I'm Shane O'Driscoll, a visual artist from Cork, Ireland. I practise primarily in printmaking and large scale murals.

What inspires your artwork, and how do your personal experiences shape your creations?

Bright colours and bold graphic shapes inspire my artwork. Travel and the daily landscape of places, people and music inspire me to create abstract compositions that act as visual records of life. I generally start with a visual cue as a foundation from research that will act as the keystone and narrative to the composition. From there it will be a case of revisiting the composition until I find a resolve. If it involves a client, it is generally a collaborative process that evolves until both parties are happy with the final artwork. How has your style evolved over time, and what have been some key influences on its development? When I first started making fine art prints it was from photographs of places I travelled to and architectural elements of buildings. Over time, the photographic elements have fallen away and I now work in abstract compositions. It is a distillation of what I see and creates a new language to view elements that surround us. How does your daily routine or lifestyle influence your artistic practice? When working in an open printmaking studio I am surrounded by other artists and the conversations around art and creativity influence me greatly. I'm fortunate to live near the coast and attend live music gigs regularly and these all play a huge part in my practise. I see my artwork as an extension of my lifestyle.

Can you describe your work ethic and how you stay motivated to continue producing art?
I tend to work intensely on projects then take a break before the next one, it's never a case of 9-5, as I'm always working out visual resolves in my head. Working in different mediums with various people keeps me motivated, I'm always trying to see where my art can go. How do you balance your time between creating, managing business aspects of your art, and personal life? Making time for everything is key and not spending too much time focused on one is important. Dipping in and out of each one is essential and being self employed forces you to wear many hats and assume multiple roles. I have to make sure all the plates keep spinning! What struggles have you faced in your artistic career, and how have you managed to overcome them? I worked as a graphic designer and art director in a studio for many years and struggled with accepting myself in that role long term. I knew I needed to take time to focus on my personal artwork, to see where that would lead me, so I took a few weeks off work and spent a month making art for myself in the studio. After that month of making art I knew being an artist was a big part of me that needed to be explored and I'm still exploring it and enjoying where the journey has taken me.

My name is Megan McGuigan, I have a clothing brand called Seeking Judy and i'm currently based in Dublin, Ireland. What inspires your artwork, and how do your personal experiences shape your creations? My work is heavily inspired by the natural landscape of Ireland, our mythology, and the idea of creating a world which runs parallel to our own. It originally was a utopic, escapist fantasy world. I started making work in this style during the pandemic. It's typical for art to become escapist in times of political/ societal unrest or uncertainty. It's also a very irish way of dealing with a problem, pretending it's not there or running away from it. I didn't understand this about what I was doing when I was first doing it. I'm at a point now where I want to step back and add a bit of reality back into things. Reality may not be as easy on the eyes, but it's definitely more interesting and objectively more beautiful. Can you describe your creative process? How do you go from an idea to a finished piece? I'm a maker. I'm happiest when my hands are busy and I like working things out in 3D. I'm very tactile and I love colours and the feel of fabrics. Although, I'm really trying to go back to drawing more so that I can get more ideas out. How has your style evolved over time, and what have been some key influences on its development? Every year or so I hyper focus on learning a new skill and a lot of the work I make around that Are there any specific themes or messages you aim to convey in your work? Originally Seeking Judy was about an escapist, utopian world, where all of nature was personified. I found that a lot of themes I drew inspiration from, were already used in our own Irish mythology and so I've been doing a lot of research on our myths and folk tales. I also knit a lot. My grandmother was a great knitter and also taught me how to knit. So preserving Irish craft whilst also paying homage to our land and heritage is my primary focus going forward with my work.All the while staying true to the Seeking Judy world's aesthetic. Can you describe your work ethic and how you stay motivated to continue producing art? Making the work is easy. I really enjoy it. The trouble is having the time to make the art you want/ can afford to produce vs making the art which is more commercially viable. You have to have a balance. Some things don't make sense financially, but you need to make them for your own peace of mind. How do you balance your time between creating, managing business aspects of your art, and personal life? Currently I do 3 days in the Studio and 3 in the shop. A lot of my friends have a similar schedule so we meet after work if we can.

Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast of the Semantics, a large language ocean. A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary regelialia. It is a paradisematic country, in which roasted parts of sentences fly into your mouth.

I'm Shane O'Driscoll, a visual artist from Cork, Ireland. I practise primarily in printmaking and large scale murals. What inspires your artwork, and how do your personal experiences shape your creations? Bright colours and bold graphic shapes inspire my artwork. Travel and the daily landscape of places, people and music inspire me to create abstract compositions that act as visual records of life. Can you describe your creative process? How do you go from an idea to a finished piece? > I generally start with a visual cue as a foundation from research that will act as the keystone and narrative to the composition. From there it will be a case of revisiting the composition until I find a resolve. If it involves a client, it is generally a collaborative process that evolves until both parties are happy with the final artwork. How has your style evolved over time, and what have been some key influences on its development? When I first started making fine art prints it was from photographs of places I travelled to and architectural elements of buildings. Over time, the photographic elements have fallen away and I now work in abstract compositions. It is a distillation of what I see and creates a new language to view elements that surround us. How does your daily routine or lifestyle influence your artistic practice? When working in an open printmaking studio I am surrounded by other artists and the conversations around art and creativity influence me greatly. I'm fortunate to live near the coast and attend live music gigs regularly and these all play a huge part in my practise. I see my artwork as an extension of my lifestyle. Can you describe your work ethic and how you stay motivated to continue producing art? I tend to work intensely on projects then take a break before the next one, it's never a case of 9-5, as I'm always working out visual resolves in my head. Working in different mediums with various people keeps me motivated, I'm always trying to see where my art can go. How do you balance your time between creating, managing business aspects of your art, and personal life? Making time for everything is key and not spending too much time focused on one is important. Dipping in and out of each one is essential and being self employed forces you to wear many hats and assume multiple roles. I have to make sure all the plates keep spinning! What struggles have you faced in your artistic career, and how have you managed to overcome them? I worked as a graphic designer and art director in a studio for many years and struggled with accepting myself in that role long term. I knew I needed to take time to focus on my personal artwork, to see where that would lead me, so I took a few weeks off work and spent a month making art for myself in the studio. After that month of making art I knew being an artist was a big part of me that needed to be explored and I'm still exploring it and enjoying where the journey has taken me.

My name is Megan McGuigan, I have a clothing brand called Seeking Judy and i'm currently based in Dublin, Ireland. What inspires your artwork, and how do your personal experiences shape your creations? My work is heavily inspired by the natural landscape of Ireland, our mythology, and the idea of creating a world which runs parallel to our own. It originally was a utopic, escapist fantasy world. I started making work in this style during the pandemic. It's typical for art to become escapist in times of political/ societal unrest or uncertainty. It's also a very irish way of dealing with a problem, pretending it's not there or running away from it. I didn't understand this about what I was doing when I was first doing it. I'm at a point now where I want to step back and add a bit of reality back into things. Reality may not be as easy on the eyes, but it's definitely more interesting and objectively more beautiful. Can you describe your creative process? How do you go from an idea to a finished piece? I'm a maker. I'm happiest when my hands are busy and I like working things out in 3D. I'm very tactile and I love colours and the feel of fabrics. Although, I'm really trying to go back to drawing more so that I can get more ideas out. How has your style evolved over time, and what have been some key influences on its development? Every year or so I hyper focus on learning a new skill and a lot of the work I make around that Are there any specific themes or messages you aim to convey in your work? Originally Seeking Judy was about an escapist, utopian world, where all of nature was personified. I found that a lot of themes I drew inspiration from, were already used in our own Irish mythology and so I've been doing a lot of research on our myths and folk tales. I also knit a lot. My grandmother was a great knitter and also taught me how to knit. So preserving Irish craft whilst also paying homage to our land and heritage is my primary focus going forward with my work.All the while staying true to the Seeking Judy world's aesthetic. Can you describe your work ethic and how you stay motivated to continue producing art? Making the work is easy. I really enjoy it. The trouble is having the time to make the art you want/ can afford to produce vs making the art which is more commercially viable. You have to have a balance. Some things don't make sense financially, but you need to make them for your own peace of mind. How do you balance your time between creating, managing business aspects of your art, and personal life? Currently I do 3 days in the Studio and 3 in the shop. A lot of my friends have a similar schedule so we meet after work if we can.

Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast of the Semantics, a large language ocean. A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary regelialia. It is a paradisematic country, in which roasted parts of sentences fly into your mouth.

I'm Shane O'Driscoll, a visual artist from Cork, Ireland. I practise primarily in printmaking and large scale murals. What inspires your artwork, and how do your personal experiences shape your creations? Bright colours and bold graphic shapes inspire my artwork. Travel and the daily landscape of places, people and music inspire me to create abstract compositions that act as visual records of life. Can you describe your creative process? How do you go from an idea to a finished piece? > I generally start with a visual cue as a foundation from research that will act as the keystone and narrative to the composition. From there it will be a case of revisiting the composition until I find a resolve. If it involves a client, it is generally a collaborative process that evolves until both parties are happy with the final artwork. How has your style evolved over time, and what have been some key influences on its development? When I first started making fine art prints it was from photographs of places I travelled to and architectural elements of buildings. Over time, the photographic elements have fallen away and I now work in abstract compositions. It is a distillation of what I see and creates a new language to view elements that surround us. How does your daily routine or lifestyle influence your artistic practice? When working in an open printmaking studio I am surrounded by other artists and the conversations around art and creativity influence me greatly. I'm fortunate to live near the coast and attend live music gigs regularly and these all play a huge part in my practise. I see my artwork as an extension of my lifestyle. Can you describe your work ethic and how you stay motivated to continue producing art? I tend to work intensely on projects then take a break before the next one, it's never a case of 9-5, as I'm always working out visual resolves in my head. Working in different mediums with various people keeps me motivated, I'm always trying to see where my art can go. How do you balance your time between creating, managing business aspects of your art, and personal life? Making time for everything is key and not spending too much time focused on one is important. Dipping in and out of each one is essential and being self employed forces you to wear many hats and assume multiple roles. I have to make sure all the plates keep spinning! What struggles have you faced in your artistic career, and how have you managed to overcome them? I worked as a graphic designer and art director in a studio for many years and struggled with accepting myself in that role long term. I knew I needed to take time to focus on my personal artwork, to see where that would lead me, so I took a few weeks off work and spent a month making art for myself in the studio. After that month of making art I knew being an artist was a big part of me that needed to be explored and I'm still exploring it and enjoying where the journey has taken me.

My name is Megan McGuigan, I have a clothing brand called Seeking Judy and i'm currently based in Dublin, Ireland. What inspires your artwork, and how do your personal experiences shape your creations? My work is heavily inspired by the natural landscape of Ireland, our mythology, and the idea of creating a world which runs parallel to our own. It originally was a utopic, escapist fantasy world. I started making work in this style during the pandemic. It's typical for art to become escapist in times of political/ societal unrest or uncertainty. It's also a very irish way of dealing with a problem, pretending it's not there or running away from it. I didn't understand this about what I was doing when I was first doing it. I'm at a point now where I want to step back and add a bit of reality back into things. Reality may not be as easy on the eyes, but it's definitely more interesting and objectively more beautiful. Can you describe your creative process? How do you go from an idea to a finished piece? I'm a maker. I'm happiest when my hands are busy and I like working things out in 3D. I'm very tactile and I love colours and the feel of fabrics. Although, I'm really trying to go back to drawing more so that I can get more ideas out. How has your style evolved over time, and what have been some key influences on its development? Every year or so I hyper focus on learning a new skill and a lot of the work I make around that Are there any specific themes or messages you aim to convey in your work? Originally Seeking Judy was about an escapist, utopian world, where all of nature was personified. I found that a lot of themes I drew inspiration from, were already used in our own Irish mythology and so I've been doing a lot of research on our myths and folk tales. I also knit a lot. My grandmother was a great knitter and also taught me how to knit. So preserving Irish craft whilst also paying homage to our land and heritage is my primary focus going forward with my work.All the while staying true to the Seeking Judy world's aesthetic. Can you describe your work ethic and how you stay motivated to continue producing art? Making the work is easy. I really enjoy it. The trouble is having the time to make the art you want/ can afford to produce vs making the art which is more commercially viable. You have to have a balance. Some things don't make sense financially, but you need to make them for your own peace of mind. How do you balance your time between creating, managing business aspects of your art, and personal life? Currently I do 3 days in the Studio and 3 in the shop. A lot of my friends have a similar schedule so we meet after work if we can.

Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast of the Semantics, a large language ocean. A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary regelialia. It is a paradisematic country, in which roasted parts of sentences fly into your mouth.