Eleanor Reilly Art & Illustration

Photographer Clare Keogh in Sierra Leone

2011-02-25T08:18:00.000-08:00

My good friend, Cork-based photographer Clare Keogh (creator of the excellent book Over the Counter) accompanied Irish Examiner journalist Jennifer Hough to Sierra Leone recently. With the help of the Simon Cumbers Media Fund, they spent ten days in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone to investigate how the country is recovering from a brutal civil war which ended in 2002.

Check out the blog and Clare's amazing photos from the journey here.

Please give 20 seconds to help stop Bundoran mural from being destroyed!

2011-02-15T04:03:00.000-08:00

In 2010 the Turf and Surf Hostel in Bundoran commissioned talented artists Mick Minogue and Dan Leo to paint a custom mural on the building. After many a torrential rain shower, blood, sweat and chilblains (it was Donegal in January after all) it was completed, and as you can see from the picture above, it is an impressive and memorable piece of work.

Unfortunately, Donegal County Council have declared that the mural must be painted over in a natural colour before March 1st, much to the horror of the hostel owners, the local community and the artists themselves.

It would be such a shame to let it be turned into just-another-magnolia-coloured hostel without a fight. So please take a few seconds to email Donegal County Council on info@donegalcoco.ie

Look, I even wrote the text you can copy and paste into the body of the email!

Thank you!

Dear Sirs,

It has come to my attention that you have issued an order for the unique mural at the Turf and Surf Hostel in Bundoran to be painted over in a neutral colour before March 1st.

This is a beautiful and original piece of art, and it would be such a shame to destroy it needlessly. It helps to put Bundoran on the map, by drawing attention to an innovative local business which attracts visitors and money into the community on an ongoing basis.

Furthermore, the forward-thinking hostel owners have provided employment to Irish artists and inspired creativity in one of the darkest times in our economic history. They should be applauded, and not penalised, for their innovation.

Please, please reconsider your decision.

Thank you.

Yours Faithfully,

Heaven Sent Massage

2011-02-10T10:53:00.000-08:00

My friend Annette worked as a nurse for 10 years before before pursuing a more holistic approach to wellbeing and developing her interest in massage therapy. Now a fully qualified massage therapist based in Freshford, Co. Kilkenny, she provides holistic massage therapy and a mobile massage service in the comfort of your own home.

I've done the hard work and tested out her massage skills myself. It was a tough job but someone had to do it. And I can report that Annette's massages are absolutely amazing, so restful and relaxing you don't want them to end.

Please contact 0879227398 or at annettebarnaville@hotmail.com for more details, or see the Heaven Sent Facebook page.

p.s. Also, I designed the Heaven Sent logo!

The Little Ghost Gallery's Flea Market

2011-02-10T10:46:00.000-08:00

My friends at the Little Ghost Gallery in Kilkenny will be hosting the gallery's first flea market this Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th February.

It will be an intimate event with a street party vibe (please bring along some food to share...homebaked cookies go down very well in this location) There will be lots of fabulous goodies to rummage through. And don't forget Monday is Valentine's Day so you might be able to pick up a unique recycled gift for your SO!

Half and Half Exhibition Opening Night!

2010-10-14T10:27:00.000-07:00

A few months back Half and Half, aka Lily Reilly and Kevin Corcoran from Cork, invited artists in Ireland and worldwide to collaborate and go half and half...working on a piece together or starting and finishing half each.

The opening night in The Vineyard Bar, 4 Market Lane (just off Patrick St by Burger King), Cork City will celebrate this exciting exhibition of collaborative artwork along with live music from local musicians. Admission is free and all are welcome.

Artwork can be viewed in The Vineyard until Friday 22 October.

www.eleanorreilly.com

2010-10-09T08:58:00.001-07:00

My website www.eleanorreilly.com is finally live! A huge thanks to web developer Dani Moya for all his help.

OFFSET 2010

2010-09-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

The Electric Picnic of the design world, OFFSET is an annual 3 day creative conference in Dublin. Now based in the Grand Canal Theatre, the gathering takes place from 1-3 October. This year promises presentations by legends such as David Carson, George Lois, Gary Baseman, Studio AKA, Scott Dadich, Emily Fogot, M&E, Mark Farrow and many, many more. This is pretty exciting stuff. I can't wait!

To bump shoulders with creative royalty grab your early bird ticket before Saturday 25th September. (Student/unwaged/group rate reductions tickets also available) See the website for more details.

"The Loons Have Looned Their Last" - new work by Alan Clarke

2010-09-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite Irish illustrators, Mr. Alan Clarke, will be presenting his new work in an exhibition in Dublin this coming Sunday the 26th of September. 'The Loons Have Looned Their Last' is in association with OFFSET 2010 and the Powerscourt Gallery.

Catch this one-day show at No. 13 North Great Georges Street from 2 - 8 pm.

The Basement Project Space

2010-08-10T14:57:00.001-07:00

Well I've been pretty quiet in Blogspotworld of late, mainly because I have moved down to the enchanted city of Cork and have been busy settling in and meeting some rather nice Cork people.

I am absolutely delighted to announce that I am now a member of the Basement Project Space on Camden Quay. The lovely girls and boys there have made me very welcome and I am looking forward to spending lots of creative time tucked away in my studio over the next few months (so far I've been mainly just making my workspace look pretty)

At the moment we're busy putting work together for the Studio Member's Show-Case which is opening on Tuesday 17th August at 6pm. Please come down for a chance to see some great art, meet the artists and sample some of my homemade cheese and pineapple on sticks.

Half and Half does exactly what it says on the tin...or, is exactly what it says in the title...

2010-06-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

My sister Lily is co-curating the exhibition Half and Half in Cork City this Autumn. The concept is a great idea - you go half and half with another artist, either working on a piece together, starting and finishing half each, or whichever way you are happiest collaborating.

The deadline is August 30th, updates are posted on the Facebook group, and the brief is below:

So how does it work?

Ever admired another artists work and would love to use aspects of it in your art? Well, why not go half and half..you could work on a piece together or start and finish half each.

This is the perfect opportunity to work with artists worldwide, be it as a hobby or as a career moving collaboration :)

How can you start?

You can contact members through the Facebook group, and work on pieces together. If you already have someone in mind that's fine too.

What happens then?

These pieces can be submitted in jpg or pdf form to robotsandflowers@gmail.com. The brief is open so there are no limitations and you can be as creative as you like.Unique approaches are encouraged and we're on the lookout for new and exciting talent.

The Venue

The venue has just been decided (yay!)....the exhibition will take place at the brilliant Vineyard Bar in Cork City. The Vineyard is a popular bar and music venue situated bang in the city centre. There is lots of space on the walls so get collaborating ;)! We're hoping to get a diverse selection of work and are especially interested in local artists.

Important Details!

The deadline will be August 30th 2010.
We will take NO COMMISSION, instead there is a €20 entrance fee per piece (€10 per artist) which will help to cover costs. Sound good!?

Decision Making

The public will have the chance to have a bit of an input at decision making time as well as our panel of judges. We think that's generally the fairest, although we are an open-minded bunch and won't only choose according to our own tastes in any way, shape or form. A select number will get through to the first round and the public will assist us with the final decision for the pieces chosen

Contact Details

If you have any questions or queries please e-mail me (Lily) at pixeldustfairy@hotmail.com or contact us at robotsandflowers@gmail.com

Happy Collaborating :)!

Pecha Kucha Night 6

2010-05-31T14:03:00.000-07:00

Don't miss Dublin's last Pecha Kucha Night this Thursday in the Sugar Club. Only €5 in...that's a lot of talking for your money, including the renowned internet magazine Le Cool and the inimitable For The Love Of... Doors at 7pm.

Postcards to the G8

2010-05-12T06:24:00.000-07:00

The G8 Summit will be held in Ontario in Canada in June of this year, when the participants will discuss international issues of concern.

Muskoka Arts & Crafts Inc., a non-profit Canadian visual arts organization, invited artists from around the world to voice concerns over issues in their countries by means of a postcard exhibition in the city.

The exhibition will take place from June 5th to 30th in the Chapel Gallery, 15 King Street, Bracebridge, Ontario. For those of us not in Canada the postcards can be seen online here. A lot of my friends seem to be pregnant at the moment, so with this in mind I based my postcard artwork on the vulnerability of our children, and the hope for the future that they hold for us.

Well Done Kev!

2010-05-12T06:06:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say thanks to anyone who voted for Kevin Corcoran in the Primetime skateboard design competition in Cork City. Yesterday it was announced that his fantastic design very deservedly won. Above is the full version of his picture, which was exhibited as part of For The Love Of...God. Look out for a piece he will be doing for Primetime in the store over the next few months.

Today is help out a comic book artist day!

2010-04-29T03:34:00.000-07:00

This week I got a very nice email from Kilkenny-based comic book artist Sebastian Jaster.

His very deserving comic book Dan + Clue is currently 3rd in international comic book competition. The contest ends tomorrow (Friday) at 6pm. If he wins he will be rewarded with a year long contract with DC Comics, which as you can imagine is the holy grail for comic book artists!

So help him out and register at Zuda Comics and vote for his comic "Dan + Clue". (It's free, quick and easy) To make things easier he has created simple-to-follow instruction how to vote at his website.

Good luck Sebastian!

Sketching Safari

2010-04-21T03:12:00.000-07:00

‘Step away from the computer...put on your coat...come and meetup with us.’

Sketching Safari is a free monthly group set up in July 2009 by my good friend Rebecca. The group gives its members an opportunity to make time to do something they all love...to sketch.

This month the group meets in the Merrion Square. Grab your sketchbook and a pencil and come along and embrace your inner child using any medium you fancy. Rebecca enforces a ‘you don’t show your drawings if you don’t want to’ policy, so there is no pressure for sketching virgins.

From my experience she is also pretty damn easy on you if you’re hungover, so don’t worry if you’ve overdone it a bit on Saturday night. As an added bonus, the session usually ends in going for coffee and cake.

If you’re on Facebook you can join the group here and sign up for the event here.

This month’s meetup is on Sunday, April 25th at 3pm by the reclining Oscar Wilde statue in Merrion Square.

The Little Ghost Gallery's Pen Pal Pears Show

2010-04-12T14:47:00.000-07:00

Lonely? Make new arty friends in a really roundabout way.

The mysterious minds of the powers that be at the Little Ghost Gallery in Kilkenny City have announced the brief for the intriguing and alliteratively titled Pen Pal Pears Show. Deadline is April 22^nd and application details are here .

Selected artists will be (randomly, I’m assured, no mischief making with Mick and Anne, oh no!) paired off to create a piece of original art together. However there is one stipulation – you cannot meet your artistic partner in the 5 weeks you are given to make the piece, and you’ll be relying on snail mail or email to share your ideas.

If you don’t already know your art-ner in crime (and let’s face it, Ireland is a small place so it’s most likely going to be your ex, a family member or Jimmy Bob from down the road) you will meet them for the first time on the opening night of the show, Friday 4^th June. This promises to be a fantastic show with some really unusual and experimental work. There are no cookie shapes that can be baked to represent the show this time.

So what’s the betting I’ll get paired up with my arch enemy if I get in? You know who you are.

Milk and Cookie Stories IV

2010-04-12T12:54:00.000-07:00

If you’re wondering how to entertain yourself or even entertain others tomorrow night (April 13^th) then tip along to Milk and Cookie Stories IV. The rather wonderful non-profit storytelling event is held monthly in the Exchange, Exchange Street Upper, Temple Bar, here in Dublin’s Fair City.

With renowned and unknown storytellers, (to tell your story get there early and sign up on the night) comfy cushions, tea, coffee and tasty baked goodies, it is to nights out in Dublin as Weetabix with hot milk is to breakfast on a frosty morning.

If baking is more your thang then show off your talents by entering the bake-off (my personal highlight of the evening) where specially selected experts judge the best cake or cookie of the night. The heat is on!

Doors open at 6.30pm and the show starts at 7pm, but get there early as it fills up fast and you can’t get in until the 8.15pm interval once the stories start flowing. Suggested donation €3-€5.

BANTUM at Crawdaddy

2010-04-01T08:36:00.000-07:00

Wednesday 7^th April…whatcha up to? Get over the hump of the week with a trip to Crawdaddy to see Robotnik followed by a DJ set by Bangers&Mash featuring one of my favourite Irish acts, Dublin-based electro DJ/Producer BANTUM. And it’s only a fiver in! Doors 11pm.

BANTUM’S excellent debut EP was launched a few weeks ago at For The Love Of Change exhibition, where he is resident FTLO DJ. The rather nice cover art is by FTLO organiser Shane O'Driscoll. Download the EP for FREE here. I am love love loving ‘Downright’!

Lily's Super Shoes!

2010-03-31T14:30:00.000-07:00

I am absolutely LOVING my aforementioned sister Lily's gorgeous shoe designs now available online. In fact I can't decide which one I like best...

Rory Reilly, Filmmaker

2010-03-29T07:40:00.000-07:00

Well this month it’s all about my talented siblings! My brother Rory won a Highly Commended for Diverse Filmmaking award at the Fresh Film Festival in Limerick last week. He is involved in every stage of the filmmaking process, from writing scripts, designing and making costumes and setbuilding, to handling all aspects of filming and post-production.

Some of his filmmaking work can be seen online here. I recommend The Ramshackle Apartment.

Last year he won a Highly Commended for Innovation award and helped represent Ireland in South Korea at the Seoul International Youth Film Festival. All this and he hasn’t even left school yet. He is going to take over the world! In the meantime I wish him the very best of luck getting into Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design & Technology this Autumn.

Lily Reilly, Illustrator & Designer

2010-03-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already checked out my sister Lily's blog take a look here! Her delicate illustrations are inspired by patterns in nature, and she especially loves the detail and patterns in flowers. Her favourite medium is rapidograph pen. Her aim is to create beautiful objects and pieces of art that people would love to wear or have in their homes. She works on canvas, in mixed media, jewellery and homeware, and is currently branching out into textile design.

Above is a Valentine’s-themed picture, and also a detail of an illustration with a surfing theme.

Vote for Kev!

2010-03-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

If you’re out and about in Cork City pop into Primetime on Washington Street to vote in their skateboard design competition. My talented friend Kevin Corcoran is in the final six, check out his rather daycent design above. You – yes, you – have the power to vote for his design as the best one, and be in with a chance to win yourself a pair of snazzy headphones in the process.