Dun Laoghaire gets creative for Drawing Day with ArtNetdlr

Annual celebration of drawing in association with National Gallery of Ireland on Saturday 21 May 2022

People from across Dun Laoghaire are invited to grab a pencil and paper on Saturday 21 May 2022 to join with ArtNetdlr and the National Gallery of Ireland in National Drawing Day. Now in its eighteenth year, the annual event will see the Gallery joined by over 70 arts centres, galleries, museums and libraries across the country to celebrate drawing.

Three celebrated artists will lead a day of free drawing workshops at Walters, Dun Laoghaire (upstairs).

People of all ages and abilities are encouraged to find the joy in drawing, with something for everyone, experts and beginners alike.  

Brigid O’Brien – 1.00 pm

Brigid O’Brien is always drawing. She draws on the dart and in cafes, sitting in her car and at her kitchen table.

Recently, in an exhibition titled ‘Home’ she created life size drawings of people cooking, watching TV, gardening and working at home. This was the Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray.

And much as she likes making drawings, she loves encouraging other folk to indulge in the same satisfying practice. So come and celebrate National Drawing Day with her. All materials supplied but bring your own if it feels more comfortable.

Aoife Fitzgerald – 2.30 pm

About workshop:
“I will work with people drawing each other blind contour start slow and build up to a 20 minute drawing, I will talk through the session talking about the weight of the pencil and how drawing with different emotions can change the depth of you mark making, and how blind contour trains the eye to see”
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About Aoife’s work:
“In my last exhibition at the beginning of April I showed work that came out of the two years during Covid.
Some of the largest paintings as well as some of the smaller work, were a result of listening to jazz and classical records and my interpretation of them.
Two paintings came from times when madness and frustration seemed very close to the surface, these were paintings made with a combination of mark making and paint. Many of the smaller paintings and drawing were an exploration of the imaginative space and from my access to drawing and life drawing sessions from all around the world using Zoom. For me working large, the physicality of attacking the page, the energy entailed and the excitement of not knowing what will happen and going with that uncertainty, of translating it all into codified marks and colour, has a magical intensity for me.”

Elizabeth Shaw – 4.00 pm

Drawing Fast and Slow

Local artist Elizabeth Shaw will lead some mindful Drawing exercises to develop synchronised communication between the hand and eye, breath and hand. Slowing down the process of drawing, looking, and breathing to remind ourselves that we can create from an ever – deeper place within. Join in and discover peaceful flow in our drawings and our experience of the moment. Explore how to unlock creativity, focus, and attentiveness.

Finishing with some fun drawings responding to the space.
This will be suitable for complete beginners and experienced alike.
Materials provided but feel free to bring along one’s own dry drawing materials.