Halfway to Heaven - Watercolours from Ireland's Wild West by EDITION digital

Godern near Schwerin:

   With the book 'WALKING TALKING. On the road in Ireland's wild west' the publishing company EDITION digital, based in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in the Northeast of Germany, presents the opportunity to take a wonderful artistic journey through the wild west of Ireland. The book, published in an English and a German edition, is arranged with great care and presents a collection of 80 enchanting watercolours of painter and graphic artist Helga Kaffke who had been living and working on the Irish west coast since the turn of the millenium. Again and again she captured the partly bizarre and partly melancholic landscapes of this region in delicate colours which leave ample space for one's own fantasy and discoveries. Her watercolours hover between what can be seen at a first glance and what lies potentially hidden behind that and what will begin to emerge after further contemplating her works of art. The selection of watercolours shows motives from all seasons and ranges from „Springtime in Doona“ and „Still-Life with Cottage“ to a work aptly titled „Halfway to Heaven“. It also displays views of „Castelhill Church, Mayo“, Killala Town and Killala Harbour, shows Connemara sheep and wild geese on the shores of Mayo, outgoing fishing boats and fantasies of dream houses as well as „Birr Garden with Castle“ or „Fahy Castle, Ballycroy“. In a very friendly way it invites the viewer to fathom a country with character which seems to exist outside of the superficial touristic hustle and bustle.

   Instead of a foreword to this book, a text about the artist titled 'Reflections' ('Spiegelungen') was written by the writer and Kaffke's companion Gabriele Berthel. Helga Kaffke had never been lured away to farther regions by the continuous blue of southern skies, but had always worked in the rough vastness of Northern Europe. When she was asked about her artistic credo, Helga Kaffke answered: „Paint a landscape like a portrait  -  and a portrait like a landscape!“ This new book on Ireland by EDITION digital enables a soft approach to these very special portraits of landscapes and landscapes of portraits. It is available online at edition-digital.de and at all online booktraders and traditional bookshops. A bilingual calendar on Ireland with 13 different watercolours from the book has also been published.

   Helga Kaffke was born in Leipzig, Germany, in 1934. After her qualification for photo lithography she studied at the university for graphics and book art in her hometown. After her diploma she worked as a free-lance painter and graphic artist since 1959  -  first in Leipzig, later in Schwerin. Study tours took her to Bulgaria, France, Ireland, Poland, Romania and Hungary. Solo exhibitions were staged in Achim, Annaberg, Chemnitz, Clemenswerth, Eupen (Belgium), Flensburg, Geringswalde, Leipzig, Magdeburg, Parchim, Rostock, Schwerin, Sögel or Westport (Co. Mayo, Ireland) and at different French locations like Rouen, Yport or Sassetot le Mauconduit. She was involved in numerous exhibitions for example in Berlin, Bremen, Dresden, Erfurt or Kiel as well as in France, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland. Helga Kaffke died in December 2017 in her much loved last home in Ballycroy on the northwest coast of Ireland.

   EDITION digital was founded in 1994. Apart from e-books (mostly by authors of the former German Democratic Republic) the company publishes children's books, crime stories, historical novels, fantasy novels, reports of contemporary witnesses and non-fictional books (on the history of the German Democratic Republic and its National People's Army NVA). Another focus is on graphics and descriptions of historical signs of trade and fact books as well as fiction books on Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Altogether the range of publications presently comprises more than 900 titles (June 2018). Every year about 100 e-books and 15 printed books are newly released.

WALKING TALKING. On the road in Ireland's wild west

ISBN: 978-3-95655-897-9

EDITION digital

124 pages, 24,80 €

https://edition-digital.de/Berthel/Walkingtalkingeng/

On the road in Ireland’s wild west. Calendar 2019

ISBN: 978-3-95655-896-2

EDITION digital

14 pages, 12,80 €

https://edition-digital.de/Kaffkel/Irlandkal2019/