Category Archives: design

Meet the Makers

Revolve

Revolve, .Obj Digital Handmade, National Design & Craft Gallery, Kilkenny, 2018

I am looking forward to talking about my work which is currently on show at the National Design & Craft Gallery in Kilkenny this Thursday 18 October at 18.30

Free Late Date Event: Meet The Makers
Join artist and designer Paul Bokslag with fellow exhibitor Marius Watz for our late date evening this Thursday. Paul will discuss his inspiration and processes involved in creating his Revolve paper installation. Marius will discuss his site-specific wall drawings and how he uses visual abstraction through generative software. This event is part of our .OBJ exhibition education and outreach programme at the National Design and Craft Gallery. The exhibition is curated by Nora O’Murchu.

Mashrabiya Fonts

square 1In March I received an email from Edo Smitshuijzen who proposed to include some of my typefaces in his publication on Mashrabiya Fonts. I was delighted to receive a copy of the beautifully produced book in the post today, generously highlighting eight of my fonts and even 3D vase renderings of a papercut.

Mashrabiyas are an iconic element of Arabic architecture. Providing shade, air circulation and privacy, all at the same time. This book showcases a number of font designs that can be used to produce Mashrabiya screens, including some possible applications. It aims to fill in a peculiar gap and thus enrich the Arabic visual culture with this new category of fonts.

The 216-page full colour paperback can be ordered through Khatt Books, publishers on design and visual culture of the Middle East and North Africa.

Bring Your Own Chair

Bring Your Own Chair

Bring Your Own Chair

As part of Bring Your Own Chair, I visited primary schools in twelve towns to deliver papercutting workshops to over 900 children. They created ‘Town Motifs’ based on the nature, buildings and heritage of their town and I worked with all images to design 14 individual A3 sized posters, one for each school. Damn Fine Print did a beautiful risograph printing job on the posters.

Bring Your Own Chair is a portrait of twelve rural towns and villages accross counties Killkenny, Waterford and Wexford, led by visual artist Michelle Browne and produced by Workhouse Union. Towns and villages include Kilmacthomas, An Rinn, Tallow and Passage East (Waterford); Ballyhack, Taghmon, Bunclody, Courtown (Wexford); and Coon, Goresbridge, Slieverue and Kells (Kilkenny).

Bring Your Own Chair is funded by the Arts Council Ireland Making Great Art Work – Open Call Award and with further support from Create Ireland/Collaborative Arts Partnership Programme, Design & Crafts Council of Ireland, Waterford Council, Kilkenny Arts Office, County Wexford and Kilkenny LEADER Partnership.

.Obj: Digital Handmade

.Obj Digital Handmade

.Obj Digital Handmade

I am looking forward to showing a new large sculptural paper piece at the .Obj: Digital Handmade Exhibition in the National Design & Craft Gallery in Kilkenny, curated by Nora O Murchú. The exhibition will be opened on Saturday 11 August at 2pm and is presented as part of Kilkenny Arts Festival. I will also run a number of children’s wokhops on Tue 14, Wed 15 and Thu 16 August. The exhibition continues until 23 January 2019.

Town Planners

VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art, Studio Gallery Installation

VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art, Town Planners, Studio Gallery Installation

What an honour to be showing my vinyl floor and wall drawing alongside large prints of My Carlow, a graphic novel by Studio Weave and an architectural structure by Todo Por La Praxis, as part of Town Planners in the Studio Gallery at VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art. A big thank you to producers Ann Mulrooney of VISUAL in Carlow and to Eilis Lavelle and Rosie Lynch of Workhouse Union for asking me and to Jon for helping with the install.

2017 Fonts

Counter Culture font

Counter Culture font

My font Counter Culture was a winner in the Fontstruct Reverse Competition. It can be downloaded for free from the fontstruct website (requires login) and comes with a non-commercial no derivatives creative commons licence. Counter Culture was also featured in the Typography category of the Behance Graphic Design Gallery.

hoek, elza and planetarium

Hoek (in red), elza and Planetarium fonts image from judging blog post

My font Hoek was a winner in the Serif Competition. Hoek, elza and Planetarium can also be downloaded for free.

Camino Fundraiser

Camphill Camino Trek Fundraiser Artsale

Purchase an original and affordable piece of art for on your wall or to give away as a present and contribute towards a good cause.

From 30 September – 7 October 2017 I will take part in the Camphill Camino Trek from Ponferrada to Sarria to help to raise funds in support of the inspiring work that Camphill does around the country. As part of my fundraising efforts I am selling a series of small abstract drawings. All drawings cost €45.00 only and are made using archival and acrylic inks. The price includes a simple IKEA frame or postage to anywhere in the world. 100% of the proceeds will go towards the Camphill fundraiser. The drawings on offer can be viewed on my facebook page, or in person in KCAT.

Drawings can be taken home after purchase. Shipments will take place after the completion of the walk. If you have already made a donation and feel you are missing out on this opportunity, please talk to me and I am sure we can come to an agreement. Contact me if you want to secure a drawing of your choice or if you have any questions.

Dog Days

Vessel IV

Vessel IV

I am delighted to have two of my pieces in ‘Dog Days‘, this year’s Open Submission Exhibtion at Dunamaise Arts Centre in Portlaoise: ‘Oval I’, a papercut and ‘Vessel IV’, a small sculptural piece (PET Bottle and Embroidery Thread). Dog Days was curated by Therry Rudin and Patricia Hurl of Damer House Gallery.

Typodarium 2017

Bevelon Font, Typodarium 2017

Bevelon Font, Typodarium 2017

Typodarium 2017, the daily dose of typography with 365 fonts by 263 designers from 30 countries is out. I am honoured to have two of my fonts featured in this tear-off calendar on Sunday 12 February (Bevelon) and Tuesday 19 September (the Pattern Exchange). Can’t wait to get my copies in the post…