Creative Spark Residency 2024

The biggest of big news!

I was delighted to receive the news this month that I’ve been awarded a two month residency in Creative Spark Studio in spring 2024. I’m looking forward to developing my art practice in the area of printmaking while contributing to projects, workshops and an end of year group exhibition with the print studio. A big congratulations to all the other recipients who’ll complete their residencies throughout the year.

Digital Woodcut Printmaking

I thoroughly enjoyed spending the day in the Creative Spark Fab Lab with tutors Oscar and Gráinne this month. Learning how to convert my file (the plate I usually create my artworks from) into a bitmap using the halftone screen method in Photoshop and watching the industrial Epilog laser engrave the physical plate was fascinating. Many Instagram reels of the process were made!

I was so happy with the prints I made from the plate (see close-up image in this blog post of ‘Resting On Past Victories’) that I’m going to give one to one of my lucky subscribers picked at random after 5pm on Friday, 1st December. So make sure you’re subscribed to my newsletters!

Hark Exhibition, Hambly & Hambly Enniskillen

Christmas officially begins at the Hambly & Hambly Hark Group Exhibition opening simultaneously in two locations on Saturday, 2nd December at 12 noon; 6 Bridge Street in the town of Enniskillen and Hambly & Hambly, Dunbar House on the Shore Road. I have three large and three medium framed pieces in the exhibition with some smaller unframed limited edition prints of ‘To Be Held’ at a very accessible price. There are only six editions left in this size so you will need to be quick!

SolArt Gallery Christmas Group Show, D’Olier Street, Dublin.

I also have work on show and available for purchase at SolArt Gallery in Dublin City Centre just around the corner from Trinity College. Do pop in if you’re in town in December.

ArtisAnn Gallery Christmas Group Show, Belfast.

If you’re around Belfast this December, ArtisAnn Gallery has lots of fab art including my work! With the Own Art facility you can spread the cost of your purchase over 10 months so what are you waiting for!

Cultural Highlight

The Andy Warhol exhibition at the Hugh Lane gallery in Dublin is worth a visit. There is a lot of iconic imagery you’ll recognise and it is great to get the opportunity to examine the prints up close (as all artists do when they visit an exhibition). Photo is of Liz Taylor as Cleopatra printed onto silver canvas, she became very ill during the making of the film and Andy was drawn this element of memento mori.