the truth lies between ......

work in progress
markers ink gouache and pen on tissue paper
the birdgirl
ink on gesso
the market at packing up time
detail from lament from a house

.......I was going to post up the lovely summer clothes that I have been making for the market ...but the sun is not here today :(
I am working on my drawings today and I am so happy to be at this.
On saturday it was so hot..... (not used to 25c at all !!) I had to drap up my tableclothes whilst I was packing up the stall to shelter me from the sun...now I miss it , it never lasts more than a day or so .

foreveristoday is a really nice blog :)
here is a fabulous article on the symbolism of rabbits and hares

random loveliness (=inspiration for me) on a monday morning

pot from le petit oiseauwhat to look for in spring (ladybird 1961)
illustrator c.f.tunnicliffe
detail from lament for a house (forgive)
um...um....scruffy the skirt has finally found an owner after plenty of oooohhhs and ahhhhhhs this last few saturdays ! "its for my friend ,she really likes dogs" said the lovely girl with the huge minnie mouse buns of red hair :)
look at this lovely studio pot that I got from the lovely nath at le petit oiseau ....I LOVE it !!
I also loved all the little extras too nath :)
Naths blog was one of the first I came across when I stumbled into the wonder filled new world of blogs a few years ago . I have always liked naths honesty,humour and sheer talent for seeing and finding treasures and connections.She has a highly individual eye for design and her own design work is developing all the time.I believe she has a great future ahead of her, I wish herself nath, paul,and little iris all the very best .

the installation of......lament for a house (forgive)

click on the images to see the details :)
details from lament for a house (forgive)




A house constitutes a body of images that give mankind proofs or illusions of stability.
We are constantly re-imagining its reality: to distinguish all these images would be to describe the soul of the house; it would mean developing a veritable psychology of the house.
ch1 p.16 The Poetics of Space

Gaston Bachelard
Beacon Press 1994

well....I did it !
It is OVERWHELMING working outside ...its so big.
Seriously, after being used to drawing away in private , meeting other artists very periodically to hang a group show (inside)....... to do it in THE OUTSIDE IS SCARY.
My work is part of an artist response (in collaboration with community arts group mayo arts squad) to the word house and is sited in the grounds of the museum of country life .This weekend there is a massive festival around country crafts ....bee-keeping,gardening,weaving etc.etc....
Our work is to be chanced upon when people are strolling around during the activities .
I have sited my installation piece on the outskirts near a picnic area under a beautiful huge beech tree.
I have used the tree as my house,the context to carry all the emotion within my objects and drawing .The traditional mat has the word forgive woven into its moss form using bog cotton for the letters.

I can see land ....it looks beautiful (and other things on my mind)

I can see land (and it looks beautiful)
oil pastel on waxed paperarriving at work yesterday
happy flowers and japanese 1960's mug from auginish peninsulastudio corner

really feeling out of my comfort zone with this outside work I am making ....but I know that it is good to feel that (ie.to be challenged)
but I dont like it ! that is why I am having a break and visiting my dear old blog .
I am pleased with the re -worked life drawing.....I enjoyed being out in the welcome sun collecting the bog cotton and it felt very dramatic bringing things back from a long way away to use in my work , like I was a fisherman or something.
We had a lovely visit to friends who live far out on a peninsula ...they are our neighbours at the market and we visit them once a year where they feed us up so well we can hardly move !

10 minutes walk from my house .........

one minute later !below is the turf laid out to dry

.......although it is still bitterly cold I have to get out everyday...it is an important part of my day and of course too for my dogs .
I also am delighted if my dear heart can come .
Yesterday we walked over to the bogland , a beautiful walk of about 45 minutes and such a treat .
It is constantly changing and this morning even the light was flickering in and out (quite normal for the west of Ireland)
I was thrilled to see carpets of bog cotton and I will be using them in an outside art installation next week titled house.
(more details to follow.)

thank you shayne for featuring my drawing :) (hee hee ! )
and here too.
shayne curates a lovely tumblr blog of works she personally likes ...her own work is beautiful , this piece being a favourite of mine .

always believe (there is more always more......)

I am alone
ink oil pastel and pen on tissue

new growth/new work in progress

I am alone ink oil pastel and pen on tissue paper



It feels fantastic to be drawing again, ..........when you feel your life\sanity depends on it and you cannot access the space to get to it, life etc.....(do you know that feeling :)
Please click here to see the top drawing in completion (until I can remember my flickr password again )

today and saturday and beyond ......its a bit of an epic read :)

my dear ones
it was in a story (sold !!)
pencil and oil pastel on paper
spectacular gentians
guess who !!
mr danny

the last few days have been great and I really feel I am picking up my thread again .
The market was great and I sold a drawing (above) and one more of my artists books (the innerworld outside) (hello lovely penny and chrissy ) that I made in a limited edition of 50 last year ....only 20 left if you are interested...... .as well as lovely china and other bits and bobs
When they are gone I will make a new book with my newer work in it ...and it probs will be a hand sewn book.
As it is a public holiday here we decided that a day trip was in order so we took off to the beautiful county of Clare to collect a very large yew tree that our friends was giving us to mark the passing of my mother in law a month ago next wednesday.
We had such a thrilling day , the burren is all around were they live ...it is a limestone pavement which stretches for 25 miles square......its magical , moonical (!!) . otherworldly and just stunning to look at . It is a designated national park and thats where their little cottage lies ! There are BLUE BLUE gentian flowers, orchids ......We all had fun and it was great to be outside.
Danny is the cool dude with the new york bag sauntering down the market early saturday morning (I LOVE danny)
Danny is a native new yorker and has lived in Ireland a long time.He has a stall selling hot donuts that he makes there in the market. He is an artist for sure , makes all his own clothes ,is the sweetest guy and very photogenic. If you look carefully behind the guy in the red jacket (Dirk organic veg) you can see my stall .