trees at Kilmacurragh one must take a guided tour with Seamus O’Brien, the head gardener. His encyclopaedic knowledge has been enhanced by trips to the Himalayas, China and Chile.
Visitors can meander through the remnants of the 17th-century formal gardens and on into the later, Robinsonian-style wild gardens. A smaller terraced section has been extensively replanted by the National Botanic Gardens in the past few years. The gardeners have also recently planted an avenue of monkey puzzles.