Sculptor Elizabeth O'Kane wins Irish Sculpture Award 2013

Elizabeth's bronze pig, Porcellino, has won The Irish Sculpture Award 2013 at The Mill Cove Gallery, West Cork, awarded on 5 May.

"I am so flattered to win this prestigious award and to exhibit alongside such wonderful sculptors in this lovely exhibition." Liz O'Kane

The Mill Cove Gallery have made a compilation of Elizabeth's work, including Porcellino, on this YouTube video:

 

For more information on Elizabeth O'Kane and The Irish Sculpture Awards visit their websites:

www.elizabethokane.com

www.millcovegallery.com

Three Thought Bubbles

 

Aisling Nelson, a jeweller in The Design Tower, has launched a second business called Three Thought Bubbles; one day workshops on how to write a business blog with heart.

Aisling has been writing a business blog for her business Rangoli, since 2008 and was a finalist in the Blog Awards Ireland, 2012. She wants to teach other creative business owners about the many benefits of blogging.

"Marketing used to be my weak point. I quivered at networking events where I had to pitch my business and introduce myself to strangers. I was also spending a fortune on print advertising. Blogging opened a door for me when I realised I could chat and connect in a natural way online. This led to face to face introductions which seemed much more genuine to me.

So why am I teaching these workshops? Creative people inspire me. We work hard at building our empires but sometimes we need help when it comes to telling the world what we do best!"

The workshops are specifically designed to be non-teckie and blow away many myths about blogging! Emphasis is on using free or inexpensive software and applications. Classes take place in The Casting Couch; a really relaxing and creative venue. Numbers are kept to six people which allows for lots of interaction. A basic knowledge of using computers is all you need - if you can write and send an email, you can write a blog!

It's all about learning to be authentic and sound like you!

What will blogging give you?

If you take a three thought bubbles workshop, here's what you'll walk away with:

• A laser sharp vision of exactly what it is you do and who you help. This shift to customer focus helps you to connect with your customers.
• I'll show you how to choose words, messages, images and conversations that tell the story of your business.
• From the day of your workshop, I'll show you how fun and powerful it is to connect and collaborate with like-minded business owners like you.

For more information on the Three Thought Bubbles workshops, visit Aisling's website. Workshops take place every six weeks - bookings are now being taken for the next class.

Connect with Three Thought Bubbles on Facebook and Twitter.

Sculpture Exhibition at the Lyons Estate, Kildare

Sculptor Elizabeth O'Kane will be exhibiting her newest bronze sculpture, Giant Irish Deer, at the Solomon Fine Art Sculpture Exhibition at The Village at Lyons, Kildare. 

 

Giant Irish Deer, Elizabeth O'Kane

"I am delighted to launch my newest sculpture at this wonderful outdoor exhibition.  I think the Irish Elk will be right at home in the magnificent setting of the Lyons Estate."

The exhibition opens on Sunday 12th May at 2pm and continues until Sunday 26th May, opening hours are 11am-6pm, Wednesday through Sunday. All visitors welcome.

For more information on the artist and the exhibition visit these websites:

www.solomonfineart.ie
www.elizabethokane.com
http://www.villageatlyons.com/
Directions to the gallery can be viewed on Google Maps.

Irish Sculpture Awards at The Mill Cove Gallery

Two of our top sculptors from the Tower, Elizabeth O'Kane and Seamus Gill, are among the artists invited to exhibit at the Irish Sculpture Awards with the Mill Cove Galleries,  The Beara Peninsula, West Cork.  The exhibition opens at 2pm on Sunday 5th May and runs until 26th May.   The opening is in aid of RAWR, Rural Animal Welfare Resources Ltd.  Elizabeth will be showing her bronze pig, Porcellino, and Seamus will be exhibiting Flowering Podforms.

"I am thrilled for my bronze pig to be showing alongside the other entries in the Irish Sculpture Awards." Liz O'Kane

Porcellino, Elizabeth O'Kane

Flowering Podforms, Seamus Gill

For more information on these two artists visit their websites:

www.elizabethokane.com
www.seamusgill.com
www.millcovegallery.com

The Gathering - Irish bridal inspiration

Bridal headpiece designer Aisling Nelson from Rangoli, was involved in an inspirational photo-shoot, created to celebrate this year’s Irish-fest, The Gathering. The Gathering Ireland 2013 is a spectacular, year-long celebration of all things Irish. Photos by Paul Kelly of Studio 3.

The Wedding Crew styled the shoot, which was inspired by the natural beauty of the Irish landscape. Boyne Hill House estate was the perfect backdrop with its wild woodland and riverscapes. Sarah Foy designed the delicate, ethereal dresses that January wore.

Aisling created two gold headpieces. The piece seen above is made from delicate gold crochet strands, woven with pearls and blue topaz stones. The design continues around the back of the head where it is woven into the hair.

The second gold headpiece can be worn on the forehead or as a wide filigree hairband. Aisling works to commission as is based in The Design Tower in the Dublin Docklands.

More photos from this romantic shoot were featured on the Irish wedding blog One Fab Day as well as the UK blog Want that Wedding!

The Wedding Crew are an Irish wedding collective, comprising hair stylist Lorraine Browne, make-up artist Naomh Kirwan and photographer Paul Kelly.

    Credits:

    Photographer: Paul Kelly | Studio3
    Photographers Assistant: Feena Kavanagh
    Location: Boyne Hill House

    Hair: Lorraine Browne
    Make Up: Naomh Kirwan
    Bridal Gowns:  Sarah Foy

    Jewellery: Rangoli
    Flowers: The Informal Florist
    Cakes: little birds bake
    Stationery: Dusty Boy Designs
    Models: January and Jordan from Morgan the Agency

The big egg hunt

Ayelet Lalor took part in a charity exhibition for the Jack and Jill Foundation, where one hundred artists were given a 2.5ft fibreglass egg to do with what they chose; paint, demolish, add to, sculpt, anything goes. Below is a description taken from the Jack and Jill Foundation website;

"From February until Easter, Dublin will be home to the biggest Easter egg hunt in the history of the state when over 100 fibre glass eggs will be secreted around the capital, each one decorated by well known artisans. Big artist names decorating the eggs include Guggi, Ayelet lalor and John Rocha. 

Eggs will go on display on Pancake Tuesday 12th February for 40 days and 40 nights across Dublin. The locations of the eggs will not be revealed, its up to you to find the two and half foot eggs. It’s a family affair. Get the family involved in the Egg Hunt, all they have to do is find twenty eggs , each egg has a code which you have to identify to enter the draw for a grand prize ( diamond pendant earrings for Mum, chocolate factory visit for kids, and a years supply of chocolate from Lily O’Briens) it’s fun and easy.

The eggs will then be auctioned for charity in aid of The Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation. The online auction will begin on 12th February culminating in a live auction at the Four Seasons Hotel on 23rd March. Anyone can buy them . The hand crafted eggs are destined to become highly collectible and valuable works of art."

Here is Ayelet to tell us more about how she created her egg!

Concept illustration for the egg design

"Initial illustration and  drawing to scale, then trying to figure out how the hell to get it onto the egg without getting myself caught up in tons of paper."

"Starting to block out the colours, then slowly paint up the texture and layers. God, there was a lot of surface area on that egg, it just went on and on."

"Getting closer, starting to look finished, thank God!"

It was a really fun project to be part of, and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

 

For more information visit the Jack and Jill Foundation website and facebook page.

A Journey without a Destination

“It is good to have an end to journey towards;

but it is journey that matters in the end...”
author unknown

A journey without an destination is a joint exhibition by Philip Murphy and Mika (Marta Nowakowska-Bartosik) from the Misery Hill Gallery.

"This exhibition is a record of a beginning of a journey without a
destination .... instead of carefully planning a theme and working on it, we
decided to allow the work to evolve instinctively . The same when starting
a journey , if we give up the idea of reaching the destination we are able to
focus and to give full attention to everything around us. Such a journey can
be surprising and unpredictable, exactly how life is... too often we try to
make our work and journey linear, we want it to lead somewhere and we tend
to forget that diversions do much more than merely divert us. Anything we
experience , any person we meet, could change the direction of our journey
and can lead us to an unexpected place... if we are ready to follow ...we
decided to follow ,not to judge but rather to record what happened on the way
and share it with you ... not all of what we see is beautiful nor do we render
it beautifully, but we believe art is something more than only a decorative
painting to hang on the wall. We hope you will enjoy it anyway....

We have different background, culture,nationality, experiences but as artists
we share the same approach in making art, desire to push the boundaries, to
experiment, and serve rather our souls than egos. We try to shape and reshape
our personal experience and explore the territory of human emotions and
report perceptions that could seem unbearable to others.

As during the journey there are parts which are funny, playful and colourful
and other which are disturbing or turbulent, so they are in this exhibition. This
is a record of our shared sixth month journey ... to be continued. Thank you for
being part of it ..."

Exhibition runs from 7th December -21st December
Misery Hill gallery, Unit 66 , 6th Floor
Monday to Friday 11am- 5pm

 

Contact information:
Philip Murphy: 087 252 1227
Mika: 085 755 3644
email: philmiseryhill@gmail.com