And the snow came down!!

Wednesday 6th January2010. Sculpting in a blizzard!!! I worked too long and couldn’t get out. I walked home!

Friday 8th January 2010. back at it

Friday 8th January 2010. Trying to make up time by working late!

For more on the cherry sculptures see Cherryorchard2 blog.

 

Cherryorchard Commission

At the begining of the summer I was informed by Wexford Co. Council Arts Department that I had won the percent for Art Commision for Cherryorchard Housing scheme. This was a great thrill for me. This is the first commission that I have won so it was tinged with slight nervousness. The letter said I had won the competition, however, it was not an offer of the commission. I had to first ensure I was tax compliant and insured and I had to agree to various conditions of Wexford Co. Council’s before the Contract could be issued and signed.

On 18th September 2009 I recieved the signed Contract. So, officially I was ready to go.

As part of my proposal for the commission I am to write a Blog as a record of how the commission is progressing, the sculpting process and the installation process.

The blog is called  http://cherryorchard2.wordpress.com/

Maquette for second stage submission (unfinished)

The sculpture is due to be commissioned on the 30th April 2010.

So I have been going to quarries to buy the stone, looking for some dry place to work and organise transport etc. All will be reported on the cherryorchard blog.

 

Sliabh Gearr Opening at the Norman gallery

The Sliabh Gearr Granite Symposium opened at the Norman gallery on the Saturday 17th October 2009. It was a beautiful autumn afternoon and a good crowd attended. Jeremy opened the show and Niall Deacon also movingly talked about the conception and the workings of the symposium. Jeremy then led the crowd around all the work and gave a great talk about each piece and each artists also said a few words about their work.

The Artists posing!

Works by: Cliona Cussens, Niall Deacon, Eileen MacDonagh, Paul Haggins, Padraig McGoran, Martha Quinn, Bojana Krizacec, Emanuela Camacci and myself

More Photos on Symposia page. Thanks to Jeremy Hill for a great opening, the committee (padriag, Cliona and especially Niall)  for organising the symposium. And not forgetting Anne Deacon for feeding us so well during the symposium.

 

The Wedding Present

Just finished a Wedding Present for a Friend of mine who got married in August (I’m a bit late as usual).  I’ve stayed with my fruit/vegatable forms but it is heart shaped as it is a wedding present. The stone is Adnet Limestone, from near Haline, Salzburg.

 

Sliabh Gearr Sculpture at the Norman Gallary

Following the successful Granite Sculpture Symposium in September all the work will be exhibited at the Norman Gallery at Rathnure, Co. Wexford during the Wexford Opera Festival. Exhibition Opens on Saturday 17th October 2009 at 3.00p. All Welcome.

Works by: Cliona Cussens, Niall Deacon, Eileen MacDonagh, Paul Haggins, Padraig McGoran, Martha Quinn, Bojana Krizacec, Emanuela Camacci and myself

For further details about the symposium see “Stone Sculpture Symposia page” of this blog.

 

Granite Symposium – Sliabh Gearr

I have been very bad about updating my blog during the summer. Better to be outside than in on the computer!! I will update it in the next week or so.  For now,  jut to let you know I was on a Granite Symposium in Killane Co. Wexford in Niall Deacon’s Yard from the 29th August to 13 September 2009.  Had a great time and produced “Excavations” shown below.

 

The Nine Stones Artists

The valley I live in by Mt. Leinster in Co. Carlow is full of artists!! We have joined together to exhibit occasionally and we are known as the “Nine Stone Artists”. We had an exhibition at the Norman Gallery from 27th June to 12th July 2009. It was a great show, 10 of us exhibited with a wide variety of work including painting, sculpture (stone and metal), felt and film installation.

The artists are: Annabel Konig, Nicola Brown, Michelle Byrne, Cathy Fitzgerald, Remco de Fouw, Rachel Joynt,  Anthony Lyttle, Martin Lyttle, Jules Michael and Gwen Wilkinson.

Thanks to Jeremy Hill for having us, Annabel for making it happen, Gwen and Michelle for the  invites and posters.

 

Eigse Carlow Arts Festival

I entered two pieces (Large Parika and Wing) for the Eigse Carlow Arts festival, one was selected for the Open Show and one the Local artists section. The festival ran from the 13th to 21st June 2009.

I was also involve with a group of local Carlow artists called “Blueprint” and we exhibited during the Festival as a fringe event. I exhibited my maquette for the Shamrock Plaza art commission and Torso.

Brandon Mclane, Steven Myndhardt, Mary Cullen, Tom Cranny, Darren Caffrey, Julie Ward, Lynda Phelan, Martin Lyttle, Marie Cumisky and Nicola Brown.

 

Thanks to Mary and Brandon for organising and being the driving force for the show.

 

Aubergine (RHA)

I sold the Aubergine on the preview night at the RHA Exhibition!

 

Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA)

I submitted “Aubergine” and “Bean” for the RHA Annual Open Exhibition.  The  “Aubergine” was accepted and the “bean” was a “possible” but didn’t make it. The exhibition runs from the 26 May to 25 July 2009 at 15 Ely Place, Dublin.

Aubergine, limestone, Ballyragget quarry, Co. Kilkenny