A Letter from Ireland – Juliet Gauvin
A LETTER FROM IRELAND
JULIET GAUVIN
PROLOGUE: A Letter from Ireland
Dear Ms. Erin Castillo,
On behalf of The Arias Gallery, and in proud partnership with Lady Elizabeth Lara, it is my absolute pleasure to congratulate you on your acceptance into the inaugural Second Bloom Artist Residency.
As fellow Californians, Elizabeth and I are especially pleased to welcome you to our little corner of Ireland.
Your submission stood out not only for its technical skill, but for its emotional resonance and quiet courage. After reviewing hundreds of applicants, it was your work—and your voice—we felt most compelled to welcome into this new chapter of our artistic mission.
The Second Bloom Residency was created for women like you: women whose creative practices have waited, paused, or pivoted for reasons both joyful and necessary. We recognize that your path—nearly two decades as a dedicated third-grade teacher—has shaped your perspective in meaningful ways.
We also recognize the bravery it takes to return to something for yourself, especially on the other side of forty.
Elizabeth and I each found our way back to creative passions after thirty-five, and we’ve begun extraordinary new chapters of our own.
We sincerely hope this will be the beginning of yours.
Your residency will run for two months, from June 1st to August 1st. You’ll be staying at a private cottage overlooking Lough Rhiannon, on the estate of Connor Bannon and Elizabeth Lara in Dingle, Ireland.
The residency includes airfare, room and board, and a generous stipend, so you may fully devote yourself to your creative exploration.
We are honored to support you as you step into this season of rediscovery. Sometimes a second bloom is brighter than the first—and even more extraordinary.
Sincerely,
Marina Arias
Co-Owner it included the Riverdance show soundtrack, mixed in with other favorites like Parting Glass and Galway Girl .
She jumped in the shower and let the water wash the sixteen-hour journey away. She closed her eyes and relaxed into the soft rain shower as it hit her face. There were so many things she couldn’t wait to do.
She’d see Fungie in the harbor, eat Ida’s Guinness cake, have Fitz O’Leary’s brown bread and butter, listen to the traditional music at night in the pub, get her hands into the paint, let her mind wander, and create whatever the hell came to her—no rules, nothing else she should be doing .
. . like grading papers or planning lessons .
. . no restrictions—just freedom to create.
And then there was Shane again. . . .
The steam from the water was making her body hot, but thinking about him in the shower made the blood rise to her face and pool in her lower abdomen.