Carl Doran

There was a great attendance over two open nights for the show, thousands have already seen it. Delighted to be in such good company, and a prime hanging space.

I bade adieu to Dublin’s Fair City with a heavy heart.

Cáit’s Tale – Moonlight in Monilea

This chapter, a 3 x3 ft (90 x 90 cm) oil painting will be displayed as part of the RHA Summer show in Dublin, commencing May 27th, public Opening May 26th. She’s pictured here all ready to depart in Normoyle & Frawley’s Gallery and Framing, who did a great job as usual. My thanks to Gary Coyle for facilitating my participation in this prestigious event. My thanks also to my Artist friend Seán Healy (in advance) for his hosting and critical skills.

Continuing on the theme of Cats’ Tales (see Cats’ Tales Page and March 2013 post), this painting imagines Cáit wandering around Monilea by Moonlight. Monilea, a rural area in Co. Westmeath is where I spent many of my teenage years, and was the subject of many Landscapes I painted. It seemed apt to combine the two subjects, both lost times, existing in a half-remembered, dream-like area of my consciousness.

For Culture Night my studio (along with my co-Contact Studioers)  opened to the public, and slightly tidied up for safe public access. On view and in process at the moment were some ‘Seasonal Variations’ paintings on the ground, along with a few finished pieces, and a preview of ‘Mathilda’s Tale’. ‘Mathilda’s Tale’ is predominantly a series of fine pen sketches concerning a step-sister of Mindy&Mandy (see Cats’ Tales post below), and concerns the ongoing tensions between an Askeaton (Co. Limerick) Blackbird, and a Thomondgate Cat. Ourselves and our 300 or so guests had a great night, with much-needed funds raised through ourPostcard&Affordable Art Sale, and as always, some photo’s from the night will follow.

Also, as part of (Faber Studios) Kevin O’Keefe’s project in the Bellwether show in the Church Gallery, Clare St., Limerick, myself and Pamela Dunne from the Limerick Printmakers  played some music inspired by the spirit of Limerick inter-studio cooperation – and an upholstered electric guitar between 6pm and 7.30pm. It is possible to be in 2 places at once!!

Photograph courtesy of Gearóid O’Donoghue.

Bourn Vincent Gallery, University of Limerick, curated by Yvonne Davis.

Contact Studios and the Visual Art Department of the University of Limerick would like to invite you to inEXCHANGE, an exhibition of work by artists in Contact Studios at the Bourn Vincent Gallery in the University of Limerick. The opening is on Thursday April 4th from 5 to 7 pm and the exhibition will run until June 6th. Artists: Marie-Claire Boothman, Julie Brazil, Niamh Brown, John Collins, Susan Corcoran, Ann Daly, Carl Doran, Maurice Foley, Declan Greene, Gerry O’Mahony, Anne Marie Morrin, John Murphy, Nuala O’Sullivan, Sheila Richardson, Andreina Scott, Sheila Stone

Raggle Taggle Gallery, Sarsfield St., Limerick.

From Cáit to Squealer, to the Unknown Kitten, to Mindy&Mandy, and now Squinter, this collection tells stories true and hypothetical about the lives of the cats of No.54.

For the first time the tale of Squinter will be shown consisting of new drawings, collages and an oil painting. Squinter née Squealer was one of four kittens, but was born with one eye closed, poor hearing and a poor sense of smell. As his siblings grew and ran about exploring, Squinter was left behind as they were brought into the wider world, himself unwilling/unable to join them. I would come home to find him miaow-ing facing in the garden’s direction, until I arrived back one day to discover he was nowhere to be seen. Squinter’s Tale is an imagining of what happened to him.

My thanks to Catriona Tierney and Limerick Post’s ‘For Pets Sake’ feature, 9 March 2013, page 50, for their coverage of the show – greatly appreciated! Also, I am very grateful to the local vet’s and Limerick Animal Welfare for allowing me to put posters/invites up for the show.

 Epilogue

We had a great launch for the show – estimated at 200 attendees – many thanks to all! Following that, there were 349 logged visitors to the show, many of whom I had illuminating and engaging chats, covering art and cats while invigilating – new tales perhaps for the future. My thanks to Kathleen Bartlett for photo’s of the night.

14 Solo Shows at Contact Studios September 2012

I displayed 9 previously unexhibited works from my Seasonal Variations Painting series, as part of the national Culture Night event. Each of the 14 Artist spaces were installed as solo exhibitions, the Studios cleared, painted, scrubbed, with visitors welcomed from 5-10pm with open arms.

It eclipsed our previous visitor number high for Keeping Contact (overview of 12 years of Contact Studios with over 40 artists) which had 200-250 attendees, with 350-400 visitors estimated.

There was a great reception for the works and I had a great chat about the processes and the artistic life with the visitors, all over some nice wines, beers and soft drinks. Thanks to the Arts Council, Limerick Arts Office and all involved.