Mayo artist’s beautiful new book to benefit local charities

Achill-based artist Alexandra van Tuyll has officially launched her latest publication with events on Achill Island and in Louisburgh in recent weeks.

Van Tuyll, who is originally from The Netherlands, has been living in Ireland since the 1970s and took up residence in Achill in 2001 in order to paint full-time.

An accomplished keyboard player, Van Tuyll’s artwork is heavily influenced by classical music as well as nature in its many moods and her paintings reflect an exploration of the balance between reality and dreams.

On Sunday, August 10, Books at One in Louisburgh hosted a launch of Van Tuyll’s third publication – a beautiful hardback book called “Celtic Nature Poetry in Word and Image”.

A launch event was also hosted by local business Achill Island Sea Salt on July 19 last. As with van Tuyll’s previous publications - Sea Meets Land (2012) and Ancient Irish Trees (2020) – the artist has chosen to donate all of the proceeds from her latest book to local charities to include Mayo Cancer Support Association, St Colman’s Care Centre on Achill Island and Cancer Care West in Galway.

The new publication features an exquisite collection of evocative, original, nature-inspired paintings by Van Tuyll. Each of the artworks was inspired by beautiful fragments from the poetry of the Irish and Welsh Celts who revered nature as being sacred.

The juxtaposition of selected quotes from these ancient verses with Van Tuyll’s beautiful art works results in a very special publication that unites word and image in a way that captures the unique and inspirational spirit of Celtic nature reverence.

Celtic Nature Poetry in Word and Image is on sale now for €45 at Books At One in Louisburgh, The Bookshop in Westport, and Castle Bookshop in Castlebar.

It can also be purchased online via: https://www.mayocancersupport.ie/shop. The proceeds from all Mayo-based book sales will remain with Mayo charities.