Thank you

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

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

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

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

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

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!!!

dublin is certainly loveliest in the snow.






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

breakthru artists

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

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

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!