A large drawing, 1.5 metres wide by (at the end of the night) 3 metres long and growing! This work was shown at NAS Mary’s Abbey, for Culture Night 2015, 18th September. It will remain there for the next two weeks, during which time I will continue to work on it.
Based in the idea of pressed flowers, this body of work is about Nature under pressure. I worked in the window space of New Art Studios in Mary’s Abbey, Dublin. Hanging in the window were three wild flowers pressed between two sheets of glass. As there was no paper to absorb the moisture the plants grew moldy and black over the course of the project. I drew them as they deteriorated.
While on the Draiocht Residency, I made a regular walk around the Town Centre environs. I kept a journal and log, with details of what I saw notated in words, maps and sketches.
I was Artist in Residence in Draíocht, Blanchardstown from July 2013 to December. During that time, I worked outside, finding Nature in the Car Parks around the Town Centre. For the first few weeks I was watching insects and birds, and the number of bees enjoying the flowers among the hedges. I drew the insects and made imaginary ones from florists’ wire.
While I was on the Erasmus exchange in Manchester, I began this method of working. I take walks, and document what I see in a notebook. I take photos and make sketches, and collect random found items.
The notes are made in a map format, with written and drawn notations.
Word Tree Sketches was made for Open to the Public at Satellite Studio Space, Hendron Building, Dublin.
Des Kenny has written a wonderful piece for the Draiocht Blog about Walking/Drawing.
Artists Kathy Herbert and Dorothy Smith will be creating a 7 metre long collaborative drawing in the Gallery in Draoicht from the 8 – 12 July. The Gallery will be open during this period and members of the pubic are welcome. The drawing will be based on alternative explorations of the planned space that is Blanchardstown Town Centre.
Fruit Market Tree was drawn freehand onto the painted wall of the Project Space in NAS, New Art Studios, Dublin in May 2014.
Word Tree was made at Satellite Project Space during my exhibition with Dorothy Smith there. The drawing was made on the wall and the process involved its removal by washing until nothing was left.