KILCONNELL ART SPACE EXHIB

Last night saw the end of year exhibition at the Kilconnell Art Space. Artist and teacher Walter Coughlan hosted us in the Art Space where we are all usually mucky with clay. The studio was transformed into a very swish exhibition space for last night.

Local artist Lily Kelly exhibited with us and Walter had some of his beautiful ceramics on display, as had Galway city-based artist Róisín Gregory. It was great to see Group 8 member artist John Soden there and also storyteller Eddie Linehan. Alas, I could not stay for Eddie's stories.

Walter is running a summer camp next week for adults and children if you fancy getting your hands dirty and making something lovely. Contact walterceramics AT gmail for more information.

Juno enjoying juice and art

Handbuilt cottage with cutesie dogs, by Mary

Students and guests and ceramics

One of my efforts - a ceramic plaque (unglazed)with a quote from my poem Tatú

A Walter Coughlan piece

A Lily Kelly painting, with some ceramics in front

Artists Walter Coughlan and Lily Kelly

SALE-OF-WORK PURCHASES

There is a sale-of-work on today and tomorrow in the local boys' secondary school, Garbally College, which has the most beautiful grounds - secluded, rolling parkland and ancient trees.

I didn't buy much. A DVD for my youngest and these two lovely bits pictured below,a bowl and a brooch. Two of my favourite things: blue and white ceramics and vintage costume jewelry (in red!!).

A HOLY HAUL

A Holy Haul - Children of Prague and Mary

Thanks to my friend Úna Spain for these. And thanks to her friend who is clearing out her house and passed them on. The Child of Prague waterfont has a penny sellotaped to its back. I wonder if it brought riches?

HERE'S LUCY!

My novel - the one due out next year - features two mysterious brown parcels. It also features a woman who is a taxidermist. I love taxidermy; I especially love modern pieces, the anthropomorphised kind.

I have long been looking for a suitable first piece of taxidermy to start a collection and I found it recently (on the net of course).

Her name is Lucy and she's a mouse. She is standing on a vintage box of tansy which is a herbal medicine that features in the novel I am currently writing. I like that she ties the two books together. So here she is, Miss Lucy Luch, made by Nimble Matters:

I HAVE THE BLUES

I keep meaning to do a blue and white post. I am obsessed with blue and white china, porcelain, pottery and glass. I will pretty much hoover up anything that is blue and white. This is a long-standing love inspired by my parents who have always collected blue and white, especially Cornishware and its Irish sister, Carrigaline.

To be honest there needs to be no white involved for me to buy something. If it's not red in my house, it is generally blue.

I've said before about the monster bargains to be had in the charity shops where I live. I got the Wade Irish Porcelain jug and sugar bowl (jug pictured left) for 50 cent each today. The blue plate they are standing on cost €1 (English Petal Ware) - also found today. It goes nicely with the Johnson Bros jug and bowl bought previously. The gold rimmed jug is Polish and I picked it up in a charity shop in Westmeath ages ago. The blue Mason jar behind was a swap with my mother - she gave me two jars for a vase I had. The advantage of being related to collectors...

Every so often I say, 'Enough is enough!' - the walls are closing in here - but then I get back out there and start buying again. Like I say, obsessed. I blame the parents.

NEW DRESSER FOR OLD

I sold my old dresser some time ago. We have a small house and I love furniture but it was always too big for the space. I put a  china cabinet in its place but was keeping an eye out all the time for a smaller dresser to replace it. I found one - at last - in Lynn's Antiques in Athlone. It's not as old as I might have wanted but it is well and simply made and I may paint it eventually. For the moment I am enjoying its honeyed brown wood.

Before pic 1

It needed a bit of work before it would suit my needs. I got pine beading in B&Q yesterday, so I could put plates standing up on the shelves and I also got cup handles to replace the ugly brass ones that were on the drawers. My hubbie stained the beading and put it on the shelves and he changed the handles, so the dresser is in place now, looking lovely. It's great to be able to see my stuff again! Here are a few pics.

Before pic 2

After pic 1

After pic 2

FEIRA DA LADRA - LISBON

One tiny corner of the Feira da Ladra, Lisbon

A recent trip to Lisbon took me up into the beautiful and crumbling Alfama district to the Thieves' Market - Feira da Ladra. The market is vast - hundreds of people gather to sell trinkets, clothes, rubbish, antiques and collectibles from cloths on the ground and from stalls. It takes hours to get around and there are bargains galore.

This is my personal haul:

Paperweight (€5), Buddha (€3), two tiny ceramic figures (€1)

I also got this silverplated WMF art deco ashtray for €1. The figa (pendant) on it is a Brazilian good luck charm which I had tried to get in Brazil in August and failed. Very happy to find one in Lisbon which my husband bought for me - aw!

WMF marking on back of ashtray

My daughter (age 3) bought a china Snow White doll for €2 at the market and a cute red handbag for the same price. My husband bought me a Christmas present so I have yet to see what it is. All in all, a fun and successful trawl. I have one regret: I didn't buy three tiny ceramic mermaids I saw. I had shopper confusion/fatigue by then. Bummer :(

Lisbon is a great shopping city. The main stores are reasonably priced (compared to Ireland) and they have some interiors gems such as Area. I drooled my way around this shop - would love to go back. I will, no doubt.