On this day of remembrance of 9/11 I had time for reflection in an incredibly beautiful and peaceful afternoon at St. Columba’s Bay. I headed to a different part of the bay than the other day as I had not actually found the proper Iona stones on my last rock adventure! The wind was still very strong and driving the waves crashing in to the rocks on shore – all very wild yet beautiful. It was mostly sunny with intermittent rain squalls passing overhead and thus the skies were perfect backdrops for the rocky coastline. Iona is stunning (as have been all the islands) and I must confess don’t mind the isolation here. It is a place for relaxation, contemplation and ancient history.
I also had a chance to visit with Mhairi Killin, founder and creative director of Aosdàna, and one of the two amazing artists I have the great honor of working with to create a line of jewelry to go with my Lords of the Isles project. Mhairi is deeply rooted in the culture of Iona and Celtic art while also producing contemporary designs. She graciously showed me some of the master pieces of the work created by the Ritchies roughly 100 years ago. She was also instrumental in creating a cooperative craft group, Oran crafts, to support local artists. You can read about Mhairi and Aosdàna here.
