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.

all things considered ....

above image is from my new body of work holding a space.
I have made the images into an limited edition(10) artists book.
I also want the images to make their own way out into the world in another form aswell.

oh the sun , this was 7.30 am two weeks ago 

two saturdays ago , I just couldnt help myself , she (Frida), made me do it :) 

thank you beautiful Mary from Belfast , that cardigan deserved you .
Thank you to all the lovely people who buy my work at my market stall in Galway, every saturday. I will not be there sat aug 24th or 7th sept(sorry)

 feels like I am starting to take a different flight path.

new moon , new work

 new work 

 details 

it will be a small delicately made book available on sunday 18th august here

waiting and planing and being thoughtful and feeling very blessed and happy.......

I got the adorable antique cardboard mini trunk at the carboot sale for 5 euros ! , it is made to look like crocodile , but is actually cardboard/wood and paper.
I am making a new book for the upcoming Dublin Zine Fair , where I will be exhibiting my work on the sunday 18th August.
I am going to display the new book in this lovely case.
The last picture is of another old case in which I display the drawings I sell on my market stall , they are very very affordable if anyone is in Galway on a saturday , do drop by.

Oh , I just thought this would be cool , to look at my posts from august going back in my blog. I notice that I am not posting very much ,like then , but that is because I am out more in the world . My blog was the place where I began to find my voice , and thats why its still so special to me. It feels very private , compared to say , facebook and I like that.I hope that I can keep it going :)

august 2012
august 2011
august 2010
august 2009

keeping my nerve and making thoughtful work for my market stall

I made some proper labels to attach to my hand made bags, clothes and hats on my market stall .....just felt I needed a more together and focused approach.
This week I made some amazing hats which will premiere at the market tommorow. Hoping people can focus on them amongst the giddyness of the Galway arts festival and the ....SUN.

green vintage taffeta and peacock feather headpiece (sold)
handmade gladstone bag(sold) 

from an old scetchbook :)

I have four left from my recent new handmade artists book titled 
a deeper exploration of fragility, love and loss
30 euro
edition of 8 unique covers
good quality images of my book here

I was never as busy ! 
The market demands a level of innovation and change that can be quite overwhelming, in a good way.
I have had my stall 21 years now ! crazy I know,  it is a welcome constant in my life. 
As most artists know , it is a rare and precious world we work in and oppurtunities to show ones fine art work can be fleeting. I know that when all else is up in the air , I have my stall where I can make what I want , bring what I want in to sell and it will always be there. 
It is harder though today to get people to make purchases because money is so tight,they shop online and there is too much product out there !!
So I continue to be (as a lovely passer by said to me yesterday) thoughtful with what I choose to make.
A big thank you to all the lovely souls who continue to see what I do, appreciate and want it helping me to make my own living.

To be thoughtful , sensitive, whimsical yet practical , all are a part of what I feel is important.

some wonderful street photography taken on Londons underground in the mid 1980,s
spitalfields life my favourite favourite blog