Thursday, March 31, 2016

In The Other-World

These woods border a short cut back from the mechanic who repairs my car.  Most of it is forestry, lots of the fir trees have fallen down and there is a peaceful, other-wordly feel to the place which I think it what I am trying to show in these photographs.










Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Blue Leaves

I found some beautiful skeleton leaves at Lismore Castle and printed from them last week.

The prints are in blue, a little suggestive of cyanotypes, which has since got me interested in this medium.  As prints, they aren't staggeringly original or different but as a record of something which is disintegrating, on it's way into nothingness, I think they serve pretty well.








Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Rothe House Recce

My next exhibition is another group show, again with Blackstack Studio at Rothe House in Kilkenny.  Rothe House is a medieval merchant's town house, right across the road from Blackstack and our exhibition will be a response to the building, history, gardens and artefacts there.

I took my camera and had a slow wander around.  It is a fantastic place but what inspired me the most were the some of the artefacts there and the recreated medieval garden, which even in early Spring, bare and without much growth was like an oasis in the middle of the city.  Inside the walls there wasn't another soul to be seen but you could hear traffic, someone playing music, the voices and footsteps of people walking past.  I collected lots of dead leaves and plant material as potential collagraphs and I will possibly layer these with drypoints of some of the artefacts, all topped off with a bit of monoprinting for good measure!




















Blackstack Group Exhibition, The Source Arts Centre, Thurles

Bit long-winded for a post title but the show itself didn't have a name!  Here are some images from the group exhibition which is currently ongoing at The Source Arts Centre in Thurles.  The show featured works from ten of Blackstack Studio's artists and was a diverse collection of print styles, subject and mediums.  I was hoping to have time to make new prints but that didn't happen so I put some in from the Limerick Printmaker's Show. 

The show was opened by Brendan Maher, the Director of The Source and individual artists also talked about their works to the audience which I thought was a great idea.  Usually the artist is anonymous to a lot of people at openings but it is the one time they are there, and possibly dying to talk about their work to a collection of visitors.  For the visitor it makes the work more intimate and real, allows them to ask questions and possibly connect with the work which might not be possible without that background being provided.

The ten artists taking part are:  John Busher, Maeve Coulter,  Sylvia Hemingway, Andrew Kelly, Ale Mercado, Stephen Morton, Aiseling Noone, Jacqueline O'Neill, Helen Robbins and yours truly.

Aiseling Noone

Aiseling Noone

Andrew Kelly (detail)

Andrew Kelly

John Busher talking about his work

Helen Robbins talking about her work

Jacqueline O'Neill

John Busher

Stephen Morton

Stephen Morton (detail)

Stephen Morton



Sylvia Hemingway