Blogger. Swimmer. Mid 20th Century Devotee. Twin. Reader. City Cycler. Irish abroad. Ex Dublin.
Transplanted from Dublin to Key West.
Follow me as I blog from this wonderful little island that I am lucky to call Home.
Pigsy - one of my favourite Irish contemporary artists - opened his latest exhibition in Ranelagh Arts on Friday just gone. It was a massive opening night with a great turnout and tremendously good feedback about the innovative and immersive art experience that Pigsy has created. It really has to be seen to be believed, it is open for another two weeks so I really encourage you to stop by and view the art - and EXPERIENCE and LIVE the adventure in art that Pigsy has devised.
Click here for a Little taster of the Pigsy Augmented Reality world:
In other Pigsy news, the All Ireland Squash finals were on this weekend. Held on the main court of Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club under the watchful eye of Pigsy's "Squash Soldiers":
To top off a super Key West weekend of fishing, crab traps and great eating, I stopped by Effusion Gallery on world famous Duval Street to view the new art from Irish artist Pigsy in their collection.
Each piece thoughtful and inspiring
Stunning!
Feel really lucky that I can see Pigsy here in Key West. What originally was a collection of 9 (5 sold) is now a beautifully curated assemblage of 8 new pieces. No doubt these will sell fast, so if you want to see some beautiful Irish art, my advice is get in fast! And ENJOY!
Oh! And if you are in Dublin, Ireland why not catch his latest exhibition!
Effusion Gallery on the world-famous Duval Street is currently presenting a showcase of about ten or so artworks by Irish artist Pigsy. I was delighted to stop by recently to get a last view of "Expel", which, recently sold and is heading off to it's new USA home.
Expel - filled with complexities, it interrogates emotional maturity. It's a stand out piece, vibrant in color, and I like it a lot. I am glad that I got to see it in person for that one last time.
Pigsy at Effusion Gallery:
Effusion Gallery is open 7 days a week, 10am - 8pm. Open until 10pm at the weekends
Today was an unbelievably cold day in Key West - record lows of temperature in the 50's. On a day like that, it calls for a nice alcoholic beverage to warm you up.
In advance of going for said alcoholic drink, I stopped by Effusion Gallery to check out the (decreasing) Irish artist, Pigsy's collection. I say decreasing, or ever dwindling, because pieces from the collection keep getting sold!
Today I was saying goodbye to the painting "S.E.B." before it headed off to its new home. It's a great piece and I was glad to see it one more time in situ in Key West.
From there, I headed on to Alonzos to meet with my friend Lara and her friend Tracy. I met Lara 8 or 9 years ago when I was in Cancun, meeting the first day of the vacation and spending the rest of the time together. The abiding memory from that holiday is playing a lot of volleyball - in the mornings, and then a lot of drinks in the pool in the afternoon. She is from Texas and was in town for the Mile Marker Zero festival. We had the loveliest of time together, Lara being as fabulous and fun as ever. It's just lovely staying in touch with people who you click with.
All of that made for a great day and warmed me up no doubt. But now, I am back home and it is cold again - I am posting this from bed, drowning under a million blankets and a cat. Thoughts and prayers please!
That's it. My Lovbacken table arrived and that's it, this room is finished. Plain and simple, the way I like it. God, how much do I abhor home decorating!
Delighted to see that Pigsy is now available here in Key West at the fabulous Effusion Gallery on the world famous Duval Street.
Side note. We bought a new sofa for the room where my Pigsy (Three Times Broke) is displayed. And I think they both co-ordinate and really tie the room together. I'm getting a new rug and coffee table now so will post photos of the full room in time
Myself, Patrick and our friend's from across the street took ourselves straight down to Effusion as soon as we heard they were on display. We made an evening of it and had drinks and lobster rolls in DJ's Clam Shack which is literally two doors away from the gallery which was handy! Nothing beats those lobster rolls!
It was a really great evening looking at the wonderful art pieces and chatting with the gallery director. The majority of these pieces were painted during his year long residency in Malaga, Spain and the vibrancy and colors capture and express this.
Look at me in the bottom left picture. I am pointing to the little red dot. SOLD! "Power Supply" was sold on the very first day the collection was put on the walls.
As a follow on from our little art gallery trip it was exciting to see a Pigsy write up, one week later in The Citizen Newspaper.
Effusion Gallery is a cool gallery infused with a pop art vibe combined with Florida's rich flavor of color, whimsy and eclectic culture. I think Pigsy is a perfect addition to their collection. I recommend you check it next time you are in Key West!
For the most part, I love living abroad and only occasionally do I really miss home. Well one of those "missing home" times is now!
My twin sister and her husband, the Irish artist Pigsy, are putting on a big wonderful art show in the beautiful town of Kenmare. If you've been following my blog you will know that I've worked with them on many exciting projects in the past including art exhibitions in Dublin and London.
The good news is that they are not missing me! I.e. everything is going swimmingly and they don't appear to need me even one little bit. Gee whizz you guys, that hurts! Lol, I digress, plus am joking.
Without further ado please let me give you a pre opening overview of Catharsis of Collapse by Pigsy
There's Enid, hard at work with the hanging of the artworks.
They hired a van and drove down from Dublin - themselves, all the art pieces and Bones the dog.
This exhibition is sponsored by Torc Brewing, exciting new craft beer brewers from Killarney.
Pigsy and his art show got nice coverage in a good few publications over the last few weeks. Pictured is a little piece from Ireland's Social and Person magazine.
And finally! The space. With all the art hung in it. How beautiful and awesome is this venue, The Kenmare Buttermarket. Would you believe it was an old dance hall in the 1960's. The space and scale works perfectly for the scale and vibrancy of Pigsy art.
Well done Enid and Ciaran aka Pigsy! I am excited for you and I know this show will be a success. Enjoy the fruits of your hard work!
And if you are in Kerry for the next month, why not stop by and see the show?!
My twin sister Enid (of RenovatingLPA blog) was recently a guest blogger for Pigsy. I think she wrote the most adorable and helpful post. Enid as you might know is a librarian. Her post is all about suggestions of things to do to introduce your child to art. A bonus is she also gives her Top 10 suggestions of books for children. It is a practical blog post - with helpful ideas for you and your little one(s) - to help keep them entertained, and learning, at the same time. Enid is a an awesome librarian, I used to love visiting her in all the libraries she has worked in over the years and see her interact with people and talking books. Particularly with young people and children. I do hope you enjoy her guest blog!
Too early to talk about Valentine's Day? It's just about a month away now. If your plan is to wait until closer to the moment and pick up a nice card and a bunch of flowers or a box of chocs for your significant other, well that sounds just lovely! And you can look away now as it sounds like you are all set - although, if you are open to one suggestion from me, it would be: get a hearted shaped box of chocolates! :) Even better if the box is a plush red velvet!
If you are thinking about going a little more adventurous, and doing something more long lasting, then here are some ideas for the Pigsy art lover in your life - included are suggestions to suit all budgets
Option 1
Irish artist Pigsy, Enamel Art Mugs are priced at euro24.99 and are a pretty cool gift in my opinion. They can be used for hot drinks, tea, coffee. but also they are pretty awesome for using for cold drinks, beer or cocktails etc too. Perfect for use every day, but also cool for displaying on a shelf and showing off your art in a quirky way. He has just launched a Limited Edition mug "The Kiss" for Valentine's Day 2021
Option 2
Who wouldn't love a striking print in a bespoke frame, custom designed by Pigsy, in their home. Limited Edition prints offer an accessible entry point to becoming an art collector. Why not get a print for you and your beloved this Valentine's?! Limited Edition prints are available through Designyard in Dublin city, in various sizes, prices starting at euro790. View available prints here! Contact Ronan Campbell at Designyard on +353 1 474 1011 or Pigsy directly .
Option 3
Big and bold! Go big like Pigsy's paintings and push the boat out. View his latest work, the "Seven Spanish Angels" collection
Bringing art in to the family home brings an air of creativity, tranquility, inspiration and positivity, It opens up the potential for anything to happen in the future, and it is inspirational for all who live with it. Contact Pigsy directly to talk about purchasing an original paintings or contact Ronan Campbell in Designyard +353 1 474 1011.
Whatever you do, enjoy it! 2020 has been a challenging year, 2021 is looking very similar right now. As Burt Bacharach said, and Jackie DeShannon sang "what the world needs now is Love"
Dublin's DesignYard has a very exciting online exhibition of artist Pigsy's latest work, featuring more than 20 vibrant pieces ranging in price from eur1,300 to eur24,000. The show titled "Seven Spanish Angels", runs from November 28 - December 12, and each piece will ship directly from Pigsy's Malaga studio free of charge worldwide.
Born on the north side of Dublin, Ciaran McCoy, is an award winning architect of (ODKM Architects) who borrows from his architectural knowledge to create his diverse expressionist artwork as his alter ego "Pigsy". Featured in this new collection, the painting here is called "I Went to Mass" (eur4,800).
I got some great little DIY projects around the house done today...
...with the help of my awesome birthday gift from Patrick. A cordless drill and screwdriver. How awesome are these?! I gasped when I opened the wrapping. I am just delighted with them!
Project 1
I didn't need my new tools for this job but am delighted to have got this job done:
I rehung my large Pigsy piece using the old nail hangings I already had in place, plus today applying Command velcro strips which hold the frame in much better place against the wall.
Doesn't it look just great?
Project 2
I installed two new bolts on our shed door. You can see the old one in the middle of the door which doesn't work any more because the doors or the door frame is out of whack. Because the door works fine I figured easier to just put on a new bolt, rather then try balance out doors and the frame etc. I installed two - we will use just one on a day to day basis, but the two will be used for storms and hurricanes etc (ugh).
Project 3
I re-fixed a little door knob back on to our laundry room doors. It's been sitting on the kitchen counter for ages, feels great to have this done!
Project 4
This is the one I am most happy about!
Ok, so a bit of background, our shed is as old as the house i.e. 1953. The shed is feeling it's age I think, but I do love it so! Around the bottom of it there is some rotting of the metal (oh, did I mention it's a cool old metal shed!) and a bit of a hole was developing. I had a plan to cover this up in some way, so today when I saw our neighbour was throwing out some wood I snaffled a piece that fitted nicely. Yep, I know it doesn't look "perfect", that is the way I like it. We describe our house as "cottagey" and this captures the feel as far as I am concerned.
And here I am, happy as Larry and delighted with life!
Well! What timing. After my post yesterday about Irish artist Pigsy and all his recent media coverage, what do I now find out? He is going to be on TV in Spain!
Yesterday, himself and Enid travelled from Malaga to Marbella to the tv studios of Marbella TV. After an initial briefing, a stint in the hair and makeup chair, he was under the studio lights and in front of the camera for his interview with Nicole King. The show will air on Friday. How exciting is that?!
In these crazy times (covid...and something else which I just don't have the energy to talk about right now, I think you get what I am talking about?) I am trying to focus on positivity.
Books. Escapism from the real word, I am trying to get back into more reading these days.
Art.
Pigsy
Irish artist Pigsy, now based in Spain (Malaga), continues to go from strength to strength. The pieces he is creating are fantastically powerful and aesthetically stunning. And he is being noticed! He was recently featured in an English paper in Spain - click here to read the article. And was invited on to Talk Radio Europe to talk about his artwork and the creative and uncharted year that lies ahead of him in Malaga.
The Old Knitting Factory
Do you remember that beautiful lakehouse cottage I used to visit in Carraroe, Co. Galway? Well! Wait until you hear what is going on there now.
Best selling New York Times author Betsy Cornwall has the most amazing plans underway to turn it in to a childcare-inclusive arts retreat for single moms. How fitting is that, considering the history of the cottage, built in 1906 by the Congested Districts Board as a knitting school, serving to provide employment for the women of the area.
Read all about the plans for the Old Knitting Factory here.
Separate, but related, Ms Cornnwall's 5th book was just published in June 2020 and it is awesome!
While it is actually a Young Adult book, I thoroughly enjoyed this modern retelling of Rose Red and Snow White. With some novel twists, and thought provoking themes, I whole heartedly recommend this read for the Young Adult in your home/family/life.
Fantastic Pigsy event coming up this Thursday - a presentation of his latest artwork and a screening of the wonderful Mike Andrews' Pigsy documentary film.
The only bad news I am afraid, is that it is an all-ticketed affair and at this point is Sold Out!
Around this time last year Enid, Irish artist Pigsy, and I were prepping for two big shows/events in London (one art show and then the screening of the Pigsy movie in the London Irish Film Festival). Which reminds me btw if you want to watch the Pigsy film it is available HERE
I am sad to be missing out on being part of the next big thing for Pigsy, but am excited about what is coming soon.
It's Pride week here in Key West so I have been partaking in the festivities and celebrations!
The Stoli event in Island House on Wednesday was a lot of fun! I look a bit tanned in this photo - I had spent the previous day at the beach snorkeling and sunbathing which was just fab!
Steve Grand was playing in the Key West Theatre. I was lucky enough to meet him at The Saint, he was a lovely fella! And then the show that night was super.
I checked out the (Irish artist) Pigsy in the window of the Key West Business Guild. Doesn't it look great?!
And there in the middle of it is the representation of the Sea to Sea flag, with Gilbert Baker on a bicycle smiling at his creation...which leads me nicely to the next event.
I walked in the Key West Pride parade carrying a section of the Sea to Sea flag.
It was lovely. Festivities aside there is a serious side to Pride, and it is sad that it is still needed in fact... My friend Megan said it best "I am privileged to be in this parade, and to be a supporter"
Happy Pride month!
I am delighted to present "Duval Flag" by Irish artist Pigsy.
“Duval Flag” (410mm W x 920mm H) (16” Wide x 36”) Mixed Media On Canvas
Key West Business Guild are selling raffle tickets for a chance to win this piece "Duval Flag" which Pigsy painted on a recent trip to KW. It includes the famous sea to sea rainbow flag flying high and is painted in his usual expressionist style. It is an uplifting joyful piece that highlights the Key West motto of One Human Family. It will be on view during the week in the Key West Business Guild.
Tickets are available, plus the painting is on display:
*In the Business Guild, 808 Duval Street right now!
*At the Business Guild luncheon on Wednesday at the Marriott Beachside*At the street fair on Saturday
Pigsy's curator Kemp has this to say about "Duval Flag":
"While PIGSY was vacationing in Key West the overall vibe of the islands ethos of “One Human Family” compelled him to compulsively start painting. The result is an inspired flow of expressionism which helped him to subconsciously recall the sea to sea rainbow flag which was 1.25 miles long and ran along Duval Street from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean created by the designer Gilbert Baker (happy image on the bike exploring his creation) who passed away in 2017. The island created a sense of creative happiness which manifested itself in the positive message that, all people are created equal.
The painting reflects the joyous pride that one can feel when prejudice and judgement of other people’s decisions are discarded and a free positive happy all for one, one for all approach to everyday life is embraced in a fair inclusive way, as it is with Key West which has embraced the motto “One Human Family”. The butterflies , flowers and smile on Gilbert’s Face show happiness and freedom along with pride and gives us a sense that the world is a brighter place with rainbows in it, along with an acceptance of diversity".
I am proud to announce that after a successful run of film festivals internationally (Dublin, London, Galway & Bristol), Mike Andrews' wonderful short docu-film about my brother in law, Irish artist, Pigsy has been published online!
I think it is a charming little film by Mike - Pigsy is a beguiling character with a story to tell. I'd love for you to watch it and comment below what you think!
Yesterday Mike Andrews, documentary maker and videographer, made an exciting announcement. After major successes on the film festival circuit, his award winning film Pigsy will be going online at the end of May!
There have been a lot of people waiting for this for some time so there is great excitement around.
In the meantime!
Click here to see the trailer for Pigsy.
