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Home page
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5th June-26th July: 'Surface Tension' Source Arts Centre, Thurles, Co. Tipperary
July/Aug: Finalist 2nd BICMA, Marratix, Mallorca, Spain - unfortunately my work was broken intransit - so I wont be exhibiting afterall
9th Aug-5th Oct: 'Images of Longing', NCG, Kilkenny as part of Kilkenny Arts Festival
6th-9th Nov: SOFA, Navy Pier, Chicago as part of the National Crafts Council of Ireland stand.
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| Artists Statement |
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“Tradition is the living hand of the dead; traditionalism is the dead hand of the living” Toshiko Takaezu, Japanese-American Ceramic Artist I feel very strongly that skill, technique and tradition are the wellsprings from which ideas flow – this can lead to innovation as our vision is extended beyond that which we know. I want to ‘know’ and understand my materials and tools as well as I can; continued experimentation is important to me. I do not plan my work as such, except in the broadest sense – evaluation of previous work leads on to new ideas – decisions are intuitive and I enjoy the spontaneity of working in this way. The outcome can only be controlled so far. The end result depends on the ‘serendipity’ of the combination of clay, oxides and the firing process. The inspiration for my work comes from the natural world – geological formations, strata and textures
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| Training |
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NCVEA in Crafts, Grennan Mill Craft School; Pottery Skills Course, Crafts Council of Ireland; Higher National Diploma & Honours Degree, Carmarthenshire College of Technology & Art, Wales. (More details on Career Page)
(Close up of Standing Form)
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| Lismore |
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For the last four years I have been living in the lovely award-wining town of Lismore, Co. Waterford, in the SE of Ireland. Recently Lismore Castle has turned the old Long Gallery into 'Lismore Castle Arts'.
(Lismore Castle & River Blackwater, more images on the "Lismore" page)
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| My Studio |
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My studio, 'Tin Shack Ceramics', is situated at the Old Railway Station. Unfortunately John O'Neill no longer runs 'The Centre for Traditional Skills' here, as they are planning to sell the place and I will soon have to find somewhere else to work!
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It was the Dispatch Office for the coal shed, which can be seen in the background, part of which is now my kiln shed. The shack is tiny - 3 metres X 4 metres, but easy to keep warm in the winter!
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| My Work |
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I love clay as a material and would hate to be restricted to only using it in one way - therefore I like to vary what I do with it usually working through a series in any one method. For the moment my main method of working is handbuilding using small textured slabs of clay, building up the shape over a former of some sort.
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I throw small pots which are raku-fired, no two are exactly the same. I also handbuild, using the more traditional coil method, making individual raku-fired vessels.
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I developed a method of 'wet-firing' for my degree. (I go into each method in slightly more detail on the Career Page)
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| Exhibition at Wexford Arts Centre |
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We have received funding from the Arts Council as part of the 'Touring Experiment' to tour the exhibition that was prevoiusly shown in Wexford Arts Centre during Feb - March 2007. I took part in a 3 person exhibition with Gerda Teljeur, who exhibited her intensly worked drawings and Juliana Walters who works in video.
In September, as part of the project, we ran workshops with adults and local school children at Raheen Day Care Centre in Co Clare which culminated in a very successful exhibition of their work.
On December 13th 'Surface Tension' was opened in The Broadstone Gallery in Dublin along with the launch of our catalogue which includes an essay by Cliodhna Shaffrey. The final leg of the tour opens @ The Source Arts Centre, Thurles, Co. Tipperary on 5th June and runs till 26th July 2008.
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| The 43rd International Ceramic and Sculpture Workshop |
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During the month of August I took part in the 43rd symposium in Boleslawiec, Poland. The 19 participants were from Poland, the Czech Republic, Belarus, Germany, UK/Isreal and myself, flying the flag for Ireland. I was in Boleslawiec for the opening of the exhibition on 10th May 2008. It will go on to the Peter Tauscher Gallery in Saxony, Germany. I will return to Boleslawiec to take part in the 44th symposium in August.
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I have been selected to exhibit in the 2nd International Emerging Artists Exhibition in Fuping, China. Fellow Irish Artist, Elaine Riordan has also been selected. The work went on show from 5th November for 1 year and will then remain in the Museum's collection.
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The National Craft Gallery of Ireland exhibited at SOFA in Chicago from 2nd-5th November 2007. There were 17 Makers exhibiting and 13 of us travelled to the event. I sold a number of pieces to a gallery in South Carolina. I have been selected to take part in SOFA again this year. It takes place from 7th-9th November 2008 @ Navy Pier, Chicago.
I will be participating in 'Images of Longing' @ the National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny from August 9th - October 5th
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