Adele

Adele studied Fine Art Painting at Winchester School of Art. After graduating she worked in the fine art, craft and commercial sectors before relocating to Northern Ireland in 1999. She has continued to exhibit widely in group and solo shows. She continues to work in both fine and applied arts. Her work is part of many private collections and she has been a recipient of several awards and bursaries.

The Seasons of Bobs is fast Approaching! Christmas Craft Fairs where you can find me this year.

By / craft fairs, Creative Peninsula, Events, Exhibitions, News

I am just back from a trip to London where I attended the 60th Annual Exhibition of the Society of Wildlife Artists. While there, I also received the wonderful news that I have been elected as an associate member of the society. This news makes me both proud of this achievement and humbled to be counted among such illustrious wildlife artists, both past and present. It is also a joy to be part of this welcoming and supportive community of artists united by their love of nature and their desire to express and communicate its value through the work they make.

Now I am back in the studio and busy preparing for all the events in the next few weeks. Its Bobs favourite time of year and he is much in demand! Bobs in shops, make your own Bob workshops, Bobs at festive craft fairs, you name it! This starts TOMORROW with the Boom open studios, which coincides with the Bangor light switch on

Boom Open Studios and Light Switch on

Boom Studios is open part of the Christmas Passport Trail this Saturday! Come to our open day from 12-4pm and get your passport/stamp. Enjoy a workshop taster, refreshments and visit the artists working in their studios – we’ll finish up at 4, plenty of time to go down and see the lights switch on!

Lots of fun happening in Boom 1, but dont forget to have a peek in Boom 2 – next to the Heart Foundation shop. Ill be there 12 -4.

Free to attend event. Costs may apply to some activities.

Programme for the day:

5.30 pm The Switch On of the Christmas Lights at the McKee Clock arena

12noon – 7pm | Festive Bar and Food Village, Queen’s Parade car park

1pm – 6pm | Indoor Festive Market, Main Street (former TK Maxx Building)

Promotional image for North Down Museum Christmas Pop Up Shop
Promotional image for Late Night Shopping event at North Down Museum Christmas pop up shop

Made in AND – Pop up Christmas shop at North down Museum

The very popular pop up shop will once again be taking over the galleries and cafe at North Down Museum. This event is fast becoming a local seasonal tradition. Don’t miss the special late night Shopping event on Thursday 30th November! Join us for an evening of music, artists demonstrations and shopping. The museum will be festively decorated, the coffee shop will be open serving food and drink and visitors will be able to see the museum and purchase unique gifts in a completely different way.

North Down Museum, Bangor

Wednesday 22 November 2023 -Sunday 7 January 2024

Late Night Shopping Thursday 30 November 6-9pm

Museum opening times
Tuesday -Saturday 10am-4:00pm
Sundays 12noon-4:00pm
Closed on Mondays

Find out more…
Promotional image for Creative Peninsula Chrstmas Fayre

The Creative Peninsula Christmas Fayre Returns!

This Year sees the welcome return of the Christmas Craft Fayre in Ards Arts Centre after an absence of 3 years due to the Covid pandemic. The gap has been filled by a Christmas pop up shop for two years, but we are all excited to have one of the best fayres of the season back in our schedule,

Come and enjoy the opulent festive setting of Ards Arts Centre, with seasonal live music interludes, complementary gift wrapping, and festive refreshments! Take time out of the busy shopping crowds and get your December shopping campaign off to a great start.

Ards Arts Centre

Friday 1 December 4 -8 pm
Saturday 2 December 10am – 4 pm

Find out More…

North Down Craft Collective at the Court House, Bangor

My final event for this year will be at the Court House,Bangor. North Down Craft Collective will be returning for a third collaboration with this great venue in the lovingly restored Court House in Bangor.


Sunday 10 December 2023
The Court House Bangor
12 – 5pm

Find out more

Don’t Forget to Support your Local shops!

In the flurry of Fairs and events, it is easy to forget about your local craft and art shops that are there all year round. Here are a few where you can find some of my work. Get out and support them this festive season!

Summer Festivals and Exhibitions Galore!

By / August Craft Month, Creative Peninsula, Creative Peninsula, Events, Exhibitions, News

With Creative Peninsula and August Craft Month about to kick off, I won’t trouble you with a long introduction. Suffice to say there is a lot going on and not just what is listed below. You can check out all the events on offer for you delectation and delight this summer via the Craft NI and Creative peninsula websites and, while you are at it, have a look at the summer events in Boom Studios!:

August Craft Month

Creative Peninsula

Boom

Oh and one more little plug – I am very happy to say that some of my new original drawings from earlier in the year are now rubbing shoulders with some very fab wildlife artists in the Scottish Ornithologists Club online shop.

Exhibitions

Exhibition Wildlife Art

This is a great and well established weekend exhibition of wildlife art taking place in Gordale Garden Center on the Wirral Peninsula from 28 to 30 July. This year I am taking part remotely and have 8 pieces in their online gallery which goes live on 28 July. All the pieces will remain available for the rest of the year.

Visit online Gallery

Creative Peninsula Exhibition at Ards Arts Centre

The exhibition opening and official launch of the Creative Peninsula festival will be 6.30 – 8.30 on Thursday 27 July and includes an opening talk and demonstration

This year the exhibition has a theme – “Inspired By”. No prizes for guessing what I am inspired by, but you’ll have to come along to se exactly what I came up with as its a bit different.

Thursday 27 July – Thursday 24 August.

Find out more and book

August Craft Month Exhibition at Craft NI

I am delighted to be taking part in this exhibition. Again its something a bit different, so you’ll have to wait for the exhibition before I reveal it! Why not join us for the official opening and late night art in the Gallery on Thursday 3 August from 6-9.

Thursday 3 August – Friday 15 September 2023

Monday – Saturday 10 -5

Late Night Art Thursday August 6pm – 9pm

Find out More

Creative peninsula exhibition at North Down Museum

Another of my winter bird drawings from the beach at Millisle will be showing in this exhibition, Bangor’s Creative Peninsula celebration of local artists and crafts people.

Thursday 3rd August until Sunday 4 September

during museum opening hours

Find out more

Craft Fairs

Creative Peninsula Twighlight Market and Arts Night

This event has a new twist this year being an evening event. The usual mix of local crafts people and artsits, myself included, exhibiting, demonstrating and selling in a one night only craft village in Conway Square, with live music, and drop in childrens crafts with Boom studios. Meanwhile the Arts Centre will be buzzing with creative goings on where you can see demonstrations and even try your hand at a new skill.

Friday 4 August

4 – 9pm

Conway Square, Newtownards 4-9pm

Free Event – Find out more

North Down Craft Collective in the Court House

Following from our very successful fair at Christmas, North Down Craft Collective will be back in Bangors Newest venue for an August Craft Month Event.

I’ll be at both these fairs with my all my usual stuff and a new thing or two to tempt you with!

Sunday 20 August

12 – 5 pm

Free event – find out more

Workshops and Demos

Sketching Landscape and Wildlife

On the afternoon of Sunday 30 July, I’ll be hosting a relaxed sunday sketching workshop at Cockle Row Cottages in Groomsport. This is a free drop in event, I will have some materials to use, but feel free to bring along your own weapons of choice! Here’s hoping the weather is kind to us

Sunday 30th July

2-4pm

Cockle Row Cottages, Groomsport

Free event – find out more

Make a Paper Bird Workshop, Newtownards

For the Creative Peninsula festival, I have a paper bird making workshop now available to book. We will learn about some basic paper cutting techniques and tools. You should come away with at least one paper bird decoration.

Tuesday 1 August

7 -9 pm

Ards Arts Centre, Newtownards

Book Workshop

Alfresco Art

Another free event. This one always has a lovely relaxed Sunday vibe enjoyed by makers and public alike. Get yourself a brew from the Coffee Cure at North Down Museum and enjoy seeing local artists and crafts people demonstrating their skills in the courtyard. I’ll be there from 12 -2 pm, but there will be more makers in the afternoon.

Sunday 6 August

The Courtyard, North Down Museum, Bangor

12 -4pm

Free event – find out more

Make a Paper Bird Workshop, Lisburn

If you can’t make it to the Creative Peninsula paper bird making workshop, there is a another opportunity as I will be delivering it again in Lisburn as part of the Island Arts Centre August Craft Month Program. Bookings are now open.

Saturday 19 August

10.30am-12.30pm

The Island Arts Centre, Lisburn

Book Workshop

Open Studios

Bangor Art Tour and Tipple

Join the Creative Peninsula team for a tour of Bangor’s creative spaces. Starting at North Down museum, where you will find me doing a short demo of paper crafting, then on for a peek behind the scenes at Boom Studios and Seacourt Print. With drinks along the way!

Wednesday 2 August

8-9 pm

Book tour

Summer at Boom

Come and get a nosey round Boom studios, meet and chat with some of the artists in their studios , and see what we get up to all day. I’ll have my studio, over the road in Boom 2 open, so why not call in and say hello!

Saturday 12 August

11am – 5pm

Free event – find out more

Open House Festival evening Art Walk

Join Boom Studios Director, Marainne Kennerly, for a tour of creative spaces in Bangor and a glimpse into the vibrant artistic life of the city. I’ll be in Boom 2 waiting for a chat!

Thursday 24 August

6.30-9.30pm

Book Tour

Things the Same and Things Different

By / Events, Exhibitions, News

Now that the dust (and glitter!) has well and truly settled from Christmas, I thought I had better wish you a belated happy new year! January is usually a time for retiring to the back office to have a think and a plan and this year is no different. I have been trying to make some improvements to my website, including a new hosting, which was every bit the headache I expected! Thanks to Boom studios website club for keeping me on track with this!

I am also between three studios, my old home studio, my current very small space in Boom and (at least in my head) a bigger space in Boom that I hope to get into in February or March. Box packing, runs to the dump, trying to persuade fellow artists that they might have a use for my old tat and figuring out how and what to move from A to B to C! Hopefully most of this will be resolved by the end of March.

In between all this, I have been trying to take advantage of the fact that I now live walking distance from the beach by getting out and doing some fieldwork. I would like to get some good drawing days before the wintering birds head north to breed. Above is one of my first efforts, a lovely stonechat I watched feeding in the heaped up seaweed at the top of the beach!

But in the meantime, things are already getting quite busy! This weekend I will be doing my first fair of the year in Belfast and two group exhibitions are opening in February which mean I have to put the studio packing aside and turn my attention to them!

Fine and Dandy in the Titanic Hotel

The Fine and Dandy Market is at long last returning to Belfast and I am very happy to be taking part in the first one. They are starting big with the Titanic Hotel. You can find me there with my paper birds on this coming weekend Sunday 5th February. Table 38, Drawing room one!

Sunday 5th February

1- 5pm

Titanic Hotel Belfast, 6 Queens Road, Belfast, BT3 9DT

Find out more…
The Fine and Dandy Market
The Titanic Hotel

A Valentines Day Opening in Bangor

the North Down Craft Collective are once again organising a spring exhibition to showcase the wealth and diversity of talent and skills that their group has. North Down Museum are kindly hosting us in the Coffee Cure cafe space.

The show opens on 14th February and some of the artists, myself included, will be there that morning for an informal opening. You are most welcome to pop in,  meet the artists, peruse the artwork and have coffee all in one place!

‘Regeneration’

14 February – 26 March

North Down Museum Cafe, Castle Park, Bangor, BT20 4BT

Informal opening:

Tuesday 14 February 10am – Noon

Find out More…

North Down Craft Collective Facebook Page
North Down Museum
The Coffee Cure

The Hypno Bunny Returns!

If you missed the Paper Magic exhibition in October at Craft NI, Fear not, for we are going to do it all again! Paper Magic will be at the Sunburst Gallery in Ards Arts Centre Fom 23 February until 25 March.

If you did catch us in Belfast, do check the show out again as there are a few changes. We have two new exhibitors joining us – Aimee Magee and Simon Hall. Since a couple of my pieces from the first show sold, I will be exhibiting a few of my Catalan Butterflies pieces that were created as part of a collaboration with poet Laurence O’Dwyer. That collaboration came about as as result of my being awarded a bursary from Ards and North Down Borough Council for a residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, so I am pleased to have the opportunity to show part of that work here. 

We would like to invite you to join us for a opening preview of the show on Thursday 23 February from 7pm until 9pm.

Paper Magic

23 February – 25 March

Sunburst Gallery

Ards Arts Centre, Conway Square, BT23 4NP

Opening Preview: 

Thursday 23 February 7pm – 9pm.

Find out More…
Ards Arts Centre

Birdwatchers in the Tourist Office

And finally, during March, North Down Birdwatching Club will be having a display in Ards Tourist Information Centre to promote the club and the bird life of the local area. Along with other club members, I will be contributing a few bits and pieces. We have some talented photographers in the club, so do pop in and have a look if you are passing!

Ards Visitor Information Centre
1 – 31 March
31 Regent Street, Newtownards, BT23 4AD

Find out more…
Newtownards Tourist Information Centre

Insects all over the Place this Autumn

By / Events, Exhibitions, News

There is a nip in the air and it seems summer may finally be over. I hope you had a good one and managed to enjoy the good weather. I have been busier than ever, and not complaining despite nearly losing sight of myself a few times! I am hoping that once the dust settles and I get the chance to reflect on all the activities and hard work I have put in this year, I will find I have made some progress. But in the mean time, there is plenty to be getting on with, Autumn may be upon us, but I am taking a few summer vibes on into September and October…

Paper Magic, Belfast

Opening this week at Craft NI in Belfast, Paper Magic promises to be an eclectic and slightly bonkers exhibition by 5 artists working in paper (yes, I’m not the only one!). I am very happy to be exhibiting along with Sue Cathcart (of Mr Papers fame), Susan McKeever, Jayne Cherry and Emma Whitehead (of Top Floor Art fame!). I have chosen to make my pieces about wasps because they invented paper. And pigeons, because I like pigeons. There will also be collages, strange hats, butterflies and a giant rabbit, Don’t miss it, we may never see the like again!

Official Opening: Thursday 22 September 6-8pm

Late Night Art: Thursday 6 October 6-8 pm

Keep an eye on Craft Ni social media for workshops and demos taking place as part of the ongoing entertainments!

The Natural Eye, London

The Natural Eye is the annual exhibition of the Society of Wildlife Artists. It is probably the UK’s most prestigious wildlife art exhibition so I am delighted to report that 4 of my aphid drawings which some of you may have seen in Ards arts centre in June, have been accepted into the show this year. It gives me the opportunity to show alongside some of the finest wildlife artists working today, many of whom I am in awe of! It also means I am planning my first trip to London since before Covid and looking forward to catching up with some friends and fellow wildlife artists.

13 – 22 October 2022

10am – 5pm

The Mall Galleries, London SW1

https://swla.co.uk/news/the-natural-eye-2022

Catalan Butterflies, Waterford

At the end of October, I will be returning to the Waterford Imagine festival with poet, Laurence O’Dwyer. Last year we presented work in progress from our collaboration “Catalan Butteflies”. Larry asked me to create pop up butterflies in response to some of the poems in his collection inspired by his travels in the Pyrenees and a Catalan field guide to butterflies that he bought along the way. The Imagine festival kindly provided us with further funding to present more developed work at this years festival. Larry’s collection is to be published in the near future and I am also happy to report that an image of my piece “Vanessa Atalanta” is to be used on the cover. 

An evening of music and spoken-word poetry and pop up butterflies!
 

Friday 28 October at 6pm

Christchurch Catherdral, Waterford

https://imagineartsfestival.com/catalan-butterflies/

Creative Peninsula and August Craft Month 2022

By / August Craft Month, Creative Peninsula, Events, Exhibitions, News

It is that time of year again when all we go just a bit art and craft mad! The Creative Peninsula, Ards and North Down’s major art festival, launched last week with the opening of the exhibitions in Ards Arts Centre. There is also an exhibition in North Down Museum. I have a piece in each. There is plenty going on. You can check out all the events on the Creative Peninsula website or pop into the Arts Centre and pick up a booklet

And its not just Ards and North Down, August Craft Month is also under way. This year Craft NI are working with the Design and Crafts Council in Kilkenny to highlight events North and South. You can see everything by visiting the Craft NI August Craft Month page.

https://creativepeninsula.andculture.org.uk/
https://craftni.org/augustcraftmonth2022/

I am pretty busy over the next few weeks, so take a deep breath – here is my list!

Creative Peninsula in the Square and Alfresco Art

Creative Peninsula in the Square

Friday 5th August 11am – 5pm

This is one of the main events of the Creative Peninsula. Conway square, in front of the town hall, will be transformed into a tented art and craft village. Come down and meet artists living and working in Ards and North Down.

https://creativepeninsula.andculture.org.uk/whats-on/creative-peninsula-square

Alfresco Art

Sunday 7th August 12-4pm

This event is a favourite with artists and visitors alike. Spend a relaxed sunday afternoon in the courtyard of North Down Museum in Bangor watching local artists demonstrate their skills Maybe even try your hand at something yourself. And there is nothing better to go with alfresco art than alfresco refreshments from the Coffee Cure. I’ll be there from 12 making a variety of paper birds.


https://creativepeninsula.andculture.org.uk/whats-on/alfresco-art-north-down-museum

Photo: Janine Boyd

Workshop – Developing Skills for Sketching from Life 

I’ll be running a workshop at Ards Arts Centre to help you develop your drawing from life skills. There will be lots of short drawing exercises and plenty of paper and pencils to play with. Weather and time permitting we might go out into conway square to try and put it all into practice. It will be challenging, but hopefully fun as well!

Wednesday 10 August 10am – 1pm

If you are interested, you can book a place on the Creative Peninsula website here:
https://creativepeninsula.andculture.org.uk/classes/developing-skills-sketching-life-adele-pound

Creative Peninsula at the Ulster Folk Museum

Saturday 20th August 11am – 3pm

This is a new event for 2022. I am looking forward to spending the day demonstrating how I make my paper pigeons. You can find me in the school house!

https://creativepeninsula.andculture.org.uk/whats-on/creative-peninsula-ulster-folk-museum

North Down Craft Collective Pop up in Comber!

The North Down Craft Collective will be taking over a pop up shop at 4 Castle street, Comber from Tuesday 16th August, until Saturday 20th August. There will be different makers in residence each day from 10am – 4:00 pm.

I’ll be taking my turn on Wednesday 17th August,do call in and say hello if you are passing!

http://thecraftroomcomber.com/whats-on/north-down-craft-collective-at-comber-pop-up-shop/

Creative Peninsula at Boom Studios!

Now that I am part of the Boom studios family, I also get to join in with their August events as well!

Open Studios at Boom

Boom studio artists will be opening their doors for the Creative Peninsula. Call in to meet and buy from the artists, and get a look inside Bangor’s creative hub.  Due to other commitments I will be there on Sunday 14th of August only this year.

Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th August
10am – 12pm
2pm – 4pm

Boom Studios pop up in Bloomfield Shopping Centre!

For the whole of August Boom studios will be taking over a unit in Bloomfeld shopping centre. You will be able to see and buy work from your friendly local artists who work in Boom studios in Bangor.

The shop will be open Thursday to Saturday for the month of August.

https://www.boomstudios.org.uk/news/creativepeninsula2022

New Solo exhibition at Ards Arts Centre

By / Exhibitions, News

‘In the Field’

Sunburst Gallery, Ards Arts Centre

Tuesday 7 June – Saturday 16 July

There will be an informal Wine reception on the evening of:
Thursday 9 June, 7pm – 9pm
all welcome to attend

New solo Exhibition

I am excited to announce that I have a new solo exhibition opening this week. Ards Arts Centre are giving me the opportunity to share a body of new work that I have been developing for a couple of years.

The works I will be showing are all Field studies, that is, they were all made form life in the presence of the creatures they depict. Drawing in this way and experiencing nature directly has always been central to my practice. For this exhibition I wanted , for once, to show a body of work all completed in the Field, with all the scuffs, smudges, coffee cup stains and footprints collected along the way! There are squiggles that went nowhere, my subject having abruptly departed about its Business. In one case slugs ate part of a drawing! The rough and ready nature of these works is a trade off for the immediacy and vibrancy that I am never able replicate in the studio.

These drawings began life as a response to the Covid 19 pandemic. As lockdowns began in 2020, it became clear that I would be unable to make my usual trips out to draw wintering birds. But as the initial shock of the situation subsided and the good weather settled in, I decided to experiment with sketching insects in the garden.

The experience proved eye opening, challenging and refreshing. I was amazed at the variety and abundance of insects and spiders sharing relatively small areas of foliage. The challenges were many. Firstly even seeing animals so small was difficult. Clip on magnifiers and a hand held magnifying glass were promptly ordered on line. Secondly, I know nothing about entymology, so everything I was drawing was new to me and I was unable to put a name to any of the species. I was forced to dig deep into my seeing and drawing skills to try to make sense of the constantly moving tangle of legs, antennae and wings. At the same time this was liberating. Unencumbered by knowledge or preconceptions about the animals before me, I was free to explore what I was seeing and express my excitement at this new experience. As 2021 brought more lockdowns and yet more warm weather, I was back in the garden with my magnifiers, pencils and watercolors braving bites and sunstroke and discovering that bumble bees do indeed have a sting.

Making this work has, in turn, had an effect on me. I have a greater awareness of the invertebrate life all around me, so much so, that even mowing the lawn now seems a gross act of violence! My interest piqued, I have started to explore the role of invertebrates in the ecosystem, their importance for soil health and thereby for carbon storage. This research has recently led me to the even more mindboggling topic of microbes.

Admission free. The Gallery opening hours are:

  • Tuesday – Friday 10.00am – 4.00pm
  • Saturday 10.00am – 1.00pm
  • Sunday and Monday Closed

For more information and directions pease see the Ards Arts Centre website

North Down Craft Collective and Friends back at Castle Espie

By / Exhibitions, News

Ten artists selected from the exhibitors that took part in North Down Craft Collective’s Christmas Fairs at Kylestone Nurseries are showing their work in the Graffan Gallery at Castle Espie WWT Centre this February.

I am showing my cartoon “Sanderliiing” and three little field studies. There will be paintings, watercolours, ceramics and more in what promises to be a beautiful showcase of the talent and skill of local makers.

The exhibition is open Sunday 6th – Sunday 27th February 2022, 10.30am – 5pm daily (Cafe closes at 2.30)

We will all be volunteering to steward the exhibition for a few hours each day, so there will be someone on hand to chat and answer questions across the middle of most days. Any sales can be dealt with by Castle Espie staff at reception. Entry is free to the cafe and gallery. If you want to say hello, my days and times are:

  • Wednesday 9th February 11am – 2pm
  • Thursday 17th February 11am – 2pm
  • Wednesday 23rd February 11am – 2pm

Keep an eye on the North Down Craft Collective social media to see who is going to be around each day.

The other artrists in the show are: Jenni Robinson Art, Jude Fenton Art, Figment Ceramics, Patricia Millar Ceramics, Ruth Osborne Art, Alison Hanvey Ceramics, Mark Clendinning, Wild Earth Studio, Pretty Crafty Ceramics.

Exhibitions, Fairs and Pop up Shops

By / Events, Exhibitions, News

Here is a quick run down of where you can find me and my work in the run up to Christmas this year.

The Ulster Watercolour Society’s Annual Exhibition

There are still a few days to see the Ulster Watercolour Society’s 44th exhibition at Merville House in Merville Garden Village. There are unframed works available as well as the framed pieces. I have two of each in the exhibition.

The exhibition will be open
Wednesday 17th November – Sunday 28 November.

(closes at 1pm on the last day)
11am – 4pm daily (including Saturday and Sunday)

http://www.uws.org.uk/exhibition.html

http://www.mervillehouse.org/

Christmas Market at Kylestone Nurseries

Saturday 27th November
9am – 5pm
I am looking forward to being back at Kylestone Nurseries, Groomsport, for the grande finale of the North Down Craft Collective Christmas showcases. There will be 25 makers feeling festive in the glass houses where there will be plenty of space and ventilation. Bangor Ladies Choir will be serenading us at 11am, plus the nursery will have locally sourced christmas trees for sale!

Before the 27th, there is, of course, another showcase of 5 makers on 20th November. You can see which makers will be there by following the North Down Craft Collective Facebook page.

Christmas with the Creative Peninsula

Creative Peninsula Christmas Edit Pop-up Shop and Exhibition


Saturday 27 November – Friday 17 December 2021

Monday – Saturday: 10am – 4pm
Late Night: Thurs 9 and Fri 10 December

Ards Arts Centre

There will be a chance to meet some of the makers, though, as we are all volunteering to man the show in Ards Arts Centre. If you want to come and say hello , here are the dates and times that I will be there:

Tuesday 30th November 1pm – 4pm
Friday 10th December 6pm – 9pm
Tuesday 14th December 10am – 1pm

North Down Museum Christmas Made in AND

Wednesday 24 November 2021 – Sunday 2 January 2022

Museum opening times:
Tuesday -Saturday 10am-4:00pm, Sundays 12noon-4:00pm, Closed on Mondays.

North Down Museum

Wild Moments Exhibition

Travels, Exhibitions and Collaborations in a busy October!

By / Exhibitions, News, Projects

Exhibition at the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club

I am just back from a very enjoyable trip to Scotland. I was there to deliver work to the very lovely Waterston House Gallery, at the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club. the show is called “Wild Moments”. I am showing pieces from my graphic story “Shearwater” as well as some other wildlife cartoons. “Shearwater” was originally inspired by taking part in the Copeland Art Project, Funded by Ards and North Down Borough Council. 12 artists travelled to the Copeland Bird observatory, spending a weekend there before creating exhibitions in response. We were all astounded by the experience of seeing and hearing Shearwaters return to their burrows under cover of darkness.

In 2020 I was lucky to receive a bursary, again from Ards and North Down Borough Council, for a one week stay at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre. Here I worked on the Shearwater project, developing the story and planning the 42 pages which I later created for this exhibition.

The show is a 3 person exhibition and also features work from Melanie Mascharenas and Lorna Hamilton. Each of us, as well as being inspired by wildlife, has an element of storytelling in our work. We have also all been recipients of bursaries from the Society of Wildlife Artists to attend the John Busby Seabird Drawing course run at Dunbar, just along the coast from Waterston House.

Work by Lorna Hamilton
Work by Melanie Mascarenhas

North Down Craft Collective return to Kylestone with maker Showcases

Closer to home, you can find me at Kylestone Nursaries, Groomsport, on 16th October for a maker showcase. These showcases were originally introduced last year by North Down Craft Collective to enable their members to trade in the restricted conditions of the pandemic while their usual hall in Holywood was out of use. And this year they are back! Each Saturday in the run up to Christmas a selection of NDCC members and friends will showcase their work in a series of mini pop ups. All being well a larger Christmas market will take place on 27 November. If you are local, do try and get down to support your local creative businesses! you can see which makers are appearing each week by following the North Down Craft Collective Facebook page.

And yet more travels…

Towards the end of October I will be on the road again, this time to Waterford to take part in “Imaginings, A Showcase of Ideas”. I will be presenting “Catalan Butterflies” in collaboration with the poet, Laurence O’Dwyer. Our collaboration arose out of conversations while at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in 2020, and in 2021, Laurence contacted me to ask if I would be interested in creating paper objects in response to his series of poems inspired by Catalan butterflies and his travels in the Pyrenees. I was, of course, delighted. The Imagine Festival has kindly awarded us a small grant to present this work in development to an audience on 22 October at the Garter Lane Theatre. We will present along with 2 other collaborative groups. I am very much looking forward to the trip and the evening which will be a new and challenging departure for me and for my paper art work.

Here is a little preview of “Arlequi” – one of the works I will be showing.

paper butterfly
Logo for the Creative Peninsula

The Creative Peninsula returns for August Craft Month!

By / Events, Exhibitions, News

After being scuppered in 2020 by a certain pandemic, its great to have the Creative Peninsula Art and Craft Festival make a return for its 20th anniversary. I’ll be taking part in a number of events – read on for details of these. For a complete listing of all the events taking place across the borough of Ards and North Down, check out the Creative Peninsula website.

The Creative Peninsula is also part of August Craft Month, a month long celebration of all things craft across Northern Ireland. August Craft Month did take place last year in virtual form, but this year, its 15th, it will be wonderful for artists and audiences alike to have face to face events once again. Listings for all the events can be found on the Craft NI website. Here are Katherine McDonald, Craft NI Director, and Suzanne Lyle from the Arts Council NI talking about this years August Craft Month:

New Makers Directory Listing

Craft NI also has its new Makers Directory up and running. Makers from across Northern Ireland are gradually populating their profiles so the directory will continue to grow. I have just completed my profile which you can view here

https://craftni.org/makers/adele-pound/

logo for Craft NI Makers Directory
watercolour drawing of two ants, one with a large cake crumb

Exhibitions

For the month of August two Creative Peninsula exhibitions will run which showcase the work of makers and artists from across the borough of Ards and North Down. I have submitted one piece to each show. This year I have chosen to showcase my insect field drawings. These were made in the garden at home and were my response to being unable to make my usual field trips due to the travel restrictions imposed during the first wave of Covid.

The principle and larger of the two shows is at Ards Arts Centre. The second exhibition takes place at North Down Museum

Creative Peninsula in the Square

As always events will kick of with the an Art and Craft village appearing in Conway Square, Newtownards! this year, for everyone’s safety, a one way system, hand sanitizer stations and careful control of numbers will be in operation. I will also have hand sanitizers at my stall for anyone who requires them.

The event will take place this coming Friday, 30th July, from 11am to 5pm. I will be there with cards, prints, paper birds and original art for you to peruse!

https://creativepeninsula.andculture.org.uk/whats-on/creative-peninsula-square

Alfresco Art

it is always a pleasure to take part in this event which has a relaxed Sunday afternoon vibe enjoyed by makers and visitors alike. Enjoy a coffee from the Coffee Cure at North Down Museum and watch free demos from a range of artists and craft makers. There will be a chance to have a go yourself in some cases. I will be making my paper birds and will also have some free versions to colour in and make. the full list of artists and times can be found on the Creative Peninsula website:

https://creativepeninsula.andculture.org.uk/whats-on/alfresco-art-and-craft-demonstrations

Workshop

This year I am also delivering my “Drawing a Moving Object” workshop, featuring the famous revolving sheep skull! Although, if the weather is nice we might venture out to the square in search of pigeons!

The workshop is on Wednesday 4th August from 10 am to 1pm. You can find out more and book a place on the Creative Peninsula website

https://creativepeninsula.andculture.org.uk/classes/sketching-moving-object-adele-pound

The Great Kit Challenge exhibition

This has been a great project to take part in and we are all nearing the point where we can offer our kits for sale. Generous friends and family are currently beavering away trying to make the kits we have given them. We await their verdicts and feed back with trepidation!

To celebrate our efforts and the successful completion of the project there will be an exhibition at Top Floor Art in Saintfield where you will be able to see and hopefully buy all the kits that have been created.

Details for the Exhibition and meet the maker events at Top Floor Art can be found in the August Craft Month listings.