invert this space

Out to sea

2012-01-10T08:04:00.000-08:00

Here's a painting from over the festive season. Acrylic on wood. Apologies for the low quality photos.

I've recently gone over 10,000 blog views. Woohoo! Thank you to everyone who's been following over the last few years. I really do appreciate the fact that people take time to have a look on here and follow my work. Once I get myself organised I'm going to get round to a little competition/give-away action, and then also give the blog a bit of a clean up, since it's been a little quiet on here lately. Happy New Year to you All!

b

Joyous Merriosities to one and all!

2011-12-16T09:10:00.000-08:00

I've just noticed I'm approaching 10,000 blog views. I generally pass no regards on such statistics, still, although that's over about 3 or 4 years, that seems like a lot to me. I feel I should do something to mark the occassion. Especially since I've been slow on the updates this last month or two. So after the whole Christmas excitement/stress dies down, expect some awesome giveaway competition thank you type action.

Until then, be joyful and merry and terribly grateful for that incredible brain of yours.

b

Christmas Markets and Girl Walk

2011-12-09T11:42:00.001-08:00

Its been a while.

I'll be taking part in two Markets this weekend, one in Powerscourt on Saturday 10th and one in Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, on Sunday 11th. These will probably be my last outings before Christmas, so call in if you're interested in buying anything. Or if you just want a chat!

I've been watching Girl Walk a lot. I've a secret love of dance (not so secret for anyone who'e ever seen me bound wildly towards the dancefloor at a wedding...) This project has been continually making me smile;

Girl Walk // All Day: Chapter 2 from Girl Walk // All Day on Vimeo.

Flinders Work in Progress

2011-11-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

Here's a few little work in progress pics from the Flinders album art. I'm quite enjoying the work, though I've been chopping and changing my mind about how to go about colouring the main image. But I painted a random section of it the other day, in which I decided was the right way to go. So after some unnecessarily messy cutting and sticking and gessoing I'm on course.

Doesn't look like much now but it'll look good by Monday. This bench will also be in there somewhere.

Woke up this morning with Chris Jordan's Midway birds in my head. So I did this.

Think I bought some fairtrade sugar in a plastic bag the day before. You just can't win...

Hello November

2011-11-01T15:30:00.000-07:00

This is a good time of the year. I always find nature especially interesting and beautiful in Winter. When you have to take a bit more time to notice whats living.

Had a market day over the weekend with Jauty Stuff in Powerscourt. It was good fun, if a little quiet. Was one of the most well organised markets I've done, in a great setting (which made the poor turnout especially disappointing). Have to say, I was well pleased with our joint display;

Listening to a lot of Son Lux and Zola Jesus lately. Son Lux, if you're into the likes of Why?, Dirty Projectors, the sort of terribly complex, technically accomplished music that borders on excessively pedantic, but with the craftsmanship and quality of production to get away with it. He's also a very friendly twitterer. Zola Jesus is more for your epic sweeping vocals and moody synths and beats. Conatus would easily be one of my favourite albums this year.

Market This Saturday - Powerscourt Centre Dublin

2011-10-25T04:51:00.000-07:00

I'll be selling work at the Last Weekend Market in Powerscourt Gallery this Saturday from 12 to 5pm. I'll Also be joined by Jauntystuff.

Splash Art Festival - 12th November

2011-10-23T03:23:00.000-07:00

I'm taking part in the 2nd Splash Art Festival on the 12th and 13th of November. There are 27 artists and performers, with live music, photography, painting, design, wine, plus it's in the Back Loft, which, for me, is one of the most interesting exhibition spaces in Dublin. Its also run by Magda Nowacka, who is awesome.

I'll have a bunch of new work that, considering my hermitic nature, really ought to see the outside of my studio at least once this year. Here's one I finished yesterday. Considering the title of Frank the Lonely Brain-Eating Mushroom-Zombie...... He doesn't really eat brains....

I learned through helpful twittering that these days Emily is sporting a high chignon with a fringe. Handy to know for googling those reference pics.

Wooden Bird, Drowning Room

2011-10-22T05:26:00.000-07:00

Pay For Play

2011-10-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

I just had a realization. Since I started working as a freelance illustrator (about 3 years ago) I'm pretty sure I have earned more money working on album/E.P covers than I did in 10 years of gigging with bands. For the record, I haven't done a whole lot of cover art and my first two jobs were paid for with a bonzai tree and tickets to Lykke Li. With the last band I was in, as far as I can remember our last ever gig we played together was also our first one we got paid for. I'm talking purely about a specific form of musical entertainment, live bands playing pubs, venues, festivals.

I stopped playing largely because of problems with my arms, RSI that still affects me today. But at the time, my main reason for quiting the band (who I loved playing with) was because I simply couldn't afford it. A case of, I could put up with one or the other, but with both it had become unenjoyable and unaffordable. It was a similar situation when I played with Bouts last year. I would imagine most people don't realise how expensive it is to work as a musician. And I do mean to use the word "work". There is the general thought that music is something of a hobby, you're doing something you love so money doesn't really matter. I would agree in some part with that. Music is something far more important than financial gain and should be shared as much as possible. It's something that I simply love, as a listener and performer. But ultimately it is still work. Work that requires much time and effort yet for some reason is more often than not unrewarded.

It's important that musicians and bands accept the struggle and toil it takes to develop and perfect their craft and I do think music should be shared freely. But unfortunately that's not always possible when the process of sharing requires money. For me, the onus is ultimately on the listener, the promoter, the venues, to value what it is they are listening to and value the people who are offering it.

I'm getting somewhat carried away, so I'll get on to the main point of this post.

Support Pay for Play, is a Facebook page started by Laura Sheeran to discuss the issue of venues charging bands to play, instead of paying them. In their own words;

"This group has been set up as a platform to discuss all the issues that bands and solos feel are making it difficult to move forward with their work, particularly in a live context.
Live is one of the only ways we can make any money these days and a lot of musicians are finding they are working to a constant loss when doing gigs.

...a place to talk about these things and potentially come up with some new ideas/solutions as to how we can improve the situations for ourselves."

Some interesting conversations on there already, worth checking out if you've any interest in the subject.

I came across this via the ever reliable Nay McArdle of Harmless Noise who, while we're talking of supporting music, could possibly be my favourite thing about Irish independent music today.

Thank you for listening. Now here's Bouts, from their awesome new E.P.;

Pattern

2011-10-19T04:39:00.000-07:00

These days I'm all about patterns. Particularly the kind found in or inspired by folk-based ornamental textiles. Such as this lovely work, which I believe is from Owen Jones's The Grammar of Ornament ;

via butdoesitfloat

I've never been great with that aspect of design, so it's always something I try to get my head around. But most of the time the focus of where I seek inspiration has some sort of purpose, linked in some way to what I'm working on. A lot of my drawings are based around my sometimes tree-limbed, sometimes bird-faced, sometimes plain old Emily character, and more so lately, I've been working on developing her story, which is all there floating around the nether regions of my head, but is simply a matter of translating into some sort of coherent shareable form (I'm not really known for my communication skills). But I am easily distracted by the details. Delayed. In one or two "stories" there is a house.

And lately I've been decorating the house (you know, in my head). In particular, I find I need to design the rug, a particular rug.

some pattern/design sketches

storyboard thumbs

watercolour in progress with aforementioned photoshopped rug

But the rug is also another story itself. As is the wallpaper and a long taspestry in the hall in the style of an old chinese watercolour. I'm terribly confused by the whole thing myself. Needless to say, it's a slow process.

Anyway, while we're talking about patterns, check out Denise Nestor's latest work. Work in progress, I believe, but it's still wonderful.

If you haven't come across her stuff before, check out her site. She's one of those people who makes drawing seem effortlessly beautiful.

My head is a seed for stupid ideas

2011-10-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

Cygnet

2011-09-29T12:43:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've done a straight ink drawing from the Laboured Error series. Although most of my drawings are done with little planning, these are especially.... chaotic. But they are one of my favourite types of drawings. Just letting the pen go wherever it's going and ignoring any directive thought. But with lots of repetitive detail to get lost in. It sort of works as a meditation, and it's something I always fall back on when I'm not quite happy with where work is going. Emily found her way into this one. As, I believe, did this fellow;

For the Music

2011-09-24T09:14:00.000-07:00

Working on the cover art for Flinder's new album. I'd worked on his first album back in 2008, so was really touched he asked me to work on this one.

Flinders See, Saw Still cover art, 2008

I like the early phases in working on album artwork, just listening to the music and getting ideas and images. Which Flinders work is great for. Lyrically his songs are nice mix of the personal and the political with enough room to find your own meaning in it. Anywho, more info on that over the next while.

Can't wait till Niamh de Barra releases her awesome album. Its sooooo good. Was super chuffed to get working on it, and I really want other people to hear it. Thats the other thing I like about being involved in the production an album you're a fan of. You're already familiar with it by the time it's released and get to see how other people take it. Its like when your friend discovers that band you love and you can start sharing all your albums with them.

There's something of an intimacy in working on album artwork. This thing that someone's put their time and effort and feeling into over the course of several weeks or months or years and then they ask you to help them present it to the world. It's always my favourite type of commission, as you generally get a lot of free reign to do what you want. The directions are usually more to do with feeling and mood. Mostly just listen to the music and see what comes out. Which is generally how I draw anyway. Music has always had a lot more of an influence on my work than visual art. Painting and illustration will always inspire new techniques and styles but music has a much more visceral, immediate effect on creativity. Its rare I don't have music playing while drawing.

These days I'm listening to Rachel's - Music for Egon Schiele, Sufjan Steven - Illinoise and Xela - Tangled Wool. I look forward to a future where I can buy new albums. Oh, and there is the ever reliable Newnoise. Particularly good show this week.

What's that? PJ20 was awesome? Yes it was.

In unrelated news, from a letter to a friend. An ode to fungi;

P.S. I miss Green Lights...

Inspiration. HIKARI SHIMODA

2011-09-21T01:02:00.000-07:00

Love these paintings by Hikari Shimoda. Her work is quite disturbingly beautiful.

Past the sketch

2011-09-18T09:41:00.000-07:00

I've got a bunch of uncolored drawings piling up at the minute. I tend to work in one specific medium at a time. My brain doesn't really multi task artisically. Occassionally I'll start a picture and just paint it right through. But usually I'll just work on drawings and keep starting new drawings, ignoring the painting side of things as long as I can. Not that this is a concious effort to organise my studio time or anything. It's purely because drawing, the ideas part, the inception of an image, comes a lot easier to me than the finishing. Or that middle period at least; setting down the principle colours of a picture. The details, I'm fine with, and even manipulating the paint on a page I enjoy, but it's just that point where you have to make a choice. You've got this nice sketch that you're happy with and then you have to figure out where its going to go, in the hope that whatever rendering you do adds to the image instead of ruining it. Especially so with watercolours. Generally you have one go. I'd usually have a practice area before applying paint, but i find watercolours will always behave differently every time you use them. Which is also why i like them. You end up with colours and textures you hadn't even planned.

Anyway, I've about a dozen drawings in varying levels of finishment piling up on the desk (not including the 10 or 20 canvas and wood paintings stacking up that I'm completely ignoring). Here's a few watercolours in progress.

Read Everything

2011-09-15T05:33:00.000-07:00

Here's a painting I finished recently. I let it go before I thought to take proper photos of it and measure it. But it's about 45cm x 65cm, acrylic on wood.

Since we're on the theme of books, I like the idea of this site - Its nice that Bookshelf (via @swissmiss).

I just started Malalai Joya's A Woman Among Warlords. I've long been an admirer of her activism. Her story's quite inspirational. Personally, I'm a terrible reader. Annoyingly slow and I instantly forget the details. Library fines build up without having read half of what I return. But if there's anything I'm happy to collect and that I allow waver my wood-saving principles its in the collection and appreciation of books. And there are few things that warm me towards a person than looking through their book collection. There's something incredibly hopeful about books. Ideas and thoughts without the distractions of technology or the psychology of social interaction.

The Magician's Assistant

2011-09-12T05:29:00.000-07:00

ScroobiusPip

Lanterns, pinwheels and a Winter morning in England

2011-09-07T05:17:00.000-07:00

Later this year will see the joyful occasion of my brother's marraige to his lovely fiance on what I predict to be a beautiful winter's morning. I was happily asked to provide some wedding invite artwork. We used Rusticus paper from Daintree to print on, and being like-mindedly environmentally concious, they opted for a small A5 format and emailed RSVP.

The original image is an acrylic painting on wood, with added details painted in watercolour.

Prints for Mayfly

2011-09-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

I've got some prints in Mayfly's new shop in Temple Bar, Dublin. The new location is on the ground floor of the Cafe Irie building, just off Temple Bar Square and worth checking out, lots of funky stuff in there. The prints are 14cm x 21cm (approx. A5) on lightly textured Daintree paper with images from a selection of recent watercolours. I've only a handful in at the mo, working on getting more for them.

Packaging is always a bit of a pain to come by. Regular readers hear me complain enough about disposable plastics, so I'll not go into it, but lets just say I'm not too keen on being a source of plastic waste. However, one must ensure one's work is presentable and protected from the elements. Usually I'd just use secondhand plastic pockets (they pop up every now and then in charity shops in folders and binders) I haven't come across any in a while though, so for these prints I had to make up my own.

I've used plastic covers from old photo albums, and reclaimed waste card from a framers. I cut the plastic sheet to shape, form an envelope and stick with double sided tape. I tried glues, but the tapes much neater. And I'm no fan of glue anyway. The card provides support.

When I've a larger supply (making the envelopes is a little time consuming), I'll put some up on Etsy for sale.

Jaunty Stuff

2011-08-21T12:55:00.001-07:00

Usually when I'm doing anything involving wood or working on theatre sets it tends to be in the company of the awesome Mr Harrison, who has started to sell his own wares as Jaunty Stuff. We share a similar appreciation for wood and old things. He also has a Facebook page. Like it.

Added a few links to the "friends" section, to your left, worth checking out, including kaiser caimo's blog. I particularly like the recent posts about destruction as part of artistic process.

Little creases and folds

2011-08-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

Hello blog reading folks. My humble apologies for my lack of input to webland. As well as being a little too busy to work on anything of my own lately, I've also fancied a break from blogging, I hope you don't mind. Here's some images from the grounds of Glaslough's Leslie Castle, which I thought were nice. And my feet being swallowed by some long nosed tree demon.

We found a cygnet by the lake. Apologies to those who don't share my appreciation for the beauty of nature, beyond the living.

This week I am attempting to read Foucault. Wish me luck.

how i think death works. Only slightly metaphorically

2011-08-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

Check out the gaff

2011-08-02T10:45:00.000-07:00

I haven't got a whole pile of finished work to show at the minute. It appears to be wedding season, so have been a little pre-occupied, hence the quiet blog. So, in the mean time, here's some photos from my sister's home. Sister Caroline of Dirty Fabulous lives with her handsome man Peter MacCann of N o Fixed Abode. Both collectors, and often renovators, of vintage and retro furniture and art. They has some serious style. The harmonium is my personal favourite, always good for a pirate song or two.

This was once the way out

2011-07-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

New shop at Society6

2011-07-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

Just Opened a new shop on Society6 selling archival quality prints and t-shirts. Finished this watercolor yesterday, which is also available as a print;

While you're there, check out Ruben Ireland and Michael Shapcott. Lovely work from those guys.

townland

2011-07-08T11:17:00.000-07:00

reference material; ordanance survey ireland

Sunburnt Jets New EP || Nina Hynes Fundit

2011-07-01T03:16:00.000-07:00

Check out the new EP from Sunburnt Jets. His debut release last year, Low Flying Crow, was a great solid album of dreamy noisy guitar-pop, but I'm particularly loving these new tracks. There's a much more refined sound, he just gets better and better at song writing. And the collaborations are a great addition. Aisling's vocals are an especially nice touch. And Nigel's work on the cover is top notch. As well as being a friend and at times bandmate, Colin's long been someone that influences my own musical efforts. It's very cool to hear the songs and sounds he comes out with, it always inspires me to make noise better. Have a listen;

Sunburnt Jets - Retreat from sunburnt jets on Vimeo.

Sunburnt Jets - Blood Brick by sunburntjets

The EP is a free download here.

If you do feel like supporting artists with your moneys, give it to Nina Hynes! She's funding her new album through a Fundit campaign. There's only 14 days to go and she's just halfway there, so she needs a good generous last push towards the target. Go on, you know you want to!

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&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://ninahynes.bandcamp.com/album/really-really-do"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Really Really Do by Nina Hynes&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Last day rant

2011-06-30T06:07:00.000-07:00

I feel obliged to finish my month of plastic-free, irish-only eating with some form of profound revelation that the process has led me to. But I am somewhat devoid of any great learnings. I mean, I've learned some practical things, like how to make coffee out of dandelion roots and how to make pastry and where to get the best honey (Eamon Magee's honey from Supernatural, tastiest honey i've tried by far) and how biscuits are a bit useless without sugar and too much fennel gives me stomach cramps. But my thoughts on the issue of plastic or the food industry have changed little, its something I've long had issues with and an area I feel there is little progress being made in the places it matters, in terms of the consumer's and companies' relation with the environment. There are great changes that have come about, no doubt, and people doing really interesting things. There's the wonderful revival of farmers markets and an increasing awareness of the importance of buying local produce. And while this is obviously a good thing, it seems to me to come more as a response to the country's economic climate, a sort of "get behind your own", supporting economic growth amongst your community. While not a negative thing in any sense, I fear it neglects a much more serious issue that has far out-reaching consequences, both beyond our borders and our generation. It's becoming more and more evident that the real cost of the food industries practices and those of us consumers has little to do with finances, but its one the majority of us may never have to pay. Which is why it's an issue that should be looked at through a compassion that extends past notions of economy or states or even species and matter.

Being the cynic that I am, I would generally think that the damage we've done to the environment and to other life is unfixable and there is no stemming the tide of whatever adverse consequence modern humanity has brought to the world. And I'm not one that thinks we should all go back to the stoneage, throwing rocks at potatoes. Technology and the amazing communications system that we have is always going to be absolutely vital for any sort of positive intellectual growth we might hope for as a species. I just think it's a matter of educating ourselves and understanding our own actions. Our society has become far too obsessed with self-fulfilling rights and wants, that it neglects the indivuals personal responsibilities. The demand for people to be special and important and revered blinds from the fact that no human is special or important more so than any other living thing. I think its that mentality that allows us a moral superiority that justifies actions that betray our own sense of ethics; The idea that my own actions are an exception, my life serves a "greater good", this is ridiculous, there is no greater good. To act with the ideology of "the ends jusities the means" is to ignore that absolute impossibility of predicting the infinite potential of future consequence. Nothing I do ever has an End. And I will never know the whole universe of consequence a single action of mine will have beyond my own perspective. For me it's simply a matter of doing what I think is right at present. And trying to fit as much of that universe into my understanding of what "present" is. Or to put it more simply, "by non participation in anything you believe is evil". Obviously Einstein was talking about wars and the violence of Imperial powers, but I think it holds true for buying Snickers bars and Coca-Cola bottles.

Anyway, enough moralising, tomorrow I'm going to have coffee, a cake and a beer.

Did I mention this is for sale on Etsy?

And I need money to buy coffee, cake and beer.

Also, I think you are a special fuzzy star shine and the universe has extra squishy feelings for you.

One week to go!

2011-06-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

A week left of my self-inflicted food restrictions. Its gone pretty well, overall. I had decided at the start of the month that i would be strict about about it. In that, not only would I not buy food wrapped/served in plastic or from other countries, but I wouldn't accept the cooking of others, gifts or leftovers that didn't fall under the rules. There were a few occasions where I've strayed. At a family gathering I had some apple tart and a bottle of Sam Adams, I got a Guinness at a gig which was served in a plastic cup (plus, apparently it's not entirely suitable for vegetarians, as its treated with fining from fish bladders), and I think there was another occassion of someone giving me food, but i can't remember. But yes, I think that's been the most annoying thing. It is a little ridiculous and potentially wasteful when there's food being offered or even cooked and asking "was it in a plastic bag"? But I wanted to make the rule as otherwise I'd be making all kinds of excuses and avoiding any sort of challenge. Not that its been about a "challenge". I've never been one for that kind of thing. But more a case of trying to force myself into situations where I have to learn something, to alter some aspect of my behaviour.

The gig mentioned was Laura Marling in Vicar St. I've seen her live several times and she's always completely captivating. Very minimal performance, and songs that lie heavily in traditional styles but I personally find her one of the most gifted and earnest singers around at the minute. As fond as I am of the more experimental/alternative end of the music spectrum, give me a good strong singer and i'm sold.

Monaghan is host to the International Blacksmith Festival this weekend. Three canopied areas with master blacksmiths from around the world, demonstrating, teaching and lecturing on the trade. I had a wander round yesterday, quite envious at the idea of being a master at such a disciplined traditional craft, one of those arts that belongs to another time. It was lovely to walk around with this ringing and clanging sounding off around the town. The market was one as well, so picked up some local veg too.

I made a tasty cauliflower and potato bake, topped with sheeps cheese. Its been serving me as dinner the past few days.

I've also advanced from lazy apple crumbles to full on apple and red berry pies and tarts. I now know how to make pastry. Not that much difference from how you make dough. Oh yes, and I made my own coffee out of roasted ground dandelion roots. It took me 6 hours of digging, scrubbing, chopping, grinding, roasting, but was worth it. Tastes pretty good, differs little from regular coffee, not as bitter or strong a taste. I only had a handful of roots (about a tenth of what your supposed to use) but it still made enough (with rationing) to do me over a week. Next time I'll make more and take photos and go through the process.

Shop updates and Inspiration

2011-06-21T09:42:00.000-07:00

I've a few new watercolours available in the shop, it'd be awful neat if you checked it out;

Kaiser caimo's work has long been of strong influence over my own painting. But its worth visiting her tumblr for the writing as much as the art, which is concise but always eloquent and interesting.

She's also been introducing me to Alan Lomax, who spent his career making field recordings of folk songs. If you're a fan of delta blues and have an hour of nothing to do, here's a video. I particularly like this clip.

I have the utmost respect for people who's work involves great time and patience and skill. As well as presenting such discipline, this is also just a beautifully shot video.

Documentário Helen Rödel - Estudos MMXI (english subtitles) from Helen Rödel on Vimeo.

Check out these beautiful drawings from Sarah Kirk, her blog is here.

via illustration mundo

Biscuits, Chocolate and the People's Park

2011-06-20T09:59:00.000-07:00

I love biscuits. Beyond mere desire, I feel a profound affinity with their crumbly sugary form that one might excuse the use of so strong a word such as "love". I have been known to finish a whole packet of bourbon creams in one sitting. Biscuits. Cookies. Chocolate. Cake. Buns. Foodstuffs of immeasurable pleasure-giving. I have nothing insightful to offer with this confession, I just wish to talk of biscuits. Fox's chocolate digestives. Maryland chocolate chip cookies. St Bernards Bourbon cream. The classic Rich Tea. All tempt me (often successfully) with a morally questionable self indulgence. Custard creams. Rocky bars. The simplicity of a Twirl, the many layered Moro.

I say morally questionable, but there are many areas of the confectionery industry where ethics are sacrificed to feed demand. (EDIT: apologies in advance for the completely random change of tone. I really did just intend on talking about how tasty biscuits are..) As well being the source of vast amounts of disposable plastic waste, there is also the disturbing fact of widespread use of child slavery and trafficking within cocoa farming (the subject even has its own wikipedia entry). I'm terrible for figures and facts and statistics, I have no memory for such things. And when researching or learning about things like this, i find it difficult to put much of it in context. But I do know when something disturbs me. And I know I've come across the issue of child labor enough times in books and talks and reports that its become an incessant motivator to change aspects of my life.

Auret_Van_Heerden_- Making_Global_Labor_Fair - He talks of many areas where child labor is prevalent
ICI Child Labour on Cocoa Farms video, via article.wn.com
Child Labor Surveys In the Cocoa Sector of West Africa 2002
Highlights Of 2010 Tulane Report

For me the only way to ensure no abuse, slavery or trafficking is involved in the production of foods and goods we use is to know exactly where it came from. The best way of doing that is to put as little space between myself and what I'm buying. There's also the importance of organisations like FairTrade, though not a perfect solution, if for no other reason than support of FairTrade companies is the consumers way to tell leading brands that they want strong ethics to govern their food production. And, as Auret says, the power to make serious changes globally is in the hands of the major corporations, industries and governments. But obviously, only because the consumer gives them that power. I'd also feel abstaining from indulgence and luxury is always a positive.

Anyway, I was planning on talking about nice things like the market in the People's Park in Dun Laoghaire, but of course I had to just growl about crappy real world stuff instead. But yes, this weekends food was supplied by Corleggy cheese, got some super tasty sheep cheese there, Galtee Honey (6.50 for 454g), Tinnock Farm eggs, and delicious strawberries from Drumullen Co Meath. I bought 6euro worth of strawberries they were so good, and I've already eaten them all. I reasoned I'd normally would spend that on some tea, coffee or a beer so it was worth it. They were in the usual plastic punnets but she was kind enough to empty them into a paper bag and they would reuse the container. I do like nice people.

I used to go to college at IADT, and have always loved Dun Laoghaire's sunday markets. It would've been around that time that I started to take a real interest in the food I was eating. There was a cork farmer, who has a stall there still, from whom I used to get dried mangoes and seeds. Then go climbing around the rocks by the pier looking for interesting looking stones or bits of wood. I don't know how much I've changed in.... 7 years..... wow, 7 years. That part of the city always brings back all sorts of memories. Mainly of people. People who would've had more influence on my thoughts and ideas, than markets and Cork farmers. Back then, I at times would have chosen where I went and where I spent my day based on who I hoped to meet there. You know, that whole forlorn youthful adulation. It's funny how people can shape who you become without their even knowing.

Time to stop talking, yes? Yes. I really aught to do some work.

Its all for the polar bears

2011-06-17T05:03:00.000-07:00

I think i'm a little at odds with the reasoning that is generally assumed for alternative ways of living. I find most people often associate abstaining from certain foods or changes in lifestyle as something purely done for holistic reasons or a spiritual self improvement. Whether that's just a result of the last decades upsurgence in new age philosophies and alternative healing, i don't know. But as example, I've found those who would agree with the idea of not eating plastic as a positive thing tend to cite reasons of its harmful effects to the human body, the idea that maybe the food reacts to the plastic and you ingest molecules that mess your chi or whatnot. Now I have no doubts that plastic has some effect on the food we eat and of course we should be absolutely aware of the things we put inside us, but for me such things don't rank high in priority when it comes to these decisions. Food involves such an unquantifiable scope of interaction with the world, its principle characteristics are not its ability to sustain my welbeing and align my chakras.

I find the view with which food is dealt with in society very much focused on self interest, generally focusing on nutrition, personal well-being and economics, when surely it's ecology, environment, animal welfare, land degredation, exploitation of markets, community spirit that suffers most from modern food industries. Even when talking about buying "only irish", the term tends to adopt a more nationalist, economically driven agenda. I personally have no problem supporting foreign labour over irish labour on a moralistic basis. My issues in that subject are more concerned with practical aspects, acquiring food with as little needless energy expenditure as possible, the assurance that the person who is actually doing the work of producing the food is the one getting paid for it and how the market system unfairly favours cheaper imports over local producers. It might be my pessimism, but i tend to suspect the more miles and the more levels of production the more likely someone or something is being exlpoited or misused. I would shy away from using terms like "irish only" or "100% irish". This is an issue that obviously has more to do with semantics than anything else (i tend to asociate the word with states and governments, which are a wholly negative thing, no relation to the people and land), but at the same time, my reason for mentioning it is that i would believe the only way we can do anything to stem the destruction that humans cause to the planet is to recognise that our morality within how we interact with industries should not be defined by our understanding of borders and nations and species.

Anyway, I mean not to take away from the rich culture and food and heritage this country holds, i think it's an amazing place full of beautiful art, incredible musicians and wonderful food. Or to question the motives of others on alternative diets. This rant is really just to address thoughts and comments on why i might be eating an only irish, no plastic diet. My reasons are quite boringly simple. My main hate in all aspects of life, one which i continually struggle to remove from my own, is hipocrisy. And since eating is one thing i know i will be doing every day for the rest of my life, i find it absolutely important to do it as compassionately and as intelligently as possible. I'm sick of seeing seas and lands full of oil and plastic and I want to learn how not to be a part of it.

Day 16 - Garlic and onion bread

2011-06-16T04:25:00.000-07:00

Just over two weeks in, I suppose I should do a recap on the situation. For the month I'm eating Irish only produce and no foods wrapped in plastic. Although there is plenty of veg and meat farmers out there, since there is no major suppliers of sugar or salt from Ireland, there is very little produce in the supermarkets that's available. And outside of tinned and bottled food and drink, nearly all shop foods are plastic wrapped. I haven't been drinking alcohol so I haven't actually even checked the ingredients of the common Irish brewed beers and ciders, though I know Bulmers is off the list anyway. The things I've been missing most off the shopping list;

Sugar
salt
caffeine
tea
a lot of fruits
spices
rice
pasta
olive oil
lentils
jams
chutneys
biscuits

In saying that I have discovered I seemingly don't have a very an addictive personality. Although it would be great to have a cup of tea or coffee when i'm getting lethargic in the evening and i'd LOVE a biscuit, I've haven't actually been too tempted to stray from the diet. Actually, since getting the honey, I've completely removed sugar as an exception, whereas at first I allowed myself a spoonful for my bread. Ou, I made a tasty garlicy bread the other day!

Mild Garlic and Onion Bread

3 cups of self raising flour
garlic (i used a whole shoot from the top of the garlic, but you could use a clove or two if you don't have the shoots or want a stronger taste)
two shoots of spring onions
few leaves of purslane (you can throw in any herbs really. Purslane's high in omega 3, i'm told. I'd sometimes go for some coriander or oregano either, whatevers in the garden)
2 teaspoons of honey
half pint of buttermilk

Preheat oven to 180 (celcius) and butter up a 20cm round baking pan, or whatever else you have.
Finely chop the garlic shoots, spring onions and purslane.
Sieve the flour into a big basin.
Mix in the dry ingredients and make a well in the middle.
I would then get a glass and mix the honey with some of the butter milk and pour about a third of the buttermilk in.
You want to mix the flour into the buttermilk, pouring into the centre and mixing inward and around, add more milk if needed. Try not to over mix it, but get it so that its, you know, doughy. If its too dry add more milk, if its too sloppy... don't add so much next time.
Put it into the baking dish, cut a wee "x" on the top, so it rises nicely, then throw it in the oven for at least half an hour. If you can, leave the oven the door closed for the half hour. After that you can check it. It'll probably need another 5 or ten minutes. If you're unsure, take it out of the tin and tap the bottom, if it sounds hollow its done.
When its done, wrap it an tea cloth and leave it sit for 10 minutes.

I always find mixing the buttermilk into bread the tricky part. Everything else is straight forward, but its sort of trial and error mixing it enough, but not over mixing, putting in enough buttermilk but not too much. The measurement of a half pint of buttermilk isn't exact, I generally just pour it in while mixing until it looks right. If anything goes wrong it just won't rise properly, but it'll still taste fine. Obviously it tastes best though when you get it just right. If it doesn't keep its shape, leave it in longer or turn your oven up a few degees more.

The recipe is from the bread my granny used to make. Hers was just the flour, a pinch of sugar and buttermilk. Job done. Obviously mine doesn't taste as good. Nothing like nanny's bread. When I'm allowing myself other ingredients, instead of the garlic and onions, i'd put in a handful of mixed seeds, a spoon of crushed almonds, spoon of sugar, zest of half a lemon and a bit of dried dill. It's pretty darn awesome.

Yesterday's meals

breakfast Pancakes and honey
lunch tomato and cheese on toast with nettle tea
dinner A potato and cheese topped veggie bake, with mushrooms, carrots, pepper, onion and garlic and a load of herbs.
tea Slightly tastier cookie/cakes than the last time

In other news, meet Reuben;

Love the markets

2011-06-13T12:33:00.000-07:00

Panicky Recipe for Weird Looking Sham Cookies

Ingredients
about 2 cups of Self-raising flour
handful of oats
3/4 cup of softened Butter
1/2 cup of honey
cup(ish) of buttermilk
egg

Preheat oven at 180
Mix the flour, oats, butter and honey together with a spoon and then your hand to get it all nice and squashed and dooughy.
When its kind of crumbly pour in too much buttermilk so the mix gets sloppy and you have to throw in a handful more flour.
Mix it all together, despairing at how its not holding well.
Remember that you should have prepared baking trays. Line two baking trays with grease proof paper or flour, or if you're paranoid like me, both. Cover the kitchen in baking dough in the process.
Spoon the sloppy mess onto the baking trays in inch/2 inch circles.
Remember you didn't add the egg.
Put it all back in the bowl, mix in a large egg.
Spoon the not so sloppy dough onto the baking trays in neater inch/2 inch circles.
Bake for about 12/15 minutes.
Add 50g of sugar next time.

I'm a messy baker/cook. and generally when trying a recipe, I'll look at three or four different ones and then just make it up as i go along. Luckily i'm never too fussy with the results. But I am determined to find a tasty biscuit recipe, with the ingredients available to me, by the end of the month.

Thank you Irish food markets! I now have Eamon Magee's honey from Wicklow, onions and garlic from Galway (it is quite annoying how these are so often imported when they are easily grown here), some super tasty cheese from Oisin farm house, Limerick, apples from Brendan at the Temple Bar food market (Just coming into season, have only been able to find cooking apples before), Oats, and a few other random things. But, yes, taste! Especially pleased with the honey. I bought two jars, but I've one nearly finished already. I only went to SuperNatural food market on Pearse Street and Temple Bar as my bag was already full by then. After chatting to a few folks found no word of anyone who does their own salt.

I haven't really done anything lately except look for food, so I avoided the internet for the weekend and got some work done. Finishing off Niamh deBarra's Echo cover. Niamh came across this cd template. Still need to work on layout but suits the image nicely.

I always think this factory looks just right in the landscape. Maybe its the striped chimneys, give it a quainter feel.

Smaller range, Bigger portions

2011-06-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

Donegal Rapeseed Oil is farmed and produced in Donegal and a local butcher here in Emyvale stocks it. Though the bottle is glass, the cap is plastic, so for this month it's still out of bounds for me. But definately worth knowing. They have a list of shops that stock it, including restaurants and cafe's that use it. Very handy.

Aoife at icanhascook gave me a few name's to check out and i'll be up around the food markets in dublin tomorrow, so will hopefully have more of a selection of things to eat and a few good resources to share with you after the weekend.

Even though I haven't had as much a range of food to eat over the past fortnight, I've probably been eating more. Both conciously, so as I get enough nutrition out of the food and also just because without the sugars (and my constant snacking on biscuits) to satisfy the appetite I find myself wanting much larger portions. (for those who don't know me, i'm a tiny person, so "much larger" isn't actually very large at all). I baked an apple crumble. Ate the whole thing in one sitting. Yum.

Todays meals

fresh baked bread

omelette

breakfast Again, very plain porridge in milk
lunch Home baked bread, toasted and poached egg, with nettle tea
dinner Omellete with mushrooms, tomato, pepper basil and oregano, with three eggs and fresh coriander (i actually forgot i'd already eaten eggs)
tea Apple crumble

Sugarless yet Tasty Apple Crumble

Preheat oven to 180
Peel large cooking apple and slice (place slices in water to keep from browning, or do this step just before putting them in the dish)
Make crumble dough with butter and flour. I don't weigh thing generally, but it was roughly 85g of butter and about a cup and a half of flour. Mix/kneed them (i just use my hands) until it makes a kind of bread crumby type texture, may need to add more flour so there's no chunks of butter.
Place apple slices in dish. I used one of these 9.5-in. oval dishes, so if you're using bigger, double up ingredients. I put in one layer, then a layer of oats, then a layer of apple, then the crumble mix and another sprinkling of oats. I also pushed a bay leaf down into the middle of it, which i removed when cooked.
Bake for 30 - 45 minutes

Here's an interesting page on Harvesting Seasalt for anyone not so landlocked.

And here's a painting, just so you know i'm actually still doing something besides rambling about food. Emily's constructing wings while some eegit is off "fixing things".

Why no plastic

2011-06-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

What's available in the shops
I made a list of purely Irish foods not wrapped in plastic that I could find in the main supermarkets and shops in Monaghan town. (Note; not including meats, though i imagine its rare you would have meat wrapped in paper.) This may not be a complete list, feel free to let me know of anything to add.

Potatoes
Tomatos
Salad onions
Mushrooms
Brocolli
Eggs
Oats
Cooking apples
Swede
Carrots

Although different veg would be available at different times of the year. Condiments, breads, processed foods would generally have at least salt, cooking oil or sugar. It is possible that salts or oils could be sourced in Ireland. (Going to look more into Agripure and Donegal Rapeseed). Most fruit and vegetables used in main brand processed foods are imported. I would generally assume that when a label says "Packaged in Ireland" or "Produced for..." or "Made in the E.U." then its not of Irish origin. I think at the end of this I'll do seperate lists, more researched, of products free of plastic and products 100% Irish. Personally, as I've said before, I feel the use of plastic is a much more troubling aspect of the food industry.

Why no Plastic

Someone had requested the reasoning behind this endeavour, in particular the "no plastic" issue. I wouldn't know how to fully explain why I feel the way I do about industries' and society's use of and disposal of plastic waste, the influence comes from so many sources over many years. But I would imagine much of my knowledge of plastic and the food industry would be no way greater than anyone elses. I'd say you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't know that our disposable societies are filling seas and landfills and rivers and countrysides with plastic refuse, that will be there for a very long time, doing unquantifiable damage to ecology and food systems. I find it an odd issue to raise, you just have to look outside. But here's some things I've found that might add to the discussion.

Some talks and people that have influenced and inspired my thoughts on these matters;

Chris Jordan's photography - "The nesting babies are fed bellies-full of plastic by their parents, who soar out over the vast polluted ocean collecting what looks to them like food to bring back to their young. On this diet of human trash, every year tens of thousands of albatross chicks die on Midway from starvation, toxicity, and choking."
John Francis - his talk on how he spent over 20years travelling without using any motorised transport
Susan Shaw - On the Gulf oil spill and indusrty use of flame retardents and chemicals.
Mark Boyle - has lived for almost two years without using money, he works to form a moneyless community and runs justfortheloveofit.org.

Info and videos on gyres, oil, plastic;

Very informative talk by Ct. Charles Moore. Lots of pics and stats. "We wanted to see if the most common fish in the deep ocean at the base of the food chain was injesting these poisoned pills... Over a third had polluted plastic fragments in their stomachs."
Oil'd - Short film by Chris Harmon on the gulf oil spil. "I've spent all of my free time in the last month putting this together to help illustrate just how dependent we truly are on oil."
H2Oil - Short animation by Dale Hayward & Sylvie Trouvé. "Of the worlds total water supply, only half of 1% is accesible fresh water. The oil sands mining operation use up to 4 barrels of fresh water to produce one barrel of oil".
Info graph from GOOD - "90% of trash floating in oceans is plastic". "As it breaks apart, the plastic ultimately becomes small enough to be igested by aquatic organisms."

This is all more easily accessible info on the subject that I can think off the top of my head. If I find/remember any more thorough writings and documentaries on the subject I'll share it.

Next week I'll find you some good news :)

Week One Over

2011-06-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

One week's gone. All's well. Though, I really would love a biscuit. I was pointed to this article the other day, which led me to eatonlyirish.com. As for mr. o'connell's "participation", I struggle to empathise with anyone finding challenge in a diet of any kind that lasts 3 days. Seriously, "living off"? I've cooked dinners that have lasted 3 days. Obviously I'm just moody from lack of sugar and caffeine.

Anywho, will be checking the site for some recipes and tips. I'm not sure how much of it I can avail of though. For me, I've found the bigger hurdle, and personally the more relevent in terms of ecological matters, is finding foods not wrapped in plastic. This is especially a problem being a vegetarian. I avoid shopping in healthfood and eco stores, as practically everything is wrapped in plastic bags. There used to be the Olive Green delicatessen in George Street Arcade, which served grains and pulses and dried fruits in big sacks, scooping whatever you needed into bags yourself. It was run by Claudia and Brendan, who are quite passionate about the ethics of food industry (they also own Matchabar in Powerscourt, a lovely little tea emporium). It moved to No. 12 South Circular Road, and though the shop is still there in some form, under different management and name (can't remember the new name), it doesn't maintain the same quality in regards it's dried goods and grains and again most things are plastic wrapped. Worth going to though if you find it, nice little spot. A few of the markets sell loose grains, one I would still go to on Cows Lane on Saturday's Temple Bar Food Market.

All of this is still pretty irrelevant to my current position, as such foods would be predominantly sourced overseas. I would think oats and maybe a selection of seeds would be Irish grown. I'll check at the weekend.

Have started to keep a record of my days' eats.

Tuesdays meals

breakfast Very plain porridge in milk
lunch Home baked bread, toasted, with soft-boiled egg with mint tea
midday snack Apple and oat bake with hot cooking apple water (as a drink. surprisingly tasty)
dinner Boiled potatoes, carrots, steamed broccoli
tea Rest of midday snack

Sold a few pictures today (including the one below), which means trip to Dublin to get some good farmers market grub. Woohoo.

Like this; John Salminen via curiousities & clockwork

Honey and the Hiltons

2011-06-06T13:49:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking of temporarily changing the blog title to "Invert This Plate".

How do you make biscuits, cookies and sweet things without sugar? Answers please. Would like to make some form of cookie/oat bar that still tasted like a cookie/oatbar, sans sugar. Must get some honey. There are a good few Irish honey farms (according to their websites, enquiries in the mail; bunratty fine foods, mileeven) kelkin also do one, but they're a UK company so that probably means double the millage. Obviously when it comes to luxury foods like sugar, chocolate and honey, it's purely a matter of limiting my own demand than any sort of criticism of industry (not that that's what this is about...ish).

Things are starting to grow. Lettuce is of edible size as are a few herbs, potatoes and peas survived the ridiculous winds. Random hint I learned; snails don't like walking over broken eggshells, scatter them around the base of plants. Other thing I was told recently. Grow Calendula Officinalis, it can be eaten as a herb with nutritional benfits similar to tumeric. It's a type of marigold. not the african or french variety that you use in companion planting to keep bugs away. Mine's just sprouting;

Spent the weekend volunteering at Flatlake festival, with the delightful Eilis Een, who saved me after my food rations ran out, arriving with a pocketful of hard-boiled eggs. Fantastic idea. In saying that, it being the hippy side of festivalia, there were a few home grown veg on offer. Oh, and mint tea from the Eco Bus Cafe (runs on its own vegetable oil). There were many great acts. Saw the Amazing Few twice, cause they are that much fun. Henrietta Game, four-piece bit of an Amiina/Mum vibe (though one of the singers verged uncomfortably close to Damien Rice territory from time to time), "ou"s, "aa"s and twinkly sounds, but some nice solid songs. Playwright and poet Tom McIntyre, just one of those voices that fills the air with meaning and stories that make you nostalgic for an old Ireland. His recital of "Miscarraige" was particularly poignant. And The Strypes, four very young boys who played as tight a set as any other act that weekend, with an absolute killer song choice. Possibly the only time I've heard a covers band do Summertime Blues justice.

Of course, I just have photos of trees and houses... I don't try to be this uncool.

I'm awful talkative these days, hope you don't mind. Will start putting together food-related lists later in the week, make this ranting some way useful.

Need Flavour

2011-06-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

Phoned some slightly paranoid jam producers, to figure out the source of the fruits they use. They didn't seem too keen on those sort of questions. Found myself answering more than I was asking. Went for G's Gourmet Jam, blackcurrent flavour, berries grown in Wicklow, or was it Wexford... There is sugar in there though of course. I had hoped sugar might be safe enough, but Ireland hasn't produced it's own sugar since 2007. I haven't opened the jam yet.

Undecided for now on how fussy I'll be on ingredients of products like jams and chutneys. Allowed myself a bit of sugar in my own baking (at least till i get my hands on some honey), but I could start making all sorts of excuses for myself if I start letting things by.

Dinner today was potato, swede and tomato stew type thing, in a stock of nettle, fennel, chives, oregano and bit of basil. It was edible (i'll not offer a recipe though). It could do with salt. Pepper. Onion. Garlic. I'd gotten the swede(turnip) more out of curiousity. Will be eating a lot more root vegetables, and I haven't eaten one of them since I was about 5. Its still an unpleasant vegetable. The nettles were purely for nutritional value. I make nettle tea every now and then. Never for the taste.

Heading to Flatlake festival for the weekend....I may be fasting for a few days.

Here's a watercolour, almost finished;

No Plastic No Air-miles

2011-06-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

So, I'm going on a diet. No plastic, no airmiles, for the month of June. I had also planned on giving the blog a break for the month as well, but a friend asked me to keep a diary of how things go, so i'll blog about that, maybe put up a few recipes, if i come across anything interesting.

The basic rules;

nothing flown/shipped from over seas - (so irish produce, local as possible)
no plastic packaging - (which is everything!)
no heavily processed foods - (mainly because the more processed the more unkown ingredients)

I've been planning this a while, as a long term way of eating, and been buying food with this in mind for about a year, since the BP spill and from spending my days learning about gyres and landfills, but more as a vague guide that conveniently avoids things like teas and sugar and salt and bisuits (all those things that make food tasty...).

i've a few exceptions, for the time being;

Milk/buttermilk - tetra paks are 22% plastic. plus i'm not too sure of the sources of ingredients involved in the pastuerisation process or feed for the cattle. Will try source some local producers, that maybe use refillable glass.
Butter - not entirely sure this is an exception, wether or not plastic is a component of the foil packaging.
Reduce to clear sections in groceries - Only if there is an abundance of produce. Hate food wastage, especially when its because of a date printed on a package. But mostly I'll avoid buying things here too.

Honey - there are plenty of irish honey producers.
Nuts, seeds, grains - i'm a veggie, i needs me minerals.
Wild herbs/edible weeds - so far my forraging skills amounts to nettle tea and dandelion rissotto (alas, no more rice...) And its not quite berry picking season

Feeling listless

2011-05-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

on the grounds of st davnet's monaghan

pure stubborn
watercolour on recycled card 19cm x 24cm

RCNI | RAWA

2011-05-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

"The HSE has informed RCNI (Rape Crisis Network Ireland) and SAFE Ireland that all of our core funding will terminate, in its entirety, on June 30th 2011."

RCNI and SAFE are seeking to reverse this decision, requesting people contact the Minister for Health, Dr Reilly (drjamesreilly@gmail.com or james.reilly@oireachtas.ie ) and an Taoiseach, Enda Kenny (enda.kenny@oireachtas.ie).

Follow link for more info.

RCNI: http://www.rcni.ie/real-rape-crisis-help.aspx

---------

A total of 2,765 cases of violence against women and girls were reported in Afghanistan last year.

"The incidents included 144 self-immolation, 261 attempted suicide, 237 forced marriage, 538 beating and 45 murder cases. The self-immolation attempts left 75 dead and 20 others disabled. Twenty-two individuals recovered after treatment."

RAWA: http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/rawanews.php?id=2239#ixzz1MS5CexBp

---------

Sham boxes

2011-05-11T04:22:00.000-07:00

I was helping mr john harrison make some boxes. here's a few i put together this morning from some old pallet wood.

this wonderful painting is by kaiser caimo

Also, new page on the website.

Music :: nina hynes on repeat.

treasure hunting

2011-05-10T11:24:00.000-07:00

emily has plenty eyes and ears for learning and enough hands for doing, but little needs for taking.

watercolour on 19 x 24.5cm reclaimed card.

Shelter from the Storm

2011-05-07T01:42:00.001-07:00

haven't much to show you. so i'm mostly going to talk about music. there is this though, graphite and house paint on random bit of wood (unfinished);

Check out the latest New noise podcast. A special listen out for the opening and closing tracks. Sweeeeet! That Fixer track may be a new fav.

Great gig in Whelans on Thursday; Catscars, Ilex and Angkorwat. had yet to see ilex or angkorwat live, so was especially looking forward to them. Can generally be the case with that sort of synthy, laptop music that the live performance just doesn't translate, but they were brilliant. Just quality tunes, and major dancing urges. I probably talk enough about ilex on this blog, but if you haven't heard her, i recommend Bells W/ Nobs On as a good place to start. (Then i recommend you pay the neat little euro each for the rest of her tracks up there and hope she makes an album soon).

And this, a lovely film about a lovely teacher. short simple little piece but beautifully shot and edited.

Shelter from the Storm from John X. Carey on Vimeo.

Shop updates

2011-05-03T12:22:00.000-07:00

Two new drawings in the shop. Painted on recycled card. Check it.

and this in the works;

Also, the blog title image was in much need of changing. We like?

Oh, and in case you haven't seen this yet. Lykke Li, being her delightful self. Lovely vid;

Lykke Li - Sadness is a Blessing (Director Tarik Saleh) from Lykke Li on Vimeo.

Newbies

2011-04-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

both of these started out as throw-away sketches but at some point became something i liked. i'm particularly fond of the little falling people. they might get a piece all to themselves.

I have from the library "The Vintage Book of Feminism" edited by Miriam Schneir and "New Vintage Type" by Steven Heller & Gail Anderson (or Anderson & Heller, no?). Expect retro screenprinted Feminist posters any day now.

Here's Richard Preston talking about Giant Trees.

Boundaries and claims

2011-04-17T15:05:00.000-07:00

current preoccupation: territory.

i've been recieving unwelcome gifts. django's own way of defining territory.

Inspiration: Amy Cutler, Kristen Bjornerud, Cherri Wood

2011-04-17T02:43:00.001-07:00

amy cutler

I'm a big fan of this style of painting, that minimal but finely detailed contemporary folk. It makes me want to go have sketching days in Chester Beatty library.

Blog of the week, A billion tastes and tunes, led me to amy cutler (above) and kristen bjornerud (below). Great stuff.

Love this. Cherri Wood's blog;

trust us, originally uploaded by cherri wood.

and this is pretty amazing by myeongbeom kim;

(via artistaday)

Daydreamer

2011-04-15T12:04:00.000-07:00

Just want to direct your attention to Daydreamer, an online art, music and photography magazine. It's jammed full of stuff, loads of articles, interviews and artwork and pretty pictures, and really nicely laid out. I love how it actually feels like a magazine, not just the look, but how it reads. I still prefer my books to my blogs in that respect, so it's a lovely touch. I have an illustration featured in it, many thanks to Arsheen and Anahita. i'm grateful to be included in something with so positive a theme. i do worry my pictures are terribly depressing to the people not in my head. their facebook page is here.

The illustration featured is now up for sale on the website as part of the Red Cross Appeal.
BUY IT!
It's "Choose your Price", so give the biggest money! it all goes straight to Red Crosses response to the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Fables

2011-04-14T15:17:00.001-07:00

Commissioned painting. emily's self-schooling. and a rather concerned looking bird. on canvas with acrylic. 45cm x 60cm.

and here's something else;

Shop updates

2011-04-05T15:44:00.000-07:00

I've a few new pictures I'll be putting up on the shop and Red Cross page for sale. I put two up on the shop this evening. I'll put a few more up tomorrow. here's some recent things;

Inspiration

2011-03-30T11:15:00.000-07:00

First off, an update on the Red Cross sale, in aid of the people of Japan.

€340 raised so far
thanks to people who've been able to donate, and for anyone who's blogged about it (like mr euphiophone) or mentioned it on twitter and facebook.
there are still a few available, and i'll still be continuing to add to it.
i read an article about the importance of bullet-points. i can't remember what it said or where i read it. but i think my life would benefit from any form organisation

Twitter (specifically Myloveforyou) led me to a few art and photo blogs which i've been enjoying. check them out;
brown paper bag
how to make a baby elephant float
cusiousities & clockwork

and from artistaday;
not a huge realism fan, but Julio Reyes drawings and paintings are stunning.

Ruben Ireland has some lovely lovely illustrations (you can also find him here and here);

in other news, i put a linkwithin widget for the foot of each post, showing "You might also like" suggestions from the blog. it seems to makes no sense and the suggestions have little to do with the orignal post... but that may be my lack of organisational skills again.

How to relate

2011-03-28T08:18:00.000-07:00

some new pictures. this first one's on sale for the red cross appeal, you can get it here. Over €300 raised so far, so big thanks to everyone who donated.

in need of inspiration... and structured thought.

to build a home

2011-03-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

i built a house. sorry it took so long.

watching brian cox's new Wonders series. amazing stuff.

should have a few more pics up for the red cross sale tomorrow.

Everything you think is happening

2011-03-21T11:09:00.000-07:00

Some new illustrations up for the Red Cross Sale. They're selling pretty quickly, which is great. Trying to keep up!

brain was getting a bit fried over the weekend so made a start on a painting, just for my own sake. the colours aren't quite as strong in real life, but its still one of those times were i like the sketch too much to want to add more paint. we'll see.

Red Cross sale Update

2011-03-18T05:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who's donated so far and for all the positive feedback. I'm splitting the money between the Japanese and Irish branch of the Red Cross. Either way it's going somewhere good. After the weekend I'll do a wee count of total donations. Working on a few more drawings, hopefully get them online later. check out the shop here.

Drawings for Red Cross

2011-03-17T04:36:00.000-07:00

Went for a bit of a drawing marathon last night, with Chris Moyles in the background. They're going for the longest radio show on Radio One, in aid of Comic Relief. They're apporaching 30 hours straight now. Tis good watching/listening.

But yes, I only lasted til 3am, but got a good few drawings done. I'll have them for sale on the site here later today (EDIT: Illustrations are now online available to buy). They're pencil drawings and watercolours on 19cm x 24.5cm bevel-edged card. The card is reclaimed waste from a local framers (Quality Framing, Glaslough st, Monaghan, if you wish to know) that I mentioned a few posts ago. Its really nice to draw on, definately be a regular source!

Will keep doing some more, and upload them as soon as I can. Need to take a bit of a computer break first! By the way, all the pictures in this sale have an optional price to pay, generally between 15 to 60euro. And all money goes to Red Cross. Please, pass on the link to anyone you think would be interested in helping. Consider it donating money to a great cause and getting free art in the bargain! And big thank to everyone who's already bought/donated something :)

perched

one time catcher

hey ernie

little land

bred of natives

Japan Earthquake Appeal

2011-03-15T15:58:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, I've put up a page on the site for a sale of drawings/paintings to hopefully raise some money for Red Cross, in aid of the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

This was a spur of the moment job, and I've only a few things up for now, I'll put more up over the next few days, but please take a look, and check back over the week for more updates. Also, this is the first time I've used the Paypal "Buy now" buttons, so if there are any problems, let me know. Or if anyone has any thoughts or ideas on the subject, feel free to get in touch.

Click here!

Thank you!

I might as well finish

2011-03-13T05:43:00.001-07:00

some niamh de barra inspired work in progress. quite meditative to work on. music by niamh.

within walls

2011-03-08T13:43:00.001-08:00

i've lots of work i want to show you. but computer time is getting more restricted. i've also an increasing desire to talk about it (the work, that is). which i tend to believe is the best time to be silent.
so, words from others; we are equals.

Etsy folk

2011-03-02T08:42:00.000-08:00

Here's a few lovely arty people from recent wanderings through etsy.

Sarah Giannobile. her colours are wonderful, lots of tones packed in there, but still soft and subtle, and i love the little abstract shapes and lines. really nice stuff. her shop and her site.

really like christina romeo's drawings and paintings. her shop is here.

Emma kidd has some really nice little monsters. her portfolio site is here.

Pretty sweet one from danna ray @ groundwork

And Ashley G and Drew;

For the music

2011-02-28T01:33:00.000-08:00

I've blogged a few times before about Irish electronica artist Ilex, but she's always worth talking about. Lots of lovely delicate layers of repeating beats and melodies, that just warms my brain, whatever the mood. and with a consistent quality that's totally enviable. perfect drawing music.
She just put up a handful of songs on her bandcamp page. which also just looks pretty damn sweet, her own work for the cover art. i highly recommend you download them now. at least give them a deserved listen! a euro's a small price but, means a lot for supporting independent artists.

i have a bunch of stuff to scan in and noodle with, but my arms hate me right now (i have given myself a "no computer before lunch time" rule, but i'm not doing a good job of obeying. as the man says...) anyway, here's some photos instead, then i'm done.

learnt how to make origami pots for seedlings. neato.

i found sunspots, what are actually pencil-sharpenings, in the bottom of a paper cup.

django being slightly magnificent.

Mushrooms and drowning houses

2011-02-26T06:27:00.000-08:00

some recent things;

i like finding random things written on scraps after a night of drinking;

it should be noted, my sober hand-writing isn't a great deal more legible.

Niamh de Barra

2011-02-21T03:54:00.001-08:00

I had mentioned before I'm working on the cover for Niamh de Barra's album. we'd talked ages ago about working on a project together, but never got around to anything, so was really hoping to get working on her album. from her music and her blog and general conversation, I recognise a lot of shared themes and thoughts. which always makes it a much more interesting process. She's heading to the studio soon, so looking forward to hearing what comes out. For now, follow the links for tunage (you can download her e.p. "Cusp" here).

here's some pics from an as yet unnamed sketchbook;

Loving her latest track uploaded on Soundcloud;

Irresistible by Niamh de Barra

New Studio

2011-02-18T16:30:00.000-08:00

Spent the last few days relocating my studio space. this is probably the tidiest it will look for the next year, so here's pics;

a boyish child called emily

sketchbooks. lots of emily notes. things i might call "art".

my tele. love my tele.

A little wildness

2011-02-17T03:43:00.000-08:00

So this weeks homework was something i'd been intending on doing for ages, and i had a fair idea what i was going to do after working on the set painting last month. again, this is just the start of a project, i intend to find some open-minded folk to offer a wall or two for similar sort of paintings. i'll be mostly doing that through email and facebook, if anyone wants to know more, get in touch. anyway, here's a painting. i'll post some photos later in the week.

Inspiration: Yeji Yun, Frank Gonzales, Lizzie Thomas

2011-02-16T15:38:00.000-08:00

Very much liking Yeji Yun's illustration. Check out her Portfolio pdf. Lots of great images and detail and stories packed into her work.

Frank Gonzales's bird paintings are BEAUTIFUL. and i'm quite fond of his studio too;

lastly, love this drawing by Lizzie Thomas;

Homework - Goats in trees!

2011-02-14T10:10:00.000-08:00

new-found art director/work monitor, emer, has been kindly assigning me homework, to help spur on various projects and cut down on needless procrastinating. have many projects i intend to get working on this year, so any enforced discipline is muchly welcomed. last weeks homework was on a shared love of that most revered of phenomenons; goats in trees. My homework, therefore, was 20 goats by thursday. we'd also been discussing minature animal portraits, so...

shrigley goats

we have further plans for these tree loving fellows, the homework was just a starter.

this weeks homework is a good one. on a much bigger scale and something i've been meaning to do for ages. i haven't been given a deadline though....thursday again?

also made some much needed edits to the projects section on my portfolio site.

Mmmmmmmusic (Link overload!)

2011-02-09T03:41:00.000-08:00

Since my Ipod died a tragically slow death and there doesn't seem to be a cd player in the house that actually works, I've been mostly relying on online streams for musical input. The legit stuff, of course, I don't go in for the illegal downloading myself. It should always be the choice of the artist. And these days there are plenty of artists, blogs and labels offering free music out there.

So, (by brian's request) here's a few that I've been giving ear space;

Harmless noise do a regular feature on free uploads, they did a nice round up of last years releases. Particularly fond of Letter From Belgium's LFB002 and Sunburnt Jets – Low Flying Crow. And everyone should check out Bouts – New Ways Of Saying No :)

New Noise is a weekly podcast/radio show, i'm growing increasingly fond of. Covers a broad spectrum of music, worth having a listen.

There's various folks on Soundcloud. For me this is primarily a source of the Irish experimental/electronica/noise scene and my followees revolve mainly around SSTN artists; Niamh deBarra, Ilex, Euphiophone, Amanda Feery.

Loving this from Amanda, with Dublin String Quartet;

Pulse Presses by amandafeery

In related news, Niamh is working on an album at the minute for release later in the year. I'm providing artwork for the cover, which I'm super excited about. But more on that another time.

And while we're on the subject, check out an interview just published today with brother/audio mastering engineer (stephen/analogheart) at wearenoise.

Cinderella

2011-02-07T07:23:00.000-08:00

I mentioned before that I've been working on a local production of Cinderella, so here's a few photos of the finished sets, obviously with much appreciated assistance; linky.

Towards the end a few of us indulged in a little light distraction by filling up the forest scene with random little creatures. On last count we had about 20 cats, rabbits, frogs and insects hidden in various bushes and branches.

and we must not forget, the irremissible Goat in a Tree!!!

it's the little things in life. Now to get back to work...

Islands, bears and marco wagner

2011-02-03T09:06:00.000-08:00

growing increasingly fond of framing mount offcuts as drawing paper. the bevelled edges give the images a nice framed finish. i doubt the card would be great for acrylic or oils (though i'll be giving it a go), but they're perfect for drawing and light inks and watercolours.

put some new pictures up for sale on etsy. the laboured error series. there around the $44 to $60 mark pricewise (in euro, that's about €35 to €50). 50% of the sales go to the Gulf Restoration Network.

Also, been admiring the lovely work of Marco Wagner. Beautiful stuff. You must check out his paintings.

Hello again

2011-01-31T08:41:00.000-08:00

So I have been neglecting the blog lately. I've been working the past fortnight on the set and music for a local production of Cinderella. It's been good fun, but taken up a lot of time. Which I don't mind at all, but it has meant I've gotten no work of my own done in ages. But just to fill my blogging absence for now, here's some pics of hard working folk and our labours. Should get some good shots of the finished sets soon.

Also, I went to a local framers and asked them for waste material from their card mounts and found it to be a lovely drawing canvas. Will be working with this stuff for a while me thinks.

And lastly here's a recent book cover I did. It's yet to go to print, but I'm happy with how it turned out;

little wildness

2011-01-13T02:19:00.000-08:00

recent sketchbook work.

good things from the web;

hye su lee's illustration

Thomas Thwaites building a toaster. from scratch

Fabric designs by Gunta Stölzl

in gardens such as temples

2011-01-09T06:04:00.000-08:00

Great Orchestra Of Christmas Charity

2011-01-03T06:16:00.000-08:00

Myself and 18 other artists are taking part in a charity exhibition on Thursday at Teacher's Club, 36 Parnell Square West, Dublin. It's with ArtWave, as a part of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity and it's to help buy medical equipment for children with urological and nephrological diseases.

All the profits from the sales will go directly to the charity.
FREE entry.

The venue:
Teacher's Club, 36 Parnell Square West, Dublin 1

When:
Opening night: Thursday, 6th January 2011 – 6pm till late

for more details, here's the facebook page;
Great Orchestra Of Christmas Charity

Hope to see you there!

givings and recievings

2011-01-01T06:21:00.000-08:00

some pictures from the holiday season. this was from an older drawing that i did on a larger scale. its acrylic on canvas, around 70cm x 110cm.

emily's all about roots lately.

here's a commission i did for some friends from an old picture of a village in.....louth? athone?....i have no memory. i forgot to get a decent scan of it before it was framed. i get slightly panicked when asked to draw things that actually exist.

and here's just one of those things i do for my own sake.

Thank you

2010-12-31T14:50:00.001-08:00

Thank you to everyone and everything that helped make this year wonderful. i'm looking forward to another year of amazing art and music and people and discoveries and joyous times. and, of course, thanks to all the not so wonderful things that remind us to try harder and be ever grateful.

baby birch

2010-12-22T07:25:00.000-08:00

i've had joanna newsom's sawdust and diamonds on a pretty consistent repeat since the summer. like much of her music, there's a wonderful mixture of childhood fairy tale and honest hardship, with a measure and manner that, for me, transcends notions of "song" or "musician" or "artist" and just lies comfortably in the undefinable. and where its not meant to simply entertain, but requires time and attention. its a quality in which i always hope to develop in my own work, especially with emily's story. which is why i'm mentioning it here. i would generally find a great deal of inspiration in music. but i don't think there's anything else i've listened to lately that makes me want to simultaneously pick up a guitar, a pen and a brush, with equal eagerness. in days of random playlists and the background drone of headphones (a habit in which i'm continually guilty of indulging) i find great joy in doing nothing else but simply listening to her music. lately baby birch has been the one to take many welcomed 10 minute chunks of my day. in fact, i was going to post some pictures, but instead i'm going to listen to it again now. with full attention....

i smell a new year

2010-12-18T12:47:00.000-08:00

here's thursday night's set-up from Flashlight in twisted pepper;

there was supposed to be more and for it to be nice and flush to the wall, but it was nasty concrete that didn't want to co-operate. i would love a nice agreeable wall to hang things on. and light. how i miss the light. good night though, and i had a most welcome neighbour to keep me company. some decent tunage too, expecially enjoyed lisa mcLaughlin, she has a great voice, was a pleasure to hear her perform.

i'm taking part in a charity exhibition in january, which i'll get more details for later. but besides that, i'm planning on laying low over the next while. i've given the markets a break and no exhibitions on the horizon. if people are looking to purchase work, then please email me. i'm moving house soon (the details of which i'll no doubt blog about over coming weeks) and hope to be edging ever-closer to a relatively moneyless existence, so i've plans to set up some form of online shop, happily inspired by this lovely little site; letsswap.it. only i'll likely be looking for offers along the lines of potatoes and firewood and new socks! i also have a few projects which i'm looking forward to getting cracking on in the new year, and so as not to end up as "the crazy man in the cottage by the lake", i'll likely be blogging all about my most awesome adventurings and inane daily happenings.

and lets not forget the snow monkeys.

atem books and no culture icons

2010-12-14T12:17:00.000-08:00

booooooom has a giveaway on their facebook page from atem books of work by maria mantella. lovely looking books on the site. also quite fond of daniel mendoza and cendrine rovini's drawings. particularly like cendrine's work;

also, after some googling and link hopping, came across no culture icons, a collective of illustrators and artists, including the three mentioned above. i've only made it through m - z so far, but some really interesting work in there, worth a little exploration.

i was supposed to be doing some work, wasn't i....

new work for thursday

2010-12-13T13:39:00.000-08:00

have to say, loving how some of the recent pictures are turning out, very happy with what i have ready for thursday (be happier when i've the rest finished!);

a new emily i'm quite fond of;

hello world

2010-12-11T07:44:00.000-08:00

i've been unusually slow to update lately, but everything slows in this season, i know we're all still friends. but just to show this does not signal a lack of creativity, i thought i'd offer some recent work, and so spent the morning putting this together. enjoy;

also, here's a video from the summer, practicing with Bouts for the HWCH festival. i think this was about the second time we played this song. daniel, you're awesome;

i'll be in Twisted Pepper this Thursday for Flashlight, along with a whole bunch of other lovely creative folk. please come along.

also, i'm going to miss this, but for anyone who likes random music experimentation, this is likely to be pretty special; ed devane's Stop/Run which is kicking off tonight.

Snow!!!

2010-12-01T06:09:00.001-08:00

dublin is certainly loveliest in the snow.

and here's some detailed shots of emily and her samson;

breakthru artists

2010-11-30T07:15:00.000-08:00

It's been a long snowy weekend. hope everyone's holding up with the chill! personally, i like the snow and ice. i have a fondness for such times when you've no choice but to give way to nature. it's always good to see people made to slow down, a sort of mass acceptance that nothing is necessary or definate.
before the snow hit, i took part in a music/art party and exhibition in jamestown studios, dublin, with breakthru artists. love taking part in these little collaborative pop-up shows. always a good friendly vibe. some sweet tunage by locoswing and sive. super impressed with mark dudley's playing (with both bands), expecially on the gypsy jazz stuff and sadhbh o'sullivan has some great songs with a lovely understated, earnest tone to her voice. thanks to elaine and the gang for inviting me along, look forward to more festivities in futureland, ya? anyway, here's pics, and check links for more info;

christine power and nenook

ollie sweetman and fogey

Sadie Sirloin

christine power and roisin verdon

absolutely loved this deconstructed piano furniture by hugo thompson. want. totally going to be on the look out in skips for some old abandoned piano.

and here was my contribution. it's acrylic on canvas. first time in ages i've done a big piece i've been happy with (this one itself has been on my wall in various forms for over a year). definately want to work on a few more. i'll post later with detailed shots.

little learnings

2010-11-22T05:21:00.000-08:00

here's a painting i did for the Independents Day 2010 earlier in the month. acrylic on wood.

photo @ Independents Day2010 by Esther Moliné

Arbutus yarns

2010-11-20T05:43:00.000-08:00

some nice sights and sounds from Amiina, filmed by Myles O Reilly, of Arbutus Yarns. plenty of other great videos up there, and he's got ongoing video blog of lisa hannigan's latest recording sessions too. this video makes me want to own a cozy little bookshop to invite people to come play happy twinkly music...

edit: and congrats to Myles on winning best director at the IMTV awards!

Need Input

2010-11-18T15:11:00.000-08:00

thought i might go for an old inspiration post.

i've mentioned her before, but liking ilex's latest tracks. an album will be awesome.

itstormy out there by ilex_

lovely post on But Does It Float of dan slavinsky pics, check it out. but through that wonderfully endless word of hypertext i was also led to Moonriver, not the song, but quite a nice art blog with a very promising "places i folllow" section, which i'm working my way through. for now though...

meant to mention evan harris before. lovely vibe to his work, like old fairy tales and folklore. and i have equal appreciation towards his attitude ; "Most would cringe at the idea of scratching or sanding something they spent hours upon hours painting, but that’s Evan’s favorite part- creating the appearance that this wasn’t made in the 21st century, maybe in the 20th. So, behind every scratch and claw mark, there is a story to tell."

lastly, i'm not sure why, but this has long been a favourite painting. heather horton;

from the book of burr

2010-11-18T10:18:00.000-08:00

In the wake

because it shelters and embraces

2010-11-17T11:14:00.000-08:00

good evening, monday

2010-11-15T13:46:00.000-08:00

today, among other things, we did this.

fruiticiously deficient

2010-11-14T12:18:00.000-08:00

don't feel like i've been getting many things finished lately. so here's some sketchbook pages. plan on doing a big post on sketchbooks soon. maybe a sketchbook week. think if i could only make sketchbooks for a living i'd be happy enough.

p.s. i missed this weeks blog comic. bad blogger... double homework for next week.

Gulf Fund Sale

2010-11-09T02:46:00.000-08:00

"primitives"

"of depths"

here's latest for the Gulf fund. you name the price, all the money goes to the Gulf Restoration Network. they can be bought individually or together. pen drawings on paper, a4.

last one is still for sale, link.

thanks.

Independents... independence... in dependence

2010-11-08T12:10:00.000-08:00

Independents Day 2010, yesterday at the Food Co-op, was most enjoyable. Great atmosphere in the place and many a good thing going on. Also met some very beautiful people, which, sales or not, generally makes these things worth it. sales-wise went well though, so thanks to ye kind patrons. i wasn't too sure how i'd fit in, expecting it more centered towards comic and zines, but there was a great mix of stalls. and some great comic artists. Came away with a few particularly nice ones, Liam Geraghty and Philip Barrett's Gazebo was an instant must-have;

and a few very nice bits by Patrick Lynch and Katie Blackwood of Cardboard Press.

Niamh deBarra played a great set. here's a lovely track for SSTN's string series;

Potholing (Live) - For SSTN Strings by Niamh de Barra

and here's new things from the studio. its all skulls and stripes these days;

If for nothing but to see

2010-11-04T14:01:00.000-07:00

thursday story time...

Independents Fair 2010 this Sunday

2010-11-03T03:51:00.000-07:00

here's some info on the D.I.Y fair I'll be taking part in this weekend. just noticed Niamh de Barra will also be taking part. Should be a good day.

12-5pm 7 November 2010
at: Dublin Food Co-op, 12 Newmarket, Dublin 8.

Independents' Day is an annual event, now in its third year, bringing together independent record labels, zines, comics, artists, writers and musicians to showcase Do-It-Yourself (DIY) culture.
Along with stalls where producers will be selling their wares, there will be an exhibition of independently spirited artists and photographers; screenings and a presentation by Dublin Community Television (DCTV), a workshop in stop motion animation and screenings of short films.
During the day performances taking place include: trad-folk punkers Lynched, electro-acoustic songstress Niamh de Barra, hairy trad by Moses Moorhous and to close down proceedings grungy rock n'rollers Sea Dog!
Independents' Day is a non-profit event its' sole aim to showcase independent/ D.I.Y. culture in the current day. There is a modest entrance fee of €2 towards expenses.
More details at the Independents' Day Blog.

Schedule of Events:
1.2pm Workshop in Stop Motion Animation
2-2.45pm & 2.50-3.35 Two 45min presentations and screenings by Dublin Community Television. (http://www.dctv.ie)
3.40 onwards screening of short animations by Elida
short film about the making of Mescal
more tbc

Performances (hall stage):
(1.30-5pm with option to overrun)
Emily (reading)
Punky Reggae Party (djing)
Niamh de Barra (acoustic electronica)
Moses Moorhouse (acoustic)
Lynched (punk trad)
Sea Dog (grungey instrumental rockers)

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Also, added a calender to the blog (a little way down the page on the left). Need to tidy it up and I've a few more things coming up to add to it, but i'll keep it updated for exhibitions and markets that I'm taking part in. I've also a few things to post, including some pics from an etching course I did at the weekend.

The expendable adventures of emily

2010-10-28T12:08:00.000-07:00

with hopeful purpose to focus my head toward the telling of stories, particularly that of our dear friend emily, i'm going to give myself a weekly deadline to post some form of comic/graphic story. there are no real specifics, it may be a single panel or series of pages, with or without text, they mightn't even have anything to do with emily, or bear any relevence to the over-lying story of hers that i'd like to tell, they just have to have something that resembles a narrative. i'm not good with structure or communications, so its really just for my own sake to train my brain towards embracing the idea of beginnings and endings. main problem with telling emily's story is that she does very little. a great deal of sitting, waiting, remembering. of course some days are more memorable than others...

(obviously this merely hints at the intense emotional opera magna to come...)

while we're on the subject.... thanks to a new graphic novel section in monaghan library, recently been reading stories by adrian tomine and guy delisle, and skim by mariko and jillian tamaki. adrian's books, "shortcomings" and "sleepwalk", i would especially recommend, whether you're a fan of graphic novels or not. "sleepwalk" is full of these short stories that are really simple on the surface but packed with meaning. he has an amazing way of dealing with the more sober anxieties and idiosynchracies of human relationships.

and from a regular source of inspiration, fallen fliers.

Emily - a family portrait

2010-10-25T13:40:00.001-07:00

a present for my sis...

dead things don't dance

2010-10-21T04:26:00.000-07:00

...but they look damn sexy in hot pants.

I'll be in the Crafty Market in Shebeen Chic this Sunday, 24th. Will have a few new things (might bring this fella along) and been printing and sowing me some little Invert This Space comics too in preparation for Independents Day.

Getting cold out...

2010-10-19T04:16:00.000-07:00

new pic, acrylic on paper, a4. super pleased with this one (though i'm not too sure if i'm happy with her mouth...may need fixing). she's a little less weighted than usual, but sure everyone needs a break every now and than. i had a pair of blue and white gloves like these from oxfam. but i lost them. its getting colder out too. and i'm slightly paranoid about the cold. a craft market friend, emma mcmanus, makes jewellery out of random things. i got a lovely clock pendant off her for my sister. it had the back exposed to show all the cogs and inner workings. it looked nicer than emily's. the key is just a key. for a house. sinking in the sand.

the details;

and some progress pics;

its not without a sense of irony that this is my favourite mug.
(its not without stupidity i often leave my tea dangerously close to my paint water...)