Live From Dublin: Back At The Bench

I had the wonderful opportunity to visit with the remarkable and respected Irish jeweler, Breda Haugh in her studio this week. She has been working in the industry for decades, starting out working at the bench for various jewelry manufacturers both in London and Dublin before going out on her own—designing, making, and selling her own work. She was a delight to speak with and I enjoyed her passion for the many topics we discussed regarding jewelry, making, and the art world. She was so generous with her time and even allowed me to borrow a swing on her rolling mill. (I’m starting a filigree piece and needed to make all my wires.) To learn more and see her beautiful work, visit www.bredahaugh.com.

I also started sketching for a new piece. I’ve been asked to participate in a collaborative project with the other 6 jewelers of Project 51 to create a necklace inspired by “The Creative Quarter”, the neighborhood in which P51 is located. This collection of 7 necklaces will then be sold during the holiday season. My necklace is inspired by the lines and shapes found in the Georgian architecture of the historic buildings along our street and will be silver filigree. But to start, since I’m still adjusting to using unfamiliar equipment, I started a sample piece. If the piece turns out and (knock on wood) I don’t melt it, I’ve discussed with Martha, milliner extraordinaire, if it can become a collaboration piece with her and one of her hats. So we’ll see- will post pictures if all turns out.

Live From Dublin: How’s your ‘stache looking lately?

This week started off with me as Stylist and Light Tech for a P51 photo-shoot for the Movember campaign. Movember is for men’s health month (November) and is sponsored by a moustache growing charity organization that promotes prostate cancer awareness and preventative care. Project 51 will be participating in additional events later this month and next, but this shoot was for an ad that will run in the Gay Community News Magazine later this month. We had great weather for the outdoor shoot and great pics and the magazine was pleased with how it turned out.

Sat in on a fitting and gave (fashion) opinions for the wife of one of the Irish presidential candidates who came into P51. The election is later this month and this candidate is neck and neck with the lead, yet everything seems so laid back- the wife came in without bodyguards or aides and there was no paparazzi following her around while she ran her errands, and that’s the norm here.

I attended the 2011 launch of Movember at Coppinger Row (bar) with Sinead Clarke, Martha Lynn, Eily O’Connell, and Caiomhe Keane (pronounced with long e: Que-va) from P51. Great craic and we saw some great moustaches. I ended up trying my first black pudding- with fig on toast. I’ll spare those with queasy stomachs and not disclosed here what black pudding is made from- suffice it to say it is NOT a sweet like Americans might think and it IS an acquired taste. It wasn’t horrible but I don’t think I’ll be ordering it off the menu on any regular basis.

And no journey to Europe is complete without a trip to Ikea (mine was with Sinead and Eily, who were on the hunt for items for P51). I found the chairs my parents bought (and still own) on display and for sale 20+ years later. Great design never goes out of style, right?!

Visited more (and really probably the last of) museums and galleries and attended a piano/clarinet concert at the Hugh Lane over the weekend. Also visited another collective, located on the north side of Dublin, called The Malthouse Design Centre and it is a furniture and interior design collective. That’s all for now- and our hot water heater is still working so I think it’s safe to say crisis has been averted.

Live From Dublin: Cork City and Back

St Anne's-Shandon with salmon weather vane

One of the P51 designers needed a courier to Cork to deliver some items to customers, so off I was sent on an overnight south. After deliveries were made, I saw the sights and visited a few different artists’ groups. The Designworks Studio, run by goldsmith Tuula Harrington, is a great shop with a full jeweler’s studio at the back, visible behind a glass partition. She and another jeweler work from this studio space, selling their own creations as well as the work of other renowned jewelers from around Ireland. The Cork Printmakers and Backwater Artists Group is housed in an old 3-story industrial building that provides studio space for over 30 artists. There is a gallery space on the first floor and on certain days of the year, the group hosts open studio nights where the public can see the artists and their work processes up close and personal. And finally, the National Sculpture Factory, also housed in an old industrial building, provides space and use of certain equipment to help facilitate the creation of large-scale artwork such as sculpture, ceramics, and installations.

Sinead Clarke, Essen C Designs

Had some great craic at my “Welcome” party from P51 on Thursday, lots of laughs, and finished the week revisiting the National Museum at Collins Barracks. On my previous visit, had only time to make it through 1.5 of the 4 floors total. So now I’ve seen it all from top to bottom and I was in heaven! At least 3 rooms of nothing but silver work and objects…and tools. Ahh, such a metals geek. Helped my flatmate, Sinead, break down her stall at the Cow’s Lane Market on Saturday. She sells her knitwear there every week and it was entertaining to watch all the different people go by.

My week ended strangely enough- I did my first load of laundry in Ireland; we have a washer but no dryer, so everything is put on clothes horses. Once it had dried, I stood in our living room steam ironing my (ah-hem) undergarments so they wouldn’t be so stiff. Must say that’s a first for me. Then our water heater gave out so I boiled water in the electric kettle in order to do dishes and was stuck with a cold shower. Heater is fixed now so I can already look back and laugh. 

(I spoke too soon...the heater gave out the next day. So now, a few days later, the electrician has been in and fingers crossed- We'll leave it at that now so's not to jinx it. ; )

Live From Dublin: Who is that man?

ChristChurch Cathedral

This week’s episode of Live From Dublin brings you more sightseeing around the beautiful city of Dublin…walked around the Fishamble area to see ChristChurch Cathedral and St. Audeon’s Church, along with the area surrounding Merrion Square and saw Oscar Wilde’s statue. Visited more museums and galleries in the Temple Bar and College Green areas. There was a gorgeous exhibition created around the topic of childhood at the National Photographic Archive with the selected images ranging from the late 1800s up through the 1960s. Saw some contemporary portraiture at the Hyde Gallery before attending my art history lecture at Trinity.

I’m slowly getting to meet all of the designers and makers who make up the collective Project 51 and my flatmate, Sinead, has been so good about taking me round to her friends in town. For sure, it was a quieter week than last, but good for becoming more acquainted with P51, the people, and the space. I would say the biggest headline for the week might have been the “modern art” that was on display on South William Street. It caused quite a ruckus; the garda (Irish police) even came out.

The Jumper

For those of you following my picture posts on Facebook- pay attention because here is the answer to the question I posed…The art on display in the image is a statue of a man who looks like he’s about to jump from the roof of the building next door. Passers-by must have thought he was real and called emergency services. What was interesting was that the statue had been up there for at least a week or so and had only gotten that kind of attention till late this week. I guess it shows how often city-dwellers look up. The statue is down now so the excitement is over.