Mallow community National school
SPRINGDALE ROAD Sensory Garden Mosaic , Sensory Mosaic
Thanks to Dublin City council for this commission.
St Vincents special needs school Navan road, Dublin
Thanks to Landscape Architect Simone Kennedy of http://www.kfla.ie/ for this wonderful commission to design, fabricate and install a sensory mosaic for this water feature .
St. Oliver’s Special School, Tuam Co . Galway
Sensory Wall Mosaics 1: Garden 2:Underwater[both 3 m x 1.2 m ]
Thank you to Elaine Naughton, of Simon J Kelly architects and Marieta
Nolan, Principal of St. Oliver's Special school for awarding me this
commission. Thanks to ,
Phillida Eves, Sensory Engagement Consultant for all her advice. To Cáit
Fahey for all her brilliant assistance and support. To Matej Puljek
for his excellent framing and installation skills . To all the artists
who contributed their work to this sensory piece, Áine Byrne @ainekbyrne ,Anne Brown @annebrownseraphimglassworks , Miriam Robinson @fieldsandhedgerows , Emma O'Toole @alittlepieceofmyheart , Loughlin Brady Smith @lockedletters and Helen O'Dea @hod.helen . Thanks too to Tom McCarthy of Mapei for all his help with adhesion and grouting supplies .Special thanks and praise to Joe Fahey , tanker, tiler, framer, installer, HERO.
Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh, Knocknacarra , Gaillimh.
Per cent for Art commission: 2019-2020
Per cent for Art commission: 2019-2020
The sculpture is provisionally titled “Crann’ It is 4 meters in height, with a 2 m wide crown . The stainless steel structure is inlaid with Mosaic panels. The mosaic decoration depicts elements from each season along with several depictions of Animals, Birds, Trees, Flowers and Insects .
There are also some ‘hidden’ elements within the designs.
There are also some ‘hidden’ elements within the designs.
Gaelscoil Dara, An Rinn Mhór, Gaillimh.
This sculpture is provisionally titled “Na laochra bídeacha” .[The little warriors] It is positioned externally outside the Naionra of Gaelscoil Dara. The sculpture depicts 4 life sized pupils, they are ‘bonded’ and ‘moulded’ together to symbolise friendship and protection. The faces are mirrored stainless steel to allow for pupil interaction. The designs of the cloaks/capes are intended to fortify each character with a superhero strength based on the elements of nature. The inner clothing is based on traditional textile designs . The plinth on which they stand also functions as a seating area .
Cloonakilla National School, Bealnamulla, Co Roscommon
Scoil Naomh Buithe Mosaic and Puzzle.
In reference to the geography of the school the artwork is titled “The school in the meadow “ It is displayed on an external wall beside the school entrance .8 pupils are depicted within a circle of unique and individual meadow flowers. The pupils faces are mirror and for pupil interaction are displayed at life-sized level. All the pupils were involved in the design of the clothing , their self-portraits were made into glass decals and form the decoration of the clothing to represent how they see and depict themselves in their different stages of development .
Scoil Naomh Buithe Mosaic and Puzzle.
St. Brigid’s National school, Castleknock, Co. Dublin April 2015- June 2015
150 year commemorative mosaic plaque
150 year commemorative mosaic plaque
I was commissioned to create a commerative mosaic to celebrate the schools 150 year anniversary.
The brief was to depict St. Bridgid with her clock protecting the pupils and the project called for pupil participation .
All 590 pupils drew a flower and a design for the pupils clothes, 32 flowers were chosen to represent each of the 32 classes and they are replicated exactly in the floral border. The drawings of 8 pupils informed the final clothes design . I designed the outer mirror-glass mosaic’s pattern using a repeat pattern of the St. Brigid cross symbol. The piece has an interactive element as the pupils faces are mirror, the pupils themselves ,through their different stages of growth will be reflected in the artwork.
Ennis National school, Feb 2014-April 2015
Part 1: Large scale mosaic for entrance hallway [3m x 4m ]
A geometric depiction of 8 life sized pupils and their surrounding local environment . To allow for pupil interaction.,the pupils faces are mirror and are positioned life-sized. The local environment includes the Atlantic ocean, the Burren and the river Fergus. The school ‘reading’ dog Mackey is also depicted.
Ennis Part 2: Individual Portraits
Re : Portraits 1-3 . A boy and girl from each class is depicted. The face shapes /clothes and characteristics are based exactly on the actual drawings from the pupils. 
Portrait 1 : Junior and Senior infants .
Portrait 2: 1st ,2nd and 3rd class
Portrait 3: 4th ,5th and 6th class
Portrait 4 : “The Parents and Grandparents of Ennis NS”
This portrait references the parents and grand-parents of the school and includes their ‘words of wisdom’ and advice . The Portrait is displayed at ‘child’ level. I have depicted 6 parents /grandparents, each has a mirror face so that the observer can be the reflection and they can see themselves as an adult with adult characteristics.
The questions were
1: What was school like when you were young ?
2 :What is the most important thing you ever learnt in school ?
3: What do you remember most about school ?
4:What is the most important lesson life has taught you ?
5 :What was the best advice you ever got ?
6 : What advice would you give to your child now ?
Portraits in situ:
The Bunscoil McAuley Rice Mosaic
Callan, Co. Kilkenny Jan 2014- April 2014
The brief for this commissioin was ” to create an artwork that expresses the ethos of the school and that respects and acknowledges the orders that set up the schools . The artwork should celebrate and acknowledge the coming together of these two local schools. “
In reference to the two founders and namesakes of the school I have used the design emblems of both the Christian Brothers and the Sisters of Mercy . They are harmonized and joined into the cross shape that is central to the design of the mosaic In reference to the local history of Callan ,the decoration of the four sections of the Cross are based on the celtic designs of the High Cross of King Niall Caille.
The cross predominates the design and emanating from it’s centre are rays of sky and sunlight . The rays lead to a colourful border of individual flowers and vegetation. The individual flowers are metaphorical representations of the pupils of the school , past and present .
“Le Chéile” Scoil Bride National school.
Rathcormac Co. Cork March 2013- June 2013
The artwork extends 'through' the ceiling in this double height space.
It Measures 6.6 metres in height and 1 meter in width.
The design plays with colours, shapes and tones and references the infinitude of the cloak of St. Brigid.
It has myriad colours , tones and shapes .
These abstracted shapes are based on geometry, sacred geometry and isometric perspectives .
There are 8 distinct patterns within the piece that reference the environment .
This artwork is a celebration of shape and colour. It invites you to keep looking at it and it rewards you
by showing you something new every time you do."
Hacketstown National school : The Mosaic Garden
THE MOSAIC GARDEN is an imaginative ,vibrant exterior artwork .
In the centre of the artwork is a circular 2 metre wide ground level mosaic. The design of this mosaic is relevant to the environment and is inspired by the four elements of nature , Earth,Wind, Fire and Water.
Surrounding this central floor mosaic are 8 seats, One for each class. The seat forms are made of concrete and are covered with a mosaic design of brightly coloured flowers . Every one of the 146 pupils in the school drew a flower which I then replicated exactly in glass mosaic. Their name is indelibly printed on the stem of their flower .
The seat is topped by a 70 cm hardwood circle which can sit up to 4 pupils per seat. The piece can accommodate up to 32 pupils and is suitable for use as an outdoor classroom .
A ‘void’ was left in the concrete form of the seat and embedded within it are ‘time capsules’ containing each pupils written word and artwork projects which explored the theme “ME”
The central mosaic and seating area are surrounded by a circular formation of indigenous trees.
The Marymount National school Mosaics
I asked the pupils to tell me about their lives through their self-portraits , their drawings and their written word assignments . I choose a self-portrait to represent each class and replicated that drawing exactly into a life-sized mosaic.
I also had some of the pupils original artwork made into decals and had them fired onto glass tiles. The background details in the 7 and 12 year old portraits include these original artworks and represent their loves and where they live , the 17 supporters seen in the background of the 8 year old portraits are additional self- portraits from the pupils . The speech bubbles are the pupils own words and wishes.
Full details of this project can be seen here
The brief for this percent for art scheme commission, was to “create an imaginative 2-D realistic representation of St. Brigid that would be child-friendly and would invite pupil participation in its construction”
Inspired by the pupils drawings , and the many legends of St. Brigid I portrayed a life-sized St. Brigid in a fantastical landscape where her magical cloak shimmers, sparkles and envelopes the floor before her.
Each pupil was asked to draw a ‘magical flower “ The pupils drawings were replicating exactly in glass mosaic To indicate artistic development and to ensure each class is represented flowers was chosen from every age group form 4 to 12
Each pupil was asked to draw a ‘magical flower “ The pupils drawings were replicating exactly in glass mosaic To indicate artistic development and to ensure each class is represented flowers was chosen from every age group form 4 to 12
The cloak design was also inspired by the pupils designs.
Size: Cruciform shape , Approx. 2.5m x 2.5m , Floor area 1m x 2m
Materials : Weather proofed Marine Ply, Coloured opalescent iridescent
and mirrored glass , Gold leaf and Mosaic tesserae and hand made gold -leaf
glass roundel and ceramic discs
and mirrored glass , Gold leaf and Mosaic tesserae and hand made gold -leaf
glass roundel and ceramic discs
The Ráthfeigh [Fort and Wood ] Sculpture :
Scoil Náisiúnta Mhuire Naofa, Rathfeigh, Tara, Co.Meath SPRING 2011
This per cent for art scheme commissioned sculpture was created in collaboration with a landscape designer and the pupils of the school.
It is a 'living sculpture' of hornbeam trees that have been pleached into a circular formation to represent ‘Wood’ .
The ‘Fort’ is represented in the dry stone oval seating arrangement.
There are 8 seats, ( one for each class) and embedded within each seat is a time capsule containing each pupils written word and artwork projects in which they were asked to explore the theme “ME”
The centerpiece of the sculpture is a Mosaic which has been designed and made to represent the local river Hurley .
A specific request from the school was to include a drinking fountain and this has been placed in the centre of the mosaic, the
filtered water for the fountain is sourced indirectly from the river Hurley via the river Boyne .
More details from this project here THE SEVEN YEAR OLD TREE SCULPTURE IN CONTEXT EXHIBITION:2009
In creating this sculpture I wanted to imagine what would happen if a child’s drawing of a tree came to life and appeared real size in the cedars woodland area of the Botanic gardens in Dublin.
I was inspired by the drawings of trees I received from the children of Scoil an tSeachtar Laoch , a local gael scoil in Ballymun, Dublin.
I found it was the seven year olds in First class whose drawings resonated the most with my remembered childhood drawings of trees with curly trunks and apples in the shape of numbers 6’s. The 21st century child’s tree had heart-shaped apples and holes for little creatures to live in.
This tree is an amalgamation of 4 drawings .
