Missing!

This mixed media piece titled The wood from the trees is a small work on paper,  I exhibited it at a group show last year and when it came time to return the piece it was missing. I don't know if it is languishing in a box somewhere when it got muddled up by the organizers or if some light fingered admirer just wanted it! If any of you have seen it please send it home.

Two days Left

Only two days left to leave a comment to be in with a chance to win my Free Givaway, The response so far has been poor. So Thoughtful Girl under a Tree is wondering why  nobody wants the canvas bag other than her Mom?

Natures Embroidery

 My painting "Natures Embroidery"  it is full of summers blossom.

I don't often paint flowers but when I do they are more from my imagination than from the garden.
Below is a plant that was in my garden last year but unfortunately it died after the severe winter we had.

and this is a picture I took in the Burren Co. Clare recently.

Summer was Here

Yes, summer arrived on Tuesday but it has gone again, A one day wonder! I was lucky to be in Connemara when it arrived and WOW was it stunning, On a sunny day with blue skies there is no where more beautiful. I drove from Clifden north to Omey Beach then onto Claddaduff, Cleggan. and back into Clifden. The mountains, the sea and the sky all looked their best.

I know Bill from Portland would make beautiful paintings if he was here. I hope to start some landscapes from this collection too.

Giveaway

To celebrate the opening of my etsy shop blueprints I have a free giveaway this week of a lovely canvas bag, kindly given to me by Derval Joyce, it has an image of her delightful real shop on Market Street, Clifden, Connemara. Just leave a comment to be in with a chance to win. I have extended the deadline to August 25th. as nobody has left a comment yet:(

Clifden is the capital of Connemara situated on the Atlantic coast, west of Galway city, they say next stop is New York. It is surrounded by beautiful scenery and the town itself has some good restaurants and many craft shops. Devals' shop is the best craft shop in the town, but I may be biased!
Each September Clifden hosts an Arts Festival which is worth checking out.

More images after the break.

Art Book

It has been a while since I posted any of my art so I thought I would show you a little art book that I made. It is an accordion book made with beautiful handmade paper. 

The title is "Artists Instruction Manuel"

The pages were done by Mono printing, which I enjoy as there is always an element of surprise.
Have a nice weekend.

Modified Expressions

I love Artists Books. There is an interesting exhibition on at the National Craft Gallery in Kilkenny titled  Modified Expressions. Below are a couple of images from it, and you can read more about it here. It runs until Sunday August 14th.

We Kill One, Brian Dettmer.

The Waiting, Rachel Hazel

Barn Restoration

We are restoring an old barn on the farm.  It is over a hundred years old so hopefully this repair will insure that it will stay standing for another hundred. Originally it would have accommodated livestock with grain storage in the loft. Now we only use it for storage. There is no access to the loft area except by ladder. The space would be wonderful for an art studio but presently it has poor natural light and no heat so it would require hugh renovation to make it feasible.

The swallows continued to nest regardless of the work going on around them

I painted all the doors and louver windows. It took me days!

New Banner

I have a new Banner thanks to Sadhbh. Do you like it? It is part of the new look to coincide with the my etsy shop which will be opening soon. 

I am planning a Giveaway to coincide with the launch, so check back in a week or so for that.
And no the image below is not a clue about the Giveaway, I snapped it at a friends house and just thought it looked pretty!

I am delighted I have been added to the list of artists over at 

artblogs4u. 

Thank you.