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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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

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

I submitted  “Gourd” for an open show at the Hallward Gallery (65 MerrionSquare South, Dublin) and it was accepted. It has even put on the invite!!! The exhibition opens on Thursday 7th May 2009.

I didn’t win the Shamrock Plaza, Carlow public Art competition. In retrospect, I think I was lucky not to have won it as it was a very tight time frame (2 months) and the site for the sculpture was very busy (visually). I think it would have been too rushed and complex for my first commission.

Anyway, I learnt  a lot, especially with my Second stage Submission and Display. The maquettes were put on display in the Shamrock plaza building and the public could vote on it.  Due to a misunderstanding the plinth for my maquette was made very low and my display was very poor compared to the very slick display boards of the other four short listed artists. I was the only artists shortlists of the Rep of Ireland (the rest being English, Scottish and Northern Irish).

My Display                                                                      The Opening