Insects all over the Place this Autumn

There is a nip in the air and it seems summer may finally be over. I hope you had a good one and managed to enjoy the good weather. I have been busier than ever, and not complaining despite nearly losing sight of myself a few times! I am hoping that once the dust settles and I get the chance to reflect on all the activities and hard work I have put in this year, I will find I have made some progress. But in the mean time, there is plenty to be getting on with, Autumn may be upon us, but I am taking a few summer vibes on into September and October…

Paper Magic, Belfast

Opening this week at Craft NI in Belfast, Paper Magic promises to be an eclectic and slightly bonkers exhibition by 5 artists working in paper (yes, I’m not the only one!). I am very happy to be exhibiting along with Sue Cathcart (of Mr Papers fame), Susan McKeever, Jayne Cherry and Emma Whitehead (of Top Floor Art fame!). I have chosen to make my pieces about wasps because they invented paper. And pigeons, because I like pigeons. There will also be collages, strange hats, butterflies and a giant rabbit, Don’t miss it, we may never see the like again!

Official Opening: Thursday 22 September 6-8pm

Late Night Art: Thursday 6 October 6-8 pm

Keep an eye on Craft Ni social media for workshops and demos taking place as part of the ongoing entertainments!

The Natural Eye, London

The Natural Eye is the annual exhibition of the Society of Wildlife Artists. It is probably the UK’s most prestigious wildlife art exhibition so I am delighted to report that 4 of my aphid drawings which some of you may have seen in Ards arts centre in June, have been accepted into the show this year. It gives me the opportunity to show alongside some of the finest wildlife artists working today, many of whom I am in awe of! It also means I am planning my first trip to London since before Covid and looking forward to catching up with some friends and fellow wildlife artists.

13 – 22 October 2022

10am – 5pm

The Mall Galleries, London SW1

https://swla.co.uk/news/the-natural-eye-2022

Catalan Butterflies, Waterford

At the end of October, I will be returning to the Waterford Imagine festival with poet, Laurence O’Dwyer. Last year we presented work in progress from our collaboration “Catalan Butteflies”. Larry asked me to create pop up butterflies in response to some of the poems in his collection inspired by his travels in the Pyrenees and a Catalan field guide to butterflies that he bought along the way. The Imagine festival kindly provided us with further funding to present more developed work at this years festival. Larry’s collection is to be published in the near future and I am also happy to report that an image of my piece “Vanessa Atalanta” is to be used on the cover.

An evening of music and spoken-word poetry and pop up butterflies!

Friday 28 October at 6pm

Christchurch Catherdral, Waterford

https://imagineartsfestival.com/catalan-butterflies/

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New Solo exhibition at Ards Arts Centre

‘In the Field’

Sunburst Gallery, Ards Arts Centre

Tuesday 7 June – Saturday 16 July

There will be an informal Wine reception on the evening of:
Thursday 9 June, 7pm – 9pm
all welcome to attend

New solo Exhibition

I am excited to announce that I have a new solo exhibition opening this week. Ards Arts Centre are giving me the opportunity to share a body of new work that I have been developing for a couple of years.

The works I will be showing are all Field studies, that is, they were all made form life in the presence of the creatures they depict. Drawing in this way and experiencing nature directly has always been central to my practice. For this exhibition I wanted , for once, to show a body of work all completed in the Field, with all the scuffs, smudges, coffee cup stains and footprints collected along the way! There are squiggles that went nowhere, my subject having abruptly departed about its Business. In one case slugs ate part of a drawing! The rough and ready nature of these works is a trade off for the immediacy and vibrancy that I am never able replicate in the studio.

These drawings began life as a response to the Covid 19 pandemic. As lockdowns began in 2020, it became clear that I would be unable to make my usual trips out to draw wintering birds. But as the initial shock of the situation subsided and the good weather settled in, I decided to experiment with sketching insects in the garden.

The experience proved eye opening, challenging and refreshing. I was amazed at the variety and abundance of insects and spiders sharing relatively small areas of foliage. The challenges were many. Firstly even seeing animals so small was difficult. Clip on magnifiers and a hand held magnifying glass were promptly ordered on line. Secondly, I know nothing about entymology, so everything I was drawing was new to me and I was unable to put a name to any of the species. I was forced to dig deep into my seeing and drawing skills to try to make sense of the constantly moving tangle of legs, antennae and wings. At the same time this was liberating. Unencumbered by knowledge or preconceptions about the animals before me, I was free to explore what I was seeing and express my excitement at this new experience. As 2021 brought more lockdowns and yet more warm weather, I was back in the garden with my magnifiers, pencils and watercolors braving bites and sunstroke and discovering that bumble bees do indeed have a sting.

Making this work has, in turn, had an effect on me. I have a greater awareness of the invertebrate life all around me, so much so, that even mowing the lawn now seems a gross act of violence! My interest piqued, I have started to explore the role of invertebrates in the ecosystem, their importance for soil health and thereby for carbon storage. This research has recently led me to the even more mindboggling topic of microbes.

Admission free. The Gallery opening hours are:

Tuesday – Friday 10.00am – 4.00pm
Saturday 10.00am – 1.00pm
Sunday and Monday Closed

For more information and directions pease see the Ards Arts Centre website