my visual poem part one

* my artists book Holding a Space which I made in June , I have hopes for its journey, it was accepted by jury for the Dublin Art Book Fair , in November at Temple Bar Art Galleries , that felt good.
* my altar with dear Ritvas precious Christmas card to me.
* I am going to use these found porcelaine roses somehow soon 
* my sideboard....... the drawing in the background is by my friend Denise Nestor

as the year draws to an end I pray for the courage to continue making my new work, that has taken me all year to verbalise in a literate format.NOW THAT IS DIFFICULT , it is so slow and seems to be invisable apart from  my few dear friends , this coming year I want my work to fly , fly away a little further , so I can see it from a distance, see it in another way , I want to make the work that is inside of me , whatever the acceptance or reception of it , its time has come and I have to believe this otherwise what else can I do , I can no longer keep it in.

my visual poem part two

* me looking into a glass dome of stuffed birds in Walter Sickerts painting ennui,but I am not bored , just meditating.
*I climbed into the window of a fascinating derelict house in Chapelizod village, this cat was part of a strange installation of fragments that was uncannily like something I would have put together myself.
*on St Stephens day (yesterday) a dry and bright day, me and my beloved went for a welcome cycle ride after the endless rain and gloom.
Here is a typically inventive Irish solution to the problem of a gap in the wall , fill it with a wreck of a stove , a cauldron and some ugly blocks ....whatever, whom am I to wonder.
*the outstanding highlight of my year was the freedom and inspiration I felt on the trip I made to Berlin with some friends , here am I in the appartment lost in a ** moment **

there is a bird in her heart

ink pen and acrylic on paper 2011

Grayson Perry talking candidly and inspiringly about being an artist and he also explores notions about contemporary art.He is adorable, both honest and clever and hilarious.
Treat yourself and listen to these famous B.B.C. Reith Lectures, I found them a great tonic (thanks Fee Bee for the tip xx)

December is within and without ........

me and my eldest daughter ,scaned from her film camera south bank london 2012

three images below from my studio

some visual reference points for me at this cold moment of lessening light and gathering hype of the season. I aim to stay still within the centre (lol)
went to the first ever retrospective in Ireland of surrealist painter Leonora Carrington ,it was amazing.
Watched Jean Luc Goddards film Bande à Part 1964 last week .....it is superb , watch the dance scene here , I dare you not to be feeling better after it !!
Love Marcel Dzama a long long time now he is too much, such a poppet :)

at the end AND at the begining of things .....

just wanted to make time to post some nice images from my world, on my dear ever so slightly neglected blog.
 In truth I am impatient to get drawing again , I have a huge backlog of images positively fighting with each other to get OUT THERE .....yet this is MY BUSIEST time of the year with just 4 markets left.
If you can come and support my work as an artist by visiting and buying my handmade work on view in Galway market , I would be very grateful :)and then I can settle focus and draw for whole days at a time.(bliss)
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 30TH 
SATURDAY 7TH , 14TH AND 21ST DECEMBER

Doll Museum in Paris , nice images.

beautiful things around me in my studio

above are my two favourite finds at the last carboot sale

 love this plant so much its dying back now though :(

more magic shadow trees

 postcard from v&a collection , one of my most favourite museums (staffordshire pottery 1830)

I love textile artist Hermine Van Dijck beautiful eye........, her blog is a real treat for me.
Thank you to all the lovely people who I have met through my blog , I truelly love this valuable connection to like minded souls.

making meaningful connections

 my journal is my best friend.

 I love this mans stall at our monthly carboot sale. He had loads of 17th,18th and 19th century lids , he has less now that I found them.

making shadow trees(from humble bits of dried plant findings) to draw from yesterday in the precarious autumn light in my beautiful studio.

beata beatrix
still one of the most affecting paintings for me, even in this black and white book reproduction.The painting is by Gabriel Rossetti it is a memory tribute painting of his recently deceased wife elisabeth siddal (the famous ophelia model and artist and muse)
I love that he painted her transfiguration of spirit,because as you know , I like things like that.

dear margot fonteyn and her legend swan headdress, reminds me of when I made ballet headresses many years ago.

all is going well for me , I am preparing for a proposal for a show , it has taken me the best part of this year , the deeper I wish to go with my work the longer the search yet the lighter I wish it all to look and feel.
 I often think of the people that I have communicated with over the years here , it feels like I am writing just for the air , but yet I know someone is out there,even if its only me.

country mouse going up to inner city Dublin for a chat at 2pm

thrilled and honoured to be invited to talk about my work and process at this wonderful fundraiser for a not for profit printers to enable people from the d.i.y arts community to make zines affordably.
I like the people behind this initiative, they have big hearts and reach out to a lot of marginalized people.
I have always believed that what happens on the underground , around the edges and on the margins to be a place of change and a place worthy of engagement. I am "ON" at 2pm if anyone reads this by chance in time.
Thanks Lou , for inviting me xx

october is here

 my beloved maisie in my studio

the market has been lovely while the fine weather is still up , the first three images are from saturday as is the last one , a woman bought the three broaches as it was a shame to seperate them !, the old postcards of Galway were on their way down to an antique shop ,the verse will definately feature in my work in the future its so beautiful.I treated myself to the begonia plant , it had an insane amount to flowers on it.

happy book

my prize possesion from Berlin was this screenprinted zine from the art collective cZentrifuga

my new favourite old plate found in a charity shop in England 
 I had three days in Berlin and I will definately go back. I bought the above zine in a cute independent comic/zine shop off auguststrasse .It made me feel so happy , it has no words just beautiful touchy feely printing on paper in amazing colours. I am not sure who made it , but the art collectives name was rubber stamped in the back. It is in pride of place at the moment and is like a talisman to me.

I love this adorable neon pink animal too by japanese artist tetsuhiro wakabayashi

neon inside of me

 neon inside of me

 hand screen print by the lovely french artist I met in Berlin adeline meillieux I hope to work with her in the future in making a book.

the colourful zine in left hand corner and in image above  is die birkin please check them out , amazing artists.
tiny rose lady came in the post yesterday all the way from the city of valencia,spain , my friend elidas mother made it !

franziska schaum

 some of my new favourite things got recently in London and Berlin, such joyful inspirations did I experience , specially in Berlin.
I have an insane appetite  at the moment,for fluro colours , neon , bright pink/ orange.
I am going to put bright colours into my new drawings and have bought some lovely neon pink and orange tissue paper and card to insert into my handmade books to come.

WE NEED NEON/FLOUROESCENT COLOURS IN OUR LIVES !!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
 in my next post I will share a beautiful screenprinted zine FULL of colour, my two sentinel dogs and some more lovely things :)

Holding A Space

I am holding the book pages over a light ,thats why there is a ghost of an image coming through.......hmmmmm

Holding a Space
series of images
I wish them well.