RHA

So we had a wander to the Royal Hibernian Academy yesterday.
Wander being the small group of us who showed. Christmas causes so many disappearances in terms of attendance it really must be a magical time of year, no?

We're illustrators.... So the fine arts... aren't usually our calling - But I tried to keep an open mind.
"Okay" I thought to myself "So here we are, I'm going to a fine gallery to see art I'm not used to.." And to be honest, the prospect was quite exciting?

Unfortunately, in the end, I - and indeed, most of us, understood very little of what the art meant. It's hard to concentrate in a class group of people, constantly moving, but even then, I'm not sure if I'd have experienced more epiphanies  if I'd been alone... - A tour, perhaps, would have gone down well, but it wasn't something we had booked for.

It's unfortunate, that I feel fine art has lived up to the less complimentary comments about it after this experience, but I tried..

Above: Attempting Fine Art Appreication

The only thing that I took interest in was really Neil Carroll's work; paintings with odd but lovely geometrical shapes, nice colour and wonderful grounds -including acetate. That I took some inspiration from, having an interest in installations and playing with light, personally.


Now here's the good news; we also got a tour upstairs; to see the places where workshops took place, where their life drawing sessions are held and to learn about the studios - Every six months, a new artist takes up a residency in the RHA, working from one of the studios. Not only do you get lovely room for working and a central location, you also manage to mix more with other people - and other artists. It sounds fantastic. With these studios, and the Open competition each year, work depends on quality, rather than style, we were assured, interesting, and perhaps, something to shoot for.

We also learnt that in the new year, probably towards summer, there may be free life drawing lessons, to encourage students and younger artists into the RHA, I'm really hoping this happens - I'd love to have the opportunity to keep up with life drawing during the summer (And possibly onwards from there too - The future is an uncertainty right now!).

We also got to see some of PJ Lynch's work, drying, which of course, was awesome.


I'm toying with going back.
I do want to know what it means. It must mean something...

World Press Photo exhibition

It's been a while, hasn't it? I can only offer apologies and the excuse of life.

In order for this to run smoother, here's a little background on World Press Photo;

"World Press Photo is committed to supporting and advancing high standards in photojournalism and documentary photography worldwide. We strive to generate wide public interest in and appreciation for the work of photographers and for the free exchange of information. [...] World Press Photo is run as an independent, non-profit organization with its office in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, where World Press Photo was founded in 1955."

So! Before I fell completely ill last week gone, I went to the 2013 World Press Photo exhibition in the CHQ (IFSC) here in Dublin. I wish I'd been able to write about it when I got home, honestly - all the emotions were fresh and raw, very raw.

Raw is a good word in general. This is an exhibition of photo-journalism (world renowned no less, with a new collection touring the world each year) from all over the globe. While this includes some fantastic animal photos and London Olympics pictures, it also contains images from Gaza, Syria and Afghanistan which I cannot describe better than "raw".
I wish I was talking about the file type.

 These photographs were the exhibition for me, you hear about it all on the news, but I have never felt so close to what is going on before.

Paul Hansen, Spot News, 1st Prize Singles

I stood on front of these pictures and I felt goosebumps and I felt tears. I felt shock, wonder and morbid curiosity.
I also wondered at the photographers/photojournalists themselves... What kind of a person takes photographs like these? How?

I also can't help but marvel at the beauty in some of these photographs. Even when the content is horrendous or disgusting, I still found myself enjoying some of these photographs aesthetically.
A certain Yeats quote comes to mind, these days it tends to be tossed around a lot, it's cheesy now, but I feel the gravity of these photographs counters any flippant use of it; "A terrible beauty is born".

Some of these photos are horrific but amazing. Truly, amazing.
If you can go see it, I highly recommend it, for a fiver it's well worth it. You can view it on the site, of course, but in the flesh it's something more - If there's a chance you can come see it, don't look yet. See it when you're standing on front of it.

It really needs to be seen. Not written about (bar as a recommendation to pay up that fiver Gladly)
- Please hurry, it closes the 22nd!!
[Following exhibitions will be in Italy, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Israel and The Netherlands]

Making Space - The Project Twins

So on Thursday, The Project Twins opened their show in The Library Project in Temple Bar. Making Space are a group trying to make use of space that's currently unused and going to waste around Dublin. Arty use. There's a few groups starting to do this, and it's wonderful, really wonderful (Support them, guys, from there it's art studios like they used to do in Drogheda, and from there, the World!). The Project Twins evening was also supported by Tiger Beer. Yes. Free beer. I don't even drink beer, but it was free. I drank the stuff.

So, I don't know if you know The Project Twins. If you don't I'd go check them out now. I'll wait about in the quiet tab over to the left. You'll be gone a while.
Quick and sleek, beautiful and simple, their work is pretty damn divine.
I'm sending you, in particular to the A-Z of Unusual Words. It was my introduction to them and it sprang forth new love. Come join me.

Ultracrepidarian
A person who gives opinions and advice on matters outside of one’s knowledge.

It was a different exhibition, that's for sure. And I can't say it struck me out first thing, that'd be a lie. Here's the crux though. I feel safe with these guys. There are times I look at art, and I don't get anything. I don't know where the person is coming from and often times, I don't trust the person to have thought deeply enough to have a reason for everything that's in the image (I know that's probably petty and deeply conceited, but it's partly embittered experience too, honest). These are The Project Twins though. I stuck around.

I also had a bottle of beer in my hand so I couldn't leave.

It was a good ploy, you can't bring drink outside, to finish, you had to look about and use your brain. Good plan. At least, that's how it went along for me.
I really liked some pieces, others' meanings eluded me/still do. I enjoyed many of them.

The best thing is I was thinking about it the next morning. Rephrasing things. "Creating space" instead of "making space" suddenly had me gasping on the way to the bus stop. I'm glad the road was deserted (the one time I'm glad for a half seven bus). Gasps of quiet accomplishment.

Did I mention there were free postcards?
Four of them. Chuffed.
It was interesting to see the work up close. While it's not been my favourite exhibition, or my favourite work from the twins themselves, I'm still glad I went. All in all it was pretty good. I encourage everyone to keep an eye on The Project Twins if you aren't already.

Cacodemonomania
The pathological belief that one is inhabited by an evil spirit.

Bodkins' Bar

Of course I'm writing about it, haha.
Yeah, this week's been buzzing with activity, I'm kind of glad I didn't go to Eirtakon (Even if I did, sadly, miss a birthday party). I arrived home on Monday at about half eleven or so, trudging through the dark, after making stencils with three beautiful people.

Then on the Tuesday, it was up bright and early, waiting to get to work on Bodkins Bar.

Bodkins has been open for over twenty years and has gone through many changes. This time, it's Mexican. The back's been converted into a gorgeous, casual littler mexican food haven, with butcher paper "tablecloths" everyone is encouraged to doodle on. The food's superb.

Through Facebook we found out that, having repainted the front of Bodkins, the owner wanted artists to come on over and decorate the place up a little, we volunteered.

Yes. Yes. I can hear you all screaming "No. No you don't do it for free!".
And had we been working each on our own, I reckon we'd be screaming with you, but instead we took it as a group and simply enjoyed working with one another. We got down to business and cooperated, it was pretty beautiful, if I do I say myself. Illustration's a lonely business. Group work can be nightmarish, I know, but with such a common and clear theme, a look the Owner wanted, I feel we could pull through very personal preferences and interpretations.. Also we got a meal and drinks for free and we're coming back another night for food and cocktails. Ahem.

"They're students, they'll work for drink, right?"

It was a good experience for all of us, one to be remembered, and hopefully one which will open the door for us to work together even more.

It was a great pleasure to work with Megan, Joe and Kelly,
Go pooch - their work is well worth looking at.

Children's Books in Media

Oh friends I am so sleep deprived, why am I making a blog post. This is wrong.
It really is.
I know, right? But I'm falling behind. So here we go
Maybe you should make bi-annual zines instead.
Ah but can you network with that?
Do both.
Both is good.


AHEM.
Well blogspot, it's been a while. I've been busy doing things I'm too tired to write about. There's a fine, even balance for doing this and I do not have it. If all one of you are hungering for more regular updates, hop onto twitter, I'm managing the 140 characters alright.
What's that? Get on with it?
Fine.

So Children's Books in Media - Where do children's books belong in the press? was an event I attended a week ago today. This was yet another CBI event, hosted as part of the Dublin Book Festival. Indeed, it was the only festival event I managed to get to, which was somewhat unfortunate. Due to all my magical illustration adventures around Dublin recently, I wasn't expecting anything too new, but in the end it was an interesting insight and I learnt that later, in theory, I could actually study children's literature now. It's opening this year and it looks super fab. It's a year long course. Maybe someday I will...

Anyway, the talk (Which was hosted in Smock Alley Theatre) was more of a discussion, with four main panelists to talk about issues/perspectives and answer questions (More information here). Children's books get very little coverage from media (they are in fact, usually the bestsellers, but as they're kids' books they're not counted into the lists). Children's books get roundups and that's about all. A line of text as a review, nothing in-depth, which the panelists were saying was a big issue as far as coverage goes, of course. As is the norm, in other countries, children's books do get the attention they deserve, and picture books are acknowledged as the craft that they are, but unfortunately over this side of the puddle particularly, there's very little at all. Saddening stuff.


Many publishers aren't submitting for reviews for one thing. Eithne Shortall, of The Sunday Times was saying that they've gotten no children's books to review at all this year?? Missed opportunities, no?

Another issue brought to light was a lack of format for children's books reviews. When a reviewer reviews a book are they writing for the parents? Are they writing for the kids? Many reviewers are also uncertain as to how to review illustrations - Something extremely important when it comes to children's books. You may get an in depth review of everything types along with one or two words on the images...
_{("very nice" /groan groan)}

It's something that needs changing, but for now all that can be done is to reveal these problems. I'm not certain I'd worry too hard though, hopefully within a year there will be new M.Phil. graduates in children's literature spilling out of College Green and striding up to papers and magazines.

"Good afternoon." they'll nod, firmly placing their briefcases down on the editors' desks "I'm here to review your children's books submissions. It's time."
The editors will slowly double take and look around, a little wary, but eventually give in once they approach the window to find seven thousand people staring up demanding to know what kids books are hot and what are not.
"Never again" shouts a protestor, a young man named James with a rather doleful childhood behind him "Will Grannies and Grandads stumble blindly into bookshops and simply buy the first children's book that catches their eye! No no, we will have proper books for our children!! Something that will keep them reading for the rest of their lives!".
The murmur of agreement will ripple through the streets, and soon the presses will begin to pump, and teach us what's hip to the kids these days.
And everyone will actually live happily ever after. The end.

Also bring back the Funday Times,
Damn.

Pictúir

Pictúir, a children's book illustration exhibition opened in the basement of IMMA (Irish Museum of Modern Art) on Wednesday - it's running 'till the 12th of December. I went to the opening, saw the pieces and saw many names wandering around with their bodies.

Have the Oliver Jeffers picture they've been using for this exhibition:

Oliver Jeffers, An orang-utan to knock down the milkman..

Oliver got out of Ireland so he counts now.

Anyway, it's pretty big. Not only did illustrators get into a gallery space that's well-established, they were children's books illustrators. Excellence. (No, it really is). The gallery groups are talking a lot about inviting in a new audience to the galleries, getting them when they're young (not their words, but you know they're thinking it).

It was an interesting exhibition with some really really beautiful artwork. I loved Andrew Whitson's work so much. Wow.

Andrew Whitson, Cogito (Detail)

At the same time, while some pictures certainly stood on their own, some had lost their context, I think. I feel some of the illustrations lost power due to this..
Fortunately, the actual books were available at the gallery, which I thought was a nice touch; if you really liked the artwork, you could seek out its original form and its context.
While illustration should have narrative inherent in it, sometimes the text is equally important - in this case the pieces all had varying degrees of success.

A complaint I have about it is that some illustrations were placed not in the "rooms" but in the short corridor-type spaces between them. This encouraged you to move on, rather than to stop and look. Since we were there to see the art, many of us did stop, but that resulted in gluts of people blocking doorways and general stagnation. Another complaint: some pieces were placed on the walls above furniture, or in corners blocked off by furniture. You can't exactly go in for close examination when there's people sitting and drinking tea, giving you the evil eye as you edge towards them. I do understand that you must work with the space you're given, honestly I do, but I think it was unfortunate that some of the artwork had to hang in these awkward spots. New space please, IMMA, this show has been to Belgium, Vienna, and Bologna, surely the home turf can serve us well? (Even if it is illustration, eh?)

Something I did absolutely love however, is that the show kept its principals to the forefront. It was a children's book illustration exhibition, and so it was extremely child friendly. The dreaded reading pods were used (I say dreaded because I've had to help construct those things. Such confusion). No, they looked fab, though. There was one completely decorated by the artists in the exhibition when you came down the stairs which I love. Here's Steve Simpson's side, stolen off his Facebook (classy).

Steve Simpson's kids, helped by Steve, reading pod

Down the end (by the big case of books from the illustrators!) there's another pod decorated by a local school. This had cushions and blankets and torches. Kids were encouraged to head in there and read away together, very cute and very snug looking! The exhibition also put a small but lengthy cloakroom to use by making it a doodle room! Oil pastels and paper stuck to the walls ahoy! Kids (and adults, shhh) could draw to their heart's content. Adorable and perfect! Also when preparing the food, the kids were thought of. Sausages were served in threes, with thicker sticks, not sharp cocktail sticks, in small cups with generous amounts of tomato ketchup in the end. Brilliant.

All in all it was a very relaxed and welcoming exhibition, very child-friendly, which as you can see I absolutely love. It's been touring around the world and now, after travelling Ireland it's finished up in Dublin. It's well worth a look, there's a lot of variety in style and media, there's, if you'll forgive me, something for everyone.A good idea for a family day certainly, head on down, follow the café signs.

We're in the basement right now, but maybe in later years we'll climb the stairs.

PJ Lynch, The Christmas Miracle of jonathan Toomey

Kinopolis

Ah Kinopolis. That was my day today. For anyone who doesn't know, Kinopolis was the Polish film festival held in the IFI (Irish Film Institute) these past few days. Unfortunately, today was the only day I could really go, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Today's screenings exhibited the animation block of the festival, focusing on Piotr Dumała's work. There was also a documentary on jazz musician and composer Krzysztof Komeda. My attendance at this event is actually due to last Wednesday, however...

Piotr Dumała has been over here in Dublin the past couple of days as part of the festival. Last Wednesday he was invited to my college for the animation gang upstairs. We were lucky enough to sit in on his talk. It was exceptional. First of all, Piotr gave us a bit of background for some of his films, and where he was coming from, emotionally. in making them - what he was trying to achieve. First of all we watched Dr Charakter Przedstawia (Dr. Character Presents), some of which can be found here (Subtitled). This is Dumała's more comedy-geared approach. I love how traditional and raw this work is, it started and I liked it straight away. As with all his films, there's a huge dependence on sound and sound effects, but it works really really well. Sound is so important (Actually the importance of sound was also part of the illustrators inc interactive media talk too!). Next of all that day, we were shown Dumała's rejigged version of his version of Crime and Punishment (He didn't like his original version so much so he edited it into something else). This was astonishingly detailed and gorgeously coloured. What's all the more astonishing is his method; destructive animation. Using plasterboard or acetate (Depending on the film), Dumała has a colour underneath a layer of white or black paint. Under the camera, he scratches into this topmost layer, creating lines. Once an image is complete and is recorded he paints over that same picture and adds more lines, creating movement. Hence, destructive animation, he keeps very few frames as he must "destroy" them to continue. He likes to see the movie as it will look onscreen rather than having to edit it together page by page at the end, he told us. After this we had a type of Q&A with him. He was really terrific, though. A classmate of mine summed it up very well; "Insightful". It was inspiring to listen to Dumała talk about his work and himself, he was open with having changed as an artist and creator, which was refreshing and made him all the more human, rather than a Name with animations attached. You came away with a grasp of him which made you admire his work all the more.

Hence,
Hence I went to Kinopolis today.
      --Go to see four more films by Dumała AND get to see another Q&A with him? I was there before I'd even decided. And so I sat for a good two+ hours in the IFI, surrounded by people whose language I didn't understand (yes, I felt a bit out of place), in a state outside of myself. The movies are just so different from what I'm used to. They were exotic and dark at the same time. Best of all is that connection art-wise where you look and you go "I feel I could do this".

I don't mean this in a dismissive way, not at all. Hell I don't even mean in an animation way. I mean aesthetically. I suppose it's a reassurance that maybe, at some point my art style (one of many to be honest) could be accepted. I've fallen into cutesy drawings, but honestly, while cute is fun sometimes, the darker inklings are more me. I suppose that's why I'm so impressed, this work is something I feel I can really relate to.

The movies screened today in Kinopolis were Little Black Riding Hood (Czarny Kapturek), Freedom of the Leg (Wolnosc Nogi), A Gentle Spirit (Łagodna) and Franz Kafka (as well as Komeda, Komeda, then, the documentary). Unfortunately, I'm not quite au fait with Kafka, yet, so I feel some of that film was lost on me (Though I am interested to read his stuff now), the others however, I really enjoyed. I enjoyed Łagodna the most, I think.

Colour me inspired.

Illustrators Inc.

Oh man. I got home yesterday and I conked out. Dead. There was so much I wanted to do; hell, I was going to work on my self-portrait for college, alas it was not to be.

Illustration: Joven Kerekes

I conked out happily, though. The day was excellent.
Illustrators Inc was an (indoor) event in Malahide Park, focusing on the various elements of illustration with a big emphasis on children's books illustration, something I can see myself doing in the future but also something that scares me immensely ("What if I corrupt them??" -case in point my explaining of a "guillotine" to a four year old child when I worked at a creche a few years ago). It was a Laureate Na nÓg driven event (Thanks Niamh!) in association with Children's Books Ireland and the county council. Illustrators Inc was one of the many events that have been put on throughout this year by this team, e.g. at the start of this summer there were children's events on in Meeting House Square (Teamed up with The Ark).

  I know lists are boring, and you won't have the same feel for these as me, but I might as well give you a short run-down on these seminars? Drum roll Please;

Illustrators Inc
  Professional Development Day for Illustrators

Licensing
With Fig Taylor, Rod Hunt and Anna Hewitt
Something we really should all know about. This was a talk on copyright and keeping your copyright. About how one should put together terms and agreements and how careful you ought to be when reading a company's terms. Also Merchandising. Also be careful of educational companies (Speaking very broadly, yeah?). It was interesting and valuable. It also saddened me a little, these speakers were from the UK, and referred to the AOI, the Association of Illustrators. While we do have the IGI, the AOI sounds more established and, to be honest, almost like a help centre for illustrators, rather than a collective (That was my understanding, anyway).

Irish Funding Opportunities
With Catriona Ryan, Mathilde Veldt and Sinead Connolly
 Okay, so this talk did not set my mind on fire, or anything, but it was one of the definite necessities. I'm still glad it was in there. There are so many means of funding your art, it's unbelievable (Could it be that the government actually Does support the arts, mein gott!). A lot of the time, you have to justify to the city council how your work will benefit the people/the city etc. but to be honest, I find that fair enough.. you Are asking for funding, essentially.


The Role of Illustration and Illustrators in the Visual Arts
With Fiona Kearney accompanied by Alé Mercado
Fiona Kearney of the Glucksman Gallery (Cork) took the floor and talked about illustrations in the context of gallery space and fine art. This did fire, and from my impressions it seems the Glucksman is not judgemental when it comes to art, it doesn't need to slot nicely into the "fine art" category, unlike many galleries out there. While being exhibited in a gallery was of the least concern to me right then, Fiona talking about how artists can use the space the gallery gives them really interested me. It would be possible to elevate your work from the page. A viewer's experience needn't be constrained by a frame, or by flat 2D, even. e.g. The Project Twins' page rolled out onto the floor as well as hanging from the wall. Concept. Lovely.
Very impressed (And I feel it could have been a confidence booster to many illustrators there!)

Project Twins

Free Lunch
No friends. Stop laughing. This is super important, okay?
This was a delicious hour-long event.

Banking on Bologna
With Warren Buckleitner, Chris Judge and David Maybury
This year, one of my tutors will be at the Bologna Children's Book Fair. That is the only reason I  knew what this was about. Well timed, well timed.
The book fair is an annual event, been going on for forever (lazy research!). My grasp is that the fair is less about selling books so much as selling yourself. Most book publishers are present at Bologna, you can get up close and personal with those high, high up the ladder, people you usually couldn't touch. Fabulous. Though it's mainly book-focused there is Some digital media in here as well.
Fun fact: Scholastic signed Harry Potter here.

Illustrating for Interactive Design
With Warren Buckleitner
This was a focus on apps. This is another one of those that set my mind alight. The talk wasn't on the nitty-gritty programming aspect of app development, so much as the psychological elements and presentation, what makes a good app and a bad app - again with a focus on creating apps/games for children. It was super interesting, I enjoyed it. While I cannot program, I can't help but remember that there's four whole courses in my college on game design and interactive media; we should be milking this like crazy. 

Toca Band

 
Animating your Illustrations.
With Paul Young and Pauline Macnamara
I was super tired by now, unfortunately these two got the graveyard shift. The focus on this talk was moving from illustration to animation, career-wise. Presumably, the title of this seminar came from looking at concept art and seeing the final render. Cartoon Saloon (Paul Young told us) tend to keep as close to concept art as possible. This being said, I believe this is because they draw simple from the start, to make sure their sketches ARE animate-able (ohhh that spelling), unlike Disney, who do full on illustrations that would be impossible to replicate and animate (This being said the variation of Body shape and ethnicity would be nice if it were kept HM). We learnt about TRTÉ and RTÉ Jr. as well as Cartoon Saloon's past and its projects, future and current.

After this there was a wine reception in Malahide Castle, it was super classy with wine and actual beautifully presented finger food (and free castle tours). I didn't drink a lot however, so I kept pretty quiet (Maybe next time I'll determinedly embarrass myself!).

If you have any specific questions, I will try to answer them (yes, my invisible audience), also I'm hoping the presentation slides from each seminar are uploaded online very soon...

I loved the day, it was well worth coming to. I feel I've walked away with a lot of information, a lot of insight into the different sides to illustration and perhaps, knowing a little bit more about illustrators themselves.

I'm pretty happy to be clambering to join their ranks.

Golden Artist Colors Inc.

Oh boy. Okay so, today K&M Evans hosted a two hour lecture by Golden Artist Colors Inc.
It was excellent. It was a purposeful way of advertising too, of course, but I do not grudge the clear advertising in it, the brand seems to be genuinely innovative and active, constantly improving - At least, this is what I gather from the talk.

Personally, it's been nearly two years since I used acrylic, I think.
Acrylic and I were never fast friends. I loved the blending you could achieve through the medium, but I very rarely have the money to buy satisfying acrylic paint, meaning I have tubes and tubes of discouraging acrylics with absolutely terrible coverage.

So, I was listening and watching the demonstration, learning about Golden's brands of paint available, listening with a pinch of salt. ("Okay, yes there's This type and That, I might not buy your brand, but it's good to know these exist.")
And then I fell in love.

No. Really.
As far as art supplies go.
These guys do a whole series of grounds (gessos, pastes etc.) and gels. As far as grounds go there are all sorts, normal gesso and others that treat surfaces for particular media e.g. watercolour or chalk pastels. With gels, there are so many, all with different effects. For example they have gels with glass beads in them, marble beads in them, plastic and empty beads, giving grainy textures, and in the case of the glass, there's a refraction of light through your paint and pigment, for extra effect! There's pumice in one gel that gives a harsher, concrete texture ground to work on, not to mention their hard molding paste, allowing you to actually carve into your layer of grounding.
All of these hard, coarse grounds? They're flexible. You can bend these suckers. They look absolutely unbelievable (And our demonstrator bended a painted wedge of the stuff today).

give us

I know, I know, I'm gushing. I am basically advertising for them. I really shouldn't open my mouth until I know for sure that these are how the paints work. I am so very excited, though.
So excited, that eventually you probably will hear back from me, explaining how yes, everything I said in this post..? It's true. (It better be. Hell hath no fury than artistic motivation scorned).

Another big reason I'm excited is because their gels and paints work for Image Transfer.
I have gotten many a lovely piece out of image transfer, it works for happy times. Up until now, I have been using acetone and a printing press, however. Once I'm finished with college this year, that's my access to a printing press gone. At least knowing this will mean some print making techniques are still available to me! - You don't need a printing press at all, you simply have to smooth your photocopy/laser down onto the gel/paint etc. and the image will transfer. There's a video on Golden's site. The second big reason I am here, gaping at the innovation that is Golden, is due to their "digital paints". No. They're not online. Wait for it..

Digital paints (or digital grounds as they're called on the site) are a paint you apply to literally ANY surface. Once this is done and you attach it to an A4 (or whatever size your home printer is) page, you can literally print with your home printer, Onto that material. Gold foil? Kitchen towel? Cheesecloth? Go for it.

As you can probably tell, I am super excited.
And of course... we got a sample pack.

I can't wait to try these guys out.




Golden Artist Colors Inc comes across as an adaptable, accessible and inventive brand, that always keeps the artist in mind. If you see any demonstrations being put on, go along and find out about the products I didn't post up here; there's plenty more. Keep an eye out!

And that's enough advertising, sorry.

The Art of Superstition

Ale Mercado - Born Under a Bad Sign

(While I wasn't going to blog about past events, I figure this is now worth blogging out;)

The Art of Superstition is an illustration exhibition currently on show at The Copper House Gallery. It was to end on Hallowe'en, but due to its popularity, its time has been extended to the 20th of November. Friends, you have time.

I can give this show my personal recommendation, it was an interesting and engaging exhibition. As is the case with most illustration, each artist's style varies wildly from one another, making each new piece strikingly different and entertaining. There's honestly something here for everyone when it comes to your taste in art, be it beautiful digital paintings (of tiger penis soup) or a more traditional painted style (about hookers' shoes).

As you can tell, the concepts many artists chose to focus on for their "superstition" are also widely diverse and incredibly entertaining. While some artists have chosen to do the same superstition (magpies being a popular choice), many more have chosen differently. In this exhibition, artists were not restricted when it comes to choosing a superstition, however. While traditional superstitions were perfectly acceptable, their brief defined a superstition as;

1. a belief or notion, not based on reason or knowledge, in or of the ominous significance of a particular thing, circumstance, occurrence, proceeding, or the like.

2. a system or collection of such beliefs.

3. a custom or act based on such a belief.

4. irrational fear of what is unknown or mysterious, especially in connection with religion.

5. any blindly accepted belief or notion.

So we even have both myth and legend and religion considered as superstitions in this show. I love it.

Niall McCormack - Vatican Voodoo Brand

Fintan Taite - The Sirens

The illustrators in this exhibition mainly come from Illustrators Ireland, but there are a few guest artists and new and upcoming illustrators too. The space is large, there's plenty of breathing room for all forty pieces, and the exhibition is unfettered, continuing on upstairs. The building is clean and modern, with open rooms, well worth a look.

If you are in Dublin, or will be in Dublin before the 20th of November, I encourage you to drop in to The Copper House Gallery (Synge street). If you can't make it, then why not have a look at some of the pieces on their site here?

There are print available of each piece from the gallery itself (it doubles as a print shop (fire))

Customary First Post

This is a run of the mill introductory post here, baby steps. Hopefully in time I will actually have a "web presence", who knows.

Tester image:

You'll be seeing more of that.

The plan is for this blog to cover events I go to, places I find, books I read, artists I discover and artwork I make.
Good buzz