Exciting News Ahoy

Thank you for all the pregnancy congratulations. Especially the congratulations on the impending arrival of twins. I did think it was completely hilarious that when I wrote I had some exciting news, that the first conclusion you would come to is that I’m pregnant. Tut tut. Didn’t I tell you that six children is truly a delightful number? I always imagined I would like 11, but we have decided that 6 is just perfect! My cup truly over-floweth etc etc…

So, just to clarify: I am not pregnant. But thank you: I basked in the delight of congratulations for an imaginary pregnancy for a few hours 😀

Now my REAL news! (It involves creating, just not miniature humans. Hope you aren’t too disappointed…!)

1: The Journal/Book of Days for 2016 is continuing apace. (Last year, I designed and printed a small print run of journals as Christmas presents for all the girlies in my life. I did a short post about it here. The printing and putting-together was all a bit hasty in the end but worked out fine (thanks to my beloved husband and children for a Trojan effort and datapoint.ie for the printing and dealing with my last-minute crazy) The journals were a phenomenal success and I have been getting orders for the 2016 version since last January!)

I’m a bit behind, what with all this moving house and so on, but I’m hoping to get all the illustrations finished within the next two weeks. After that, I will do a test run (rather than print blind as I did last year and hope that it works out!) and start taking orders, then post out the Journal/Book of Days at the beginning of December. Thanks for all the orders already: I’m beyond honoured and delighted!

And my second piece of news (incredibly exciting stuff): A few months ago, I was talking with a friend and fellow artist, Rosemarie Langtry, and she mentioned she had submitted a design for this years Jack and Jill Foundation “Hares on the March” public art initiative. Another friend of mine, Ness, was involved last year and designed and painted a pig for the “Pigs on Parade” exhibition. The Jack and Jill Foundation sent all chosen artists a large pig and they painted it with their design. This year, the chosen artists had to design for a 3ft hare. So, last minute as always, with every electronic device/camera, phone failing on me, and on the week we were physically moving (why not throw in every possible curveball?), I submitted my design. Not in the detail I had hoped, but a design nonetheless…:

And it was accepted! Hurrah! My plan is to make a clay Art Doll that sits on the hare, which is painted with a night-time landscape, inspired by nocturnal ramblings, full moon and Wee Folk. I will be blogging about it here, of course, and will chart my progress as I go.

Hares are arriving in less than a fortnight… Exciting, exciting! You can read more about the Jack and Jill “Hares in the March” here, and join their Facebook page here. Wish me luck!

• Journal,
• Painting