Cristmas Craft Markets 2013

Dublin

I was in Dublin last weekend for a craft market at White Lady Art in Dublin's Templebar. I had a lovely day, the markets at the gallery will be every weekend until Christmas and well worth a visit in conjunction with the 'Needles and Pens' Exhibition which is still running for the month of December.

Here are some photos of my stall last weekend in Dublin, with special thanks to my friends Brigit Smith, Vanessa Cann and Adriana Dorotova for helping out on the day

Sligo Town

I also did a stall the following Saturday in Sligo Town at the Model Art Gallery on The Mall with my lovely apprentice who has been helping me on Wednesdays in the studio, Nikita Turner a student on work experience for a business administration course in Lough Allen College, she will be continuing her work experience with me until May 2014, so was lovely to have a helping hand on the day of the Christmas Sligo Flea Market.
I showcased lots of new pieces of my 'Art Print Jewellery' featuring miniature prints from my work, Prints, Postcards and some of my new decoden phone covers. I will be updating my online store with many of these items early in 2014 for all of you who missed me at the craft markets.
Here are some photos from the day at the Model in Sligo.

2013 Christmas Card Release

Here are my new 2013 Christmas cards; entitled 'Pine Marten's Winter Home' they are available now in the Shop section of my website. The image is drawn with pencils and then digitally manipulated into this design with Photoshop CS6; it was a nice change to use a little digital software to make these. The cards are embellished with festive ribbons, beads and plastic wrapped with accompanying envelopes.
The inspiration for this image is a pine martin living in my studio; he abides in the ceiling and walks around on my loft when he thinks I can't see him. He mostly sleeps during the day in the rock wool nest he has burrowed in my roof insulation and he comes out at night and leaves messy footprints on my work surfaces after he has walked across my paint pallets. He's been there for months, but only recently he has become a bit too comfortable and treats my sink as his own personal toilet. He is the cutest of animals and that is perhaps why I have put up with him so long, he's about the size of a large cat and I was very close to getting a humane cage trap and bringing him up to the forestry. Saying that I drew this and realized his warm winter home is also in my heart.