Cows Painting Landscapes?

Don’t underestimate cows – they can rise above chewing the cud, dropping dung splats, squirting milk and emitting rear-end methane all at the same time, though the thought has crossed my mind that with all the mis-directed genetic engineering skills out there we should produce a cow-car hybrid and we could travel for free, repair the ozone layer, have on-tap warm milk for the latte and bring home the manure for the organic garden all at the same time!

But seriously, Ireland must have the most artistic bovines in the world; no matter where you travel on our ‘Mild Atlantic Island’ you are sure to witness glorious pastoral landscapes at every twist and turn of our eclectic road system – each scene subtly changing throughout the day as artistic cows weave their creative magic.

This distinctive landscape characteristic of cows is but one of the subjects likely to appear on the agenda of the unique National Landscape Forum that will convene in the convivial and aesthetic setting of Abbeyleix town, County Laois Ireland on the 22nd & 23rd June 2017, where you will join a bovine masterclass in landscape art during an informative field trip to Robin and Ann Talbot’s farm at nearby Ballacolla (Artistic Cow and art student progeny photo by Ann Talbot). Alternatively if bog snorkelling is not on your outdoor activity list why not try some less-invasive bog-snooping during the field trip to Abbeyleix Bog. The forum will be a ‘live landscape’ event, hands-on, eyes wide open and brain in receptive mode. We may not deliver all the answers but we will certainly raise some hard questions. There are still some places available download details and booking form at www.lai-ireland.com You are probably trying to remember a famous bovine artist that you heard of previously - it has to be van Cow who excelled in field painting - she had a mishap with an ear, or was it a horn?