When it comes to art, I am extremely proactive and I am always looking to learn new techniques and skills. Even though my main practice is Graphic Design, I believe that you can get inspiration from any kind of artistic field. I often use my spare time to improve my art by attending workshops, and I have even given workshops of my own.
Please find below my history of artistic practice from the past few years:
TEXTILE SCREENPRINTING WITH RENÉ MULLIN (2 Royal Avenue) - March 2023
Under the guidance of local printmaker René Mullin, participants reflected on their own perceptions of Belfast and used creativity to help build a completely reimaged landscape on a shared piece of Belfast linen.
PRINTMAKING WORKSHOP (Golden Thread Gallery) - March 2023
Printing with Katherine Paisley inspired by Alice Maher’s exhibition, Vox Hybrida.
CERAMICS COURSE (Belfast MET) – January to March 2023
This workshop is designed with both the beginner and the more experienced ceramics student in mind. Those with no experience of clay will be taught the basics of clay working to include the main hand building methods such as coiling, slab-building and press-moulding. Those students returning to ceramics will be given individual attention as required, and self-directed projects can be discussed with the tutor.
Students will also gain valuable experience in the safe use of decorating techniques such as glazing, decorating and texture as well as the correct handling of materials and equipment.
JUNK JOURNAL WORKSHOP (Sandra Streeter) – January 2023
A Junk Journal book is a handmade book of recycled papers all sorts, found materials it could be stamps or a coin or a little thing that you found somewhere, and ephemera is a paper printed with a special motives that you can after cut to embellish your project.
The participants learned painting, collage and bookbinding techniques and created their own junk journals.
LETTING GO - FREEDOM THROUGH ABSTRACTION WITH LES SHARPE (Boom Studios) – December 2022
Exploring the pure pleasure of mark-making, colour and textures without all of the usual hangups and restrictions that often hinder people's creativity.
Using a series of fun exercises we will see how diving into the world of abstraction can help to loosen up your painting style and fire the imagination and sense of adventure.
NATURAL MONO-PRINT (Big Kid's Society – East Side Arts) – November 2022
Created postcards and tote bag by printing using the mono-print tecnique.
T-SHIRT SCREEN PRINTING WORKSHOP (Belfast Print Workshop) – October 2022
Designed and printed a t-shirt using the technique of screen printing.
CLAY WORKSHOP (Big Kid's Society) – October 2022
Built clay pots using the meditative coiling method. Working with the clay, explored how to use simple techniques to build larger bowl forms.
MENDING MAGIC WITH LYNDSEY MCDOUGALL (Anthropologie) – October 2022
Local artist – and upcycling extraordinaire – Lyndsey McDougall shared her knowledge of the art of visible mending. She provided guidance on how to learn the basics of darning and repair
IN THE ARCHIVES: A JOURNEY THROUGH LGTBQIA+ RECORDS (PRONI- CollabArchive) – September 2022
This programme worked with LGBTQ+ volunteers to explore three distinct archival collections - court cases, NGO records and TV shows - and examine the experiences of the LGBTQ+ community across Northern Ireland.
What can archives tell about criminalisation, civil rights and personal experiences of LGBTQ+ community over the last 100 years?
During September, the volunteers took part in guest talks and workshops to create zines documenting today’s key LGBTQ+ issues for PRONI's archives.
DIGITAL ART AND MINDFULNESS AT THE ULSTER MUSEUM (Reimagine, Remake, Replay) – August 2022
Arts psychotherapist Lisa Kelly joined us in Ulster Museum for some mindful drawing and digital art. We used high-res images of the artworks in the RRR: Power to the Young People collection in our own drawings to create a sort-of digital collage piece. This really put the digital skills we had just learned to use as we continued to use the iPads to create beautiful, interesting and insightful digital art pieces.
Reimagine Remake Replay is a Heritage Lottery Funded Project which runs on a consortium of Partners including The Nerve Centre, Northern Ireland Screen, National Museums Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland Museums Council.
The aim of the project is to engage young people with Heritage and museums through creative approaches and the latest in digital technology.
GET READY FOR PRIDE WITH KIT REES (Reimagine, Remake, Replay) – July 2022
Using the latest in digital fabrication techniques the group created light up slogan glasses and perspex earrings as well as bespoke vinyl printed tote bags. Our proud participants were taught how to use Procreate for the iPad to draw their designs, how to prepare them for print in Adobe Illustrator and how to send them to be printed in the laser cutter.
ABSOLUTE ROCKET- EVENT MANAGEMENT (Reimagine, Remake, Replay) – May to July 2022
Absolute Rocket was a late night event in the Ulster Museum, designed and co-ordinated by 16 participants on the Event Management programme. This event management opportunity was created in partnership with ‘Our Place in Space’.
Three groups were formed to manage each area of the upcoming exhibition- Design, Production and Marketing. The design team took charge of developing a visual brand for the exhibition, designing staff t-shirts, imagery that could be used by the marketing team and a cohesive brand for all print media.
BOTANICAL PRINT ON LINEN (Ruth Osborne) – April 2022
This workshop drew upon the historical process of printing using natural plant material known as ‘ Nature Printing’ to create unique artworks. This workshop incorporated fresh and dried foliage, and the associated folklore and symbolism of plants, to create artworks that connect to the local landscape through expressive marks and patterns.
The workshop offered an introduction to printing onto Irish Linen using hand-printing techniques and inks.
AMAY-ZINE - ZINE MAKING WORKSHOP (Imagine! Belfast) - March 2022
Clodagh Lavelle & Emma Campbell of Array Collective, host a zine making workshop as part of Imagine! Belfast Festival 2022. Clodagh covered some of the history of zines and Emma covered some pro-choice politics.
SCREEN PRINTING VALENTINE'S AND EASTER EVENTS (Belfast Print Workshop) – February and March 2022
Learnt screen printing techniques and created prints on different materials such as tins, fabric and paper.
COLLAGE: A POLITICAL ACT (Reimagine, Remake, Replay) – March 2022
The exhibition ‘Collage: A Political Act’, curated by Anna, opened at Ulster Museum, February 11th 2022. In March 2022, RRR ran its second ‘Cut and Paste’ workshop. RRR participants would finally get the opportunity to see Michie’s work first hand.
RRR participant, Irene De La Mora delivered an introductory presentation on the history of collage before leading a making session, while Anna gave an insightful tour of the exhibition.
CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY NORTH DOWN MUSEUM (Reimagine, Remake, Replay) – February to March 2022
Bangor-based RRR participants were back this month enjoying the benefit of learning all about creative Photography and Museum collections in the beautiful setting of North Down Museum.
The group learned the tricks of the DSLR trade, from adjusting the shutter speed to get amazing effects when taking museum object photos to test and trialing out the latest in photo editing techniques on their images.
REIMAGINE REMAKE REPLAY: POWER TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE (Reimagine, Remake, Replay) – November 2021 to June 2022
Reimagine Remake Replay (RRR) is a ground-breaking creative programme that has connected over 4,000 young people with heritage, through creative media and the latest digital technologies. This unique partnership is led by Nerve Centre, National Museums NI, Northern Ireland Museums Council and Northern Ireland Screen and is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Kick the Dust programme.
The project prides itself on its youth-led approach, ensuring museums are spaces where young people’s voices are heard, where their ideas are realised and where their heritage can be creatively reimagined, remade and replayed.
To showcase the project as it comes to an end, a group of young people who have been active contributors to RRR were recruited to engage in a co-curation process, resulting in this first-of-its-kind, co-created exhibition at The Ulster Museum.
The exhibition features a range of digital interactives and creative activities including a VR experience, a bespoke AR app and projection mapping, to engage visitors with collections under the themes of Climate Justice, Arts & Wellbeing and LGBTQIA+ Rights.
THE SPENCE BROTHERS CELEBRATION DAY (Reimagine, Remake, Replay) – November 2021
In collaboration with the Strand Arts Centre and Belfast Film Festival & to celebrate living legends of Northern Irish Cinema, The Spence Brothers, RRR spent a fabulous day out celebrating all things cinema on Sat 20th November 2021, including:
- Attended The Spence Brothers' talk + Q&A and awards ceremony.
- Heard from the wonderful Leanne Briggs from North Down Museum on Cinema heritage in North Down and East Belfast.
- Partook in a digital illustration workshop with illustrator Elly Makes
GEL PRINTING WORKSHOP (City Church) – October 2021
A one-off workshop on gel printing techniques by Beverley Healy.
ARTS & WELLBEING SESSIONS IN OUR MUSEUMS (Reimagine, Remake, Replay) – October 2021 to June 2022
Partaking groups have the chance to explore exhibitions, objects & collections within each museum with the added bonus of expert curators’ insight!
Our Resident Art Psychotherapist Stephen Millar then leads the groups through relaxing mindful drawing and painting activites to unleash those creative energies and both relax and stimulate the mind.
A session in digital drawing is then facilitated by the Projects youth Ambassador and professional illustrator Hannah Sharp!
ENVISIONING: ZINE MAKING WITH NATHAN CROTHERS (Making the Future) – August 2021
Envisioning was an exciting zine making workshop where you have the opportunity to work with artist Nathan Crothers. This 2-day zine-making workshop at the Ulster Museum, Belfast focused on the completion of a 24 page collaborative zine, and two individual experimental mini zines.
Participants developed new skills in zine making, specifically drawing, collage and photocopying techniques.
FASHION & MENDING WITH MID ANTRIM MUSEUM AND ARTIST GRACE MCMURRAY (Reimagine, Remake, Replay) – June 2021
Elaine Hill from Mid Antrim Museum presented some glorious, some curious, and some very sustainable fashion images and concepts from the Museum’s collections.
Workshop attendees learned about the history of fashion over the last 100 years in the Mid and East Antrim area.
Artist grace McMurray then took participants through some practical visible mending techniques to mend garments in need of some love and attention.
This workshop was part of Looking Back To Look Forward: Mid and East Antrim 1921 – 2021 which is a Northern Ireland Centenary project by Mid and East Antrim Museum & Heritage Service. The project is firmly based on the Principles for Remembering. It aims to explore, with local communities, the lived experience in Mid and East Antrim from 1921to the present day to understand how identities have been forged and communal memories created.
HEAD AND HEART 2 (Reimagine, Remake, Replay) – April to June 2021
Head and Heart – RRR’s Mental Health Arts Festival – returned for a second run in Jun 2021. Originally founded by Stephen Miller and Soso Ní Cheallaigh and building on previous success, this three-day festival further explored mental health and the role that art and museums can play in our wellbeing.
The festival was powered by a group of young people who took part in an Event Management programme, through which they learned about running a successful event from Rachael Campbell-Palmer, director of The Black Box. Head and Heart 2 is the outcome of this group’s ideas, passion, hard work, perspectives and collaboration. They were supported by the RRR team to curate, programme, promote and deliver this truly youth-led festival.
Feature image by Irene de la Mora, Event Management participant.
A LOOK INTO LOCKDOWN – MOBILE PHOTOGRAPHY (Reimagine, Remake, Replay) – March to April 2021
A Look Into Lockdown was a 5-week mobile photography course, delivered online via Zoom.
During the programme, participants were asked to create a small collection of photos which reflect upon their experience of the national lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.
FACEMASK CREATION WITH KIT REES: DIGITAL DESIGN & EMBROIDERY (Reimagine, Remake, Replay) – November to December 2020
A 4 week (digital design) and 2 week (embroidery) programme, led by Illustrator Kit Rees and inspired by the weird and wonderful collection of the local Northern Ireland museum partners, participants used digital illustration and traditional embroidery techniques to create their very own bespoke COVID face-masks.
SHE SELLS ILLUSTRATIONS (Reimagine, Remake, Replay) – June to August 2020
A 5-week design and illustration course in partnership with local charity initiative She Sells Sanctuary. Led by Belfast illustrator Elly Makes, participants designed their own works inspired by women featured in museum partner collections.
As a response to the alarming spike in reported domestic abuse cases in Northern Ireland since lockdown, Belfast-based initiative She Sells Sanctuary (SSS) was established. The initiative hosts an online fundraising platform which sells donated artworks from local artists, thereby raising proceeds for the 9 Women’s Aid groups across Northern Ireland.
All 15 high-quality illustrations produced on this programme were inspired by these women in heritage, and will be printed and sold will be sold as a bundle via the local charity, with proceeds going towards victims of domestic abuse.
T-SHIRT DESIGN WORKSHOP (Making The Future) – August 2020
Participants learnt more about the history and significance of slogan t-shirts within fashion and pop culture before creating their own t-shirt design.
Fashion & Textile Curator Charlotte McReynolds presented the history of the slogan t-shirts, highlighting links to pop culture and identity and provided access to the NMNI Collection
Participants took part in a graphic design session with Ronan Lunney at 2 Digs Studio, exploring the power of typography for creating unique designs
Visual Artist & Activist Stephen Millar helped participants edit and refine their powerful t-shirt message
THE SHY VAN VOCHT (Reimagine, Remake, Replay) – July 2020
Manchester-based artist collective Shy Bairns led a 4 week, online zine series which explored and responded to the Culture Lab exhibition based in the Ulster Museum. Participants responded to the collection items and used the zine as a way to explore issues such as identity, religion, gender and more.
CUT AND PASTE (Reimagine, Remake, Replay) – June 2020
Anna Liesching, curator of art, national museums ni, delivered an amazing webinar for rrr participants.
‘Cut and Paste’ explored how collage has been used as a political tool by artists for hundreds of years After the presentation Anna set participants the task of creating their own political collages, using images from the NMNI collection.
MOTION GRAPHICS (Reimagine, Remake, Replay) – September 2019
A workshop introducing young people to motion graphics to reinterpret museum collections. Participants developed skills in graphic design, illustration and animation using graphic tablets and Adobe design packages. This course was led by graphic designer Ruairi Jordan and animator Natalie Cole, both previous participants of Reimagine, Replay, Replay programmes.
INTRODUCTION TO BOOKBINDING (Crescent Arts) – June 2017
Learnt basic bookbinding skills such as japanese bookbinding, paper folding, sewing and design techniques and cover making.