Creative Peninsula

The Seasons of Bobs is fast Approaching! Christmas Craft Fairs where you can find me this year.

I am just back from a trip to London where I attended the 60th Annual Exhibition of the Society of Wildlife Artists. While there, I also received the wonderful news that I have been elected as an associate member of the society. This news makes me both proud of this achievement and humbled to be counted among such illustrious wildlife artists, both past and present. It is also a joy to be part of this welcoming and supportive community of artists united by their love of nature and their desire to express and communicate its value through the work they make.

Now I am back in the studio and busy preparing for all the events in the next few weeks. Its Bobs favourite time of year and he is much in demand! Bobs in shops, make your own Bob workshops, Bobs at festive craft fairs, you name it! This starts TOMORROW with the Boom open studios, which coincides with the Bangor light switch on

Boom Open Studios and Light Switch on

Boom Studios is open part of the Christmas Passport Trail this Saturday! Come to our open day from 12-4pm and get your passport/stamp. Enjoy a workshop taster, refreshments and visit the artists working in their studios – we’ll finish up at 4, plenty of time to go down and see the lights switch on!

Lots of fun happening in Boom 1, but dont forget to have a peek in Boom 2 – next to the Heart Foundation shop. Ill be there 12 -4.

Free to attend event. Costs may apply to some activities.

Programme for the day:

5.30 pm The Switch On of the Christmas Lights at the McKee Clock arena

12noon – 7pm | Festive Bar and Food Village, Queen’s Parade car park

1pm – 6pm | Indoor Festive Market, Main Street (former TK Maxx Building)

Made in AND – Pop up Christmas shop at North down Museum

The very popular pop up shop will once again be taking over the galleries and cafe at North Down Museum. This event is fast becoming a local seasonal tradition. Don’t miss the special late night Shopping event on Thursday 30th November! Join us for an evening of music, artists demonstrations and shopping. The museum will be festively decorated, the coffee shop will be open serving food and drink and visitors will be able to see the museum and purchase unique gifts in a completely different way.

North Down Museum, Bangor

Wednesday 22 November 2023 -Sunday 7 January 2024

Late Night Shopping Thursday 30 November 6-9pm


Museum opening times
Tuesday -Saturday 10am-4:00pm

Sundays 12noon-4:00pm
Closed on Mondays

Promotional image for Creative Peninsula Chrstmas Fayre

The Creative Peninsula Christmas Fayre Returns!

This Year sees the welcome return of the Christmas Craft Fayre in Ards Arts Centre after an absence of 3 years due to the Covid pandemic. The gap has been filled by a Christmas pop up shop for two years, but we are all excited to have one of the best fayres of the season back in our schedule,

Come and enjoy the opulent festive setting of Ards Arts Centre, with seasonal live music interludes, complementary gift wrapping, and festive refreshments! Take time out of the busy shopping crowds and get your December shopping campaign off to a great start.

Ards Arts Centre

Friday 1 December 4 -8 pm
Saturday 2 December 10am – 4 pm

North Down Craft Collective at the Court House, Bangor

My final event for this year will be at the Court House,Bangor. North Down Craft Collective will be returning for a third collaboration with this great venue in the lovingly restored Court House in Bangor.


Sunday 10 December 2023
The Court House Bangor
12 – 5pm

Don’t Forget to Support your Local shops!

In the flurry of Fairs and events, it is easy to forget about your local craft and art shops that are there all year round. Here are a few where you can find some of my work. Get out and support them this festive season!

The Seasons of Bobs is fast Approaching! Christmas Craft Fairs where you can find me this year. Read More »

Summer Festivals and Exhibitions Galore!

With Creative Peninsula and August Craft Month about to kick off, I won’t trouble you with a long introduction. Suffice to say there is a lot going on and not just what is listed below. You can check out all the events on offer for you delectation and delight this summer via the Craft NI and Creative peninsula websites and, while you are at it, have a look at the summer events in Boom Studios!:

August Craft Month

Creative Peninsula

Boom

Oh and one more little plug – I am very happy to say that some of my new original drawings from earlier in the year are now rubbing shoulders with some very fab wildlife artists in the Scottish Ornithologists Club online shop.

Exhibitions

Exhibition Wildlife Art

This is a great and well established weekend exhibition of wildlife art taking place in Gordale Garden Center on the Wirral Peninsula from 28 to 30 July. This year I am taking part remotely and have 8 pieces in their online gallery which goes live on 28 July. All the pieces will remain available for the rest of the year.

Creative Peninsula Exhibition at Ards Arts Centre

The exhibition opening and official launch of the Creative Peninsula festival will be 6.30 – 8.30 on Thursday 27 July and includes an opening talk and demonstration

This year the exhibition has a theme – “Inspired By”. No prizes for guessing what I am inspired by, but you’ll have to come along to se exactly what I came up with as its a bit different.

Thursday 27 July – Thursday 24 August.

August Craft Month Exhibition at Craft NI

I am delighted to be taking part in this exhibition. Again its something a bit different, so you’ll have to wait for the exhibition before I reveal it! Why not join us for the official opening and late night art in the Gallery on Thursday 3 August from 6-9.

Thursday 3 August – Friday 15 September 2023

Monday – Saturday 10 -5

Late Night Art Thursday August 6pm – 9pm

Creative peninsula exhibition at North Down Museum

Another of my winter bird drawings from the beach at Millisle will be showing in this exhibition, Bangor’s Creative Peninsula celebration of local artists and crafts people.

Thursday 3rd August until Sunday 4 September

during museum opening hours


Craft Fairs

Creative Peninsula Twighlight Market and Arts Night

This event has a new twist this year being an evening event. The usual mix of local crafts people and artsits, myself included, exhibiting, demonstrating and selling in a one night only craft village in Conway Square, with live music, and drop in childrens crafts with Boom studios. Meanwhile the Arts Centre will be buzzing with creative goings on where you can see demonstrations and even try your hand at a new skill.

Friday 4 August

4 – 9pm

Conway Square, Newtownards 4-9pm

North Down Craft Collective in the Court House

Following from our very successful fair at Christmas, North Down Craft Collective will be back in Bangors Newest venue for an August Craft Month Event.

I’ll be at both these fairs with my all my usual stuff and a new thing or two to tempt you with!

Sunday 20 August

12 – 5 pm


Workshops and Demos

Sketching Landscape and Wildlife

On the afternoon of Sunday 30 July, I’ll be hosting a relaxed sunday sketching workshop at Cockle Row Cottages in Groomsport. This is a free drop in event, I will have some materials to use, but feel free to bring along your own weapons of choice! Here’s hoping the weather is kind to us

Sunday 30th July

2-4pm

Cockle Row Cottages, Groomsport

Make a Paper Bird Workshop, Newtownards

For the Creative Peninsula festival, I have a paper bird making workshop now available to book. We will learn about some basic paper cutting techniques and tools. You should come away with at least one paper bird decoration.

Tuesday 1 August

7 -9 pm

Ards Arts Centre, Newtownards

Alfresco Art

Another free event. This one always has a lovely relaxed Sunday vibe enjoyed by makers and public alike. Get yourself a brew from the Coffee Cure at North Down Museum and enjoy seeing local artists and crafts people demonstrating their skills in the courtyard. I’ll be there from 12 -2 pm, but there will be more makers in the afternoon.

Sunday 6 August

The Courtyard, North Down Museum, Bangor

12 -4pm

Make a Paper Bird Workshop, Lisburn

If you can’t make it to the Creative Peninsula paper bird making workshop, there is a another opportunity as I will be delivering it again in Lisburn as part of the Island Arts Centre August Craft Month Program. Bookings are now open.

Saturday 19 August

10.30am-12.30pm

The Island Arts Centre, Lisburn


Open Studios

Bangor Art Tour and Tipple

Join the Creative Peninsula team for a tour of Bangor’s creative spaces. Starting at North Down museum, where you will find me doing a short demo of paper crafting, then on for a peek behind the scenes at Boom Studios and Seacourt Print. With drinks along the way!

Wednesday 2 August

8-9 pm

Summer at Boom

Come and get a nosey round Boom studios, meet and chat with some of the artists in their studios , and see what we get up to all day. I’ll have my studio, over the road in Boom 2 open, so why not call in and say hello!

Saturday 12 August

11am – 5pm

Open House Festival evening Art Walk

Join Boom Studios Director, Marainne Kennerly, for a tour of creative spaces in Bangor and a glimpse into the vibrant artistic life of the city. I’ll be in Boom 2 waiting for a chat!

Thursday 24 August

6.30-9.30pm


Summer Festivals and Exhibitions Galore! Read More »

Creative Peninsula and August Craft Month 2022

It is that time of year again when all we go just a bit art and craft mad! The Creative Peninsula, Ards and North Down’s major art festival, launched last week with the opening of the exhibitions in Ards Arts Centre. There is also an exhibition in North Down Museum. I have a piece in each. There is plenty going on. You can check out all the events on the Creative Peninsula website or pop into the Arts Centre and pick up a booklet

And its not just Ards and North Down, August Craft Month is also under way. This year Craft NI are working with the Design and Crafts Council in Kilkenny to highlight events North and South. You can see everything by visiting the Craft NI August Craft Month page.

https://creativepeninsula.andculture.org.uk/
https://craftni.org/augustcraftmonth2022/

I am pretty busy over the next few weeks, so take a deep breath – here is my list!

Creative Peninsula in the Square and Alfresco Art

Creative Peninsula in the Square

Friday 5th August 11am – 5pm

This is one of the main events of the Creative Peninsula. Conway square, in front of the town hall, will be transformed into a tented art and craft village. Come down and meet artists living and working in Ards and North Down.

https://creativepeninsula.andculture.org.uk/whats-on/creative-peninsula-square

Alfresco Art

Sunday 7th August 12-4pm

This event is a favourite with artists and visitors alike. Spend a relaxed sunday afternoon in the courtyard of North Down Museum in Bangor watching local artists demonstrate their skills Maybe even try your hand at something yourself. And there is nothing better to go with alfresco art than alfresco refreshments from the Coffee Cure. I’ll be there from 12 making a variety of paper birds.


https://creativepeninsula.andculture.org.uk/whats-on/alfresco-art-north-down-museum

Photo: Janine Boyd

Workshop – Developing Skills for Sketching from Life 

I’ll be running a workshop at Ards Arts Centre to help you develop your drawing from life skills. There will be lots of short drawing exercises and plenty of paper and pencils to play with. Weather and time permitting we might go out into conway square to try and put it all into practice. It will be challenging, but hopefully fun as well!

Wednesday 10 August 10am – 1pm

If you are interested, you can book a place on the Creative Peninsula website here:
https://creativepeninsula.andculture.org.uk/classes/developing-skills-sketching-life-adele-pound

Creative Peninsula at the Ulster Folk Museum

Saturday 20th August 11am – 3pm

This is a new event for 2022. I am looking forward to spending the day demonstrating how I make my paper pigeons. You can find me in the school house!

https://creativepeninsula.andculture.org.uk/whats-on/creative-peninsula-ulster-folk-museum

North Down Craft Collective Pop up in Comber!

The North Down Craft Collective will be taking over a pop up shop at 4 Castle street, Comber from Tuesday 16th August, until Saturday 20th August. There will be different makers in residence each day from 10am – 4:00 pm.

I’ll be taking my turn on Wednesday 17th August,do call in and say hello if you are passing!

http://thecraftroomcomber.com/whats-on/north-down-craft-collective-at-comber-pop-up-shop/

Creative Peninsula at Boom Studios!

Now that I am part of the Boom studios family, I also get to join in with their August events as well!

Open Studios at Boom

Boom studio artists will be opening their doors for the Creative Peninsula. Call in to meet and buy from the artists, and get a look inside Bangor’s creative hub.  Due to other commitments I will be there on Sunday 14th of August only this year.

Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th August
10am – 12pm
2pm – 4pm

Boom Studios pop up in Bloomfield Shopping Centre!

For the whole of August Boom studios will be taking over a unit in Bloomfeld shopping centre. You will be able to see and buy work from your friendly local artists who work in Boom studios in Bangor.

The shop will be open Thursday to Saturday for the month of August.

https://www.boomstudios.org.uk/news/creativepeninsula2022

Creative Peninsula and August Craft Month 2022 Read More »