I had been trying to get access to this quarry for approximately 2 month before finally succeeding. I had to go through the auctioneer company whose name was on the gate, who passed me on to Roadstone, who, after verifying my insurance details and my intentions, passed me on to Brian, manager of the quarry. Brian is manager of Whelans plus a number of other [...]

I recently got myself in to a knot over the fact that I am literally unable to make the work I want to make right now. Given covid, lockdown, 5k max journey, social distancing, yada yada. I can't legitimately ask anyone to help me, I cant access the venue I want to make it in, I can't.. and the self-centred moaning continues :) Obviously if [...]

Think. Prepare. Turn up. Event. Outcome. Using art actions to disrupt the everyday Introduction: The title of my essay refers to the steps I follow to make a piece of live art.  I think about what I am going to do. I prepare and rehearse the action I intend to make.  I turn up at the place where I intend to make the action.  Event. [...]

These cards were printed by the daughter of one of the ladies I visited for Eggs & Butter project research, Kay. She liked the drawing I did of her hens so they got it printed into cards for her. Im glad she got this extra bonus, so to speak, from the experience. I was in the studio the last few days a couple of times, [...]

It's been nearly a month since I posted here, and I can defend this lapse through what did happen while I did not post. I moved house, which was the usual relentless never-ending shifting of boxes and bags of stuff. And which took the best part of 3 weeks. Anyway that's the main reason for the not posting and apart from that, Christmas, which normally [...]

Seeing the work rolled out in a bigger space was a useful experience- as my studio, where its been so far, is like a dark, hoarders delight of a cave with piles of STUFF everybloodywhere. When making the work I was painting a bit of my brown scroll, then due to spatial constraints, rolling it up, then painting another bit, rolling it up and so [...]

I drove to Finavarra, near Newquay, this morning to visit Annie Nolan, who runs a farm and a fruit and vegetable shop from the contents of her farm. She was the last person I wanted to visit before christmas, and I was supposed to go yesterday but on account of the heavy rain we cancelled. Today was a bit better, still baltic cold and bursts [...]

I went to visit Kay yesterday in Athlacca, Co Limerick. I had made contact with Kay through my mother-in-law who has proved a useful source of contacts to access women in rural settings. Kay lives in her family farm which is now run by her elder son. They built an extension onto the family farmhouse and Kay lives in this- it has its own entrance [...]

I met Brian, manager of the quarry, and loads of other quarries around Co Clare, this morning at 8am to go into the quarry. It was drizzling and windy, therefore good weather in Co Clare terms. We drove in and first of all, I had no idea it was such a big site. We drove up and wound around all the old buildings and plant [...]

So I went to visit Nancy Gavin, Lavalla, near Ballynacally, Co Clare. I had no idea where this was but it turned out to be only 15 mins from Ennis. Nancy is in her 70's and has 6 kids, and 14 grandchildren. She has a herd of cows that she looks after and buys and sells. Last year her husband died so she has continued [...]