In early May this summer, we two set out on a road away from Belfast which would eventually lead us to Baltimore on the coast of Cork, three months later. Our aim was to walk the byways and the boreens, the hills and the hollows, and to visited rural communities along the route to run visual art workshops. We wanted to bring the experience of creativity through visual art to children in rural communities and to give them the chance to develop their skills whilst we fulfilled an adventure of walking the length of Ireland. We ran six workshops in the following areas: West Belfast Co. Down, Ballycastle Co. Antrim, Tory Island Co. Donegal, Tully Cross Co. Galway, Killrush Co. Clare and Castletownsend Co. Cork. With each group we explained about navigation using a map and compass and told them about our journey. Then we started to create a stylized map of the area using bright colours and including local attractions. Every group was unique and each group gained from the experience sometimes visibly more confident by the end of the two days. The children learnt painting and colour skills, and also gained from the team environment they worked in. They were proud of their finished work and there was much discussion as to where to keep the paintings. We ourselves gained valuable experience from our travels. Whilst spending our days outside, we were immersed in the natural beauty of Ireland and drew from the richness of the landscapes we walked through. The people we met in these isolated places were inspiring to us, giving us ideas for future work, and opening our eyes to new perspectives. We also had to deal with challenges and obstacles such as bad weather, physical discomfort, teamwork and limitations of time and money. But above all we had a great adventure and many laughs.

Our route took us from our first workshop in Belfast City up the coast under blue skies and then thick fog, to Ballycastle. The workshops were contrasting in these two places and gave us both an insight into two different community dynamics. Both groups created a great wall hanging, with everyone getting involved in the drawing and painting. After a rest, we went on up the coast and hitched a ride on a boat over the Foyle to Inishowen. Here we headed across country over the hills to the other side of the peninsula and Lionan, where the local fish farm took us across the Swilly to Fanad. From Fanad we walked along miles of beaches to Maharoarty where the ferry would take us over the waves to Tory Island. Our visit with the children of Tory was very inspiring. During the workshop we saw their creative confidence bloom. It was clear they have little contact with artistic and cultural events from off the island and it was very a rewarding workshop for us and the children involved. We witnessed the wildness of the elements first hand on the island and also its haunting beauty. From Tory we returned to the mainland and continued our adventure southward. Traversing the Bluestack Mountains in wild winds, we walked on to Sligo town over mighty BenBulben, and on again, through the Ox mountains to Connemara. We slowed pace to the rhythm of the landscape, and soaked up the awesome character of this wild place, in wind, sun, and rain. In Tully Cross we hosted our next workshop where we created another beautiful masterpiece with girls from the area. After resting in Letterfrack with the good weather, we started off once more, this time with the Aran Islands our destination. On Inis Oirr we found nature in uninhibited wildness. Amazed by it's fierce beauty, and sorry to be leaving, we took the boat to Clare, and our next workshop. We met 12 boisterous girls with whom we had lots of fun and painted a great wall hanging in between basketball matches. From Killrush we walked through Kerry in what seemed like endless stretches of mist and bog, along the last stretch of our journey. Travelling through the bog down old overgrown roads, we came through Kenmare, and briefly through the lyrical Kerry hills, down into green pastures and to Castletownsend, another group of lovely young people, and our last workshop. We walked on out to the coast and at Baltimore took a boat to Cape Clear Island and our journey's end. This far Southwest was the last point of land before America, and a fitting place for journey's end. In three months we had come almost 1,000 miles, maybe 2,000,000 footsteps and many, many adventures.

An exhibition of the children's work and some of Tracey and Emily's own work will be shown in the Source Gallery, near St Annes Cathedral in Belfast, from 16th of January till the the middle of February. The childrens' work is based on the local areas of the groups involved, and they resemble bright and stylised maps. The artists' work is inspired by their journey and the experience of passing slowly through landscapes of immense beauty, of passing time, and living at close quarters with our fragile rural environment.