Spring is finally here!

Hi, I hope you are enjoying these first signs of spring! Here in Ireland it feels like we are finally coming out of our winter hibernation. It’s always such a boost to see the new flowers and growth happening all around and hear the bees buzzing.

It’s been quite a while since my last update, so I thought I’d do a little round up of all things art-wise here. The most major of which has been settling into my new studio space!

New studio!

After an open application, interview and selection process and then a long wait… myself and fellow artists moved into our new studio spaces supported by Dublin City Council Arts Office as part of the Government ‘Space to Create’ initiative. The converted building now provides ten new artist workspaces, one of which I am very lucky and grateful to be sharing with two fantastic visual artists Cara Thorpe and Malene Jacobsen. The other nine studios are filled with professional creatives working in many different areas from illustration to fashion design to theatre and more.

The site of the new studios has a tragic history, with the building forming part of what was once the Stardust nightclub, which tragically claimed the lives of 48 young people in 1981 and affected many many more, in the largest ever fire disaster in the history of the Irish state.

Now, with such warm support received from survivors and families affected, the new artist workspaces offer a hopeful look to a future of creative possibilities, whilst always respecting the sensitive history of the site. The new plaque outside displays the words “The events of February 14th 1981 and the memory of those that died, were injured and survived and their families and friends will always be part of this project and the positive outcomes for Artists and the Community it will achieve.”

Being able to actually ‘go’ to work and fully focus on my art practice in a community of fellow artists is such a fantastic opportunity to be given.

After getting the keys to the studios, we spent the first while moving in, settling into our new routines, and getting to know our fellow artists. Having the studio has already been such a game-changer for me, being able to actually ‘go’ to work (rather than operating from various corners of our home) and fully focus on my art practice in a community of fellow artists is such a fantastic opportunity.

I have lots of exciting plans and have begun working on a new body of work, so will be back soon enough with more updates from here.

Thanks for following!