Reflections

Busy busy busy!!!! eeekkk!!! and the kids are off school... eekkk....lots of commissions to finish......eeekkk! ....how am I going to get everything done? Deep Breath..! another deep breath!

This time 5 months ago I was only imagining the possibility of running my own business and even then I had no clue what I would be up to. I had been working on my illustrations for my children's stories

 and after many compliments and a few encouraging suggestions from friends...I finally exposed by artistic side to the world! Well, Belfast anyway ...but it's a start!

 Everything has simply happened without me planning anything! Someone suggested I do a craft fair...I thought 'why not?'...got my work framed and ready for it's first expose....and did the craft fair.


Then at the craft fair...someone suggested ' Why not get a table at St Georges Market?' (a weekly Belfast food/craft market).... so I thought ' Why not? ',  bought more bubble wrap and a lovely gingham table cloth and camped out in the icy Belfast mornings before Christmas to experience my first  market as a trader!...

Then someone else suggested....'why not get a stall at Victoria Square (the major shopping complex in Belfast city centre)...so I thought ' why not?' and went for a showcase interview and started the next month!

And so here I am.....had no business plan, no idea what on earth I would be doing, and I suddenly have my own lovely little 'Smudge Illustration' business,

selling prints, illustrations, textile pictures, cards and even Smudge post it notes!

It's still a tiny fledgling birdie with fluffy feathers...learning a lot, very quickly about 'taking off'....but enjoying every minute and feeling very very blessed and grateful!

So a big thanks to everyone who has supported me, encouraged me, inspired me and especially everyone who has invested their hard earned money on one of my creations! That feels really good!!
Happy Easter everyone !!

Ciara

More hours in the day!

Morning all and what a glorious morning it is!! Sun shining here in Belfast and there is a spring in my step (trying to ignore the fact that I've a cold and sore throat!!!)

Am just back from the printers, having some of my textiles scanned so I can sell them as prints, very excited to see how they will turn out! I also dropped off my mural design at the local community centre and was delighted to hear that they are going to also add my design as a wrap around on their minibus!! Very exciting to think of my little drawings travelling all over Belfast and further a field!

Today is my only full day of the week that I get to work. My mother in law minds my little kiddiewinkles so I can get some work done. The rest of the week I only have a few hours in the morning when my youngest is at playschool, to get things done. Time is such a precious thing to me. I am becoming increasingly more busy with commissions and with my Victoria Square market stall that I really need more time!! yes, there are a few quiet hours at night when I finally get the kids to bed, but by then I am usually plain tuckered!

This week I need to finish an illustration for my sister in laws wedding stationary, finish painting an 'owl' themed illustration and make 3 textile pieces (all commissions).....so enough of this writing business...gotta get the sewing machine out!!

Thanks for stopping by, have a lovely sunny day whether it's sunny or not :0) Ciara

A family Affair

Well hello little Blog...I'm so sorry I have neglected you so badly!!! :0(
Smudge Illustration has been kinda busy of late with selling at Victoria Square Sunday market, illustration commissions, mural designs and textile commissions...so I'm afraid blogging has come at the bottom of the list!
Today I thought I would share a little more about me and my background in art......

These days I feel truly blessed to be finally doing what I love to do. I am a busy full time mother to my two kiddiewinkles, age 5 and 3, so finding time to get my art done is a challenge....but I love a challenge...in fact I think I thrive on it.

My passion and talent for art seems to come from my mother's side of the family. My mum Freda, is a sculptor, her sister Mary also a sculptor and her brother John a painter and stain glass window designer! So it's definitely in the blood. My own super talented sister  is an art teacher and my super talented brother is a fine artist!! Then there's me....doing a little bit of everything....painting, illustrating, sewing, felting.....writing children's stories, novels.... adding glitter to everything were possible!!

I have always loved to draw and paint and even when I worked for many years as an occupational therapist I still kept it up ...even gave pottery a whirl!!

 Now I no longer work as an occupational therapist and am trying to establish my little 'Smudge' business. This takes hard work and perseverance....these attributes I definitely get from my lovely dad, Terry!!

Thought I'd share a few picture of my family's creations!

Here are Daddy and Baby Bronze Penguins my mum has made ...to be exhibited in Belfast soon. Definitely my favourite! A little different from my own penguin's!.........

 

A little ACEO by Ciara Gilmore McCleery (me!)

Ring a Ring a Rosie's A bronze by Freda Gilmore (my lovely mum!) check out her other creations at ... https://sites.google.com/site/fredagilmoresculptor/

My brother Chris, has amazing talent and is an extraordinary fine art painter especially of children....

By Chris Gilmore

My sister Nicola is a brilliant art teacher in a Belfast Grammar school. Although working part time and bringing up her two wee ones, she still finds the time to paint and exhibit her work. Here's a little peek at a painting.... Belfast Titanic Drawing offices.



My Uncle John  designed a new stained glass window celebrating the Dockers` and Carters` Strike of 1907. Unveiled in Belfast's City hall. Sorry very small pic..

My Aunt Mary has been sculpting in bronze for many years. Here is a lovely piece she made as a wedding gift for me and my hubby.....

So there you are...lots of Art going on in my family...always great to see what everyone is creating next!

Thanks for stopping by the 'Smudge Illlustration Blog' hope to get my next post out a little quicker than this one!

Ciara :0)

Scrabo tower...wet felting

My brilliant sister Nikki (who is an art teacher, gave me a quick demonstration on how to wet felt....8 years ago! I remember trying it out at the time and having lots of fun experimenting with different coloured wools. So recently, while rummaging in the attic, I came across my really big bag of wool and I simply had to start felting again. Now truth be told, I'm not much good at it! I have seen lots of beautiful felts made by crafters on the net, mine, I'm afraid , is very very , amateurish.
So I reacquainted myself with wet felting techniques on the net and discovered I had none of the tools needed...the bamboo mat, mesh and the soap flakes...so I improvised...good old fairy liquid and a piece of bubble wrap and I was good to go :0{ ish! Here's a little 'picture' story of how my landscape turned out....

The big bag of wool!

Layering of the wool

Layering in the opposite direction

More colours!

Soak in warm water and soap bubbles!

Roll it up in the bubble wrap, squish it about a bit until the fibres blend together

Ta da!

I know, it doesn't look like much!

 Let it dry out and then sew, embellish and you get.......

An impressionistic Scrabo tower! (ie it looks better from a distance lol!)

 My little felting buddies today!

More ramblings later in the week! Have a good Monday!

Ciara :)



The Dog ate my Homework!

Monday morning again and what a beautiful day! Sun is shining, no rain (for a change) ....a great start to the week!
Have been working on some wet felting this weekend....

.......that's where you take woollen fibres, mix different colours together, wet them , then agitate them so they stick together.

I like to create landscapes from the wool as I feel the texture of the wool, gives the picture a sense of being outside, being blown about by the elements! Have a look at some of my mini landscapes, a series called 'the little stone wall'.

All the pebbles have been collected from the shores of Belfast lough and I have included some grazing sheep to complete my 'woolie' pictures! I will be framing them this week and selling them at Belfast's Victoria Square variety market this Sunday 12th Feb 12.30 - 5.30.

During the course of the weekend I discovered that my very naughty cavalier king Charles pup, Toffee took a fancy to my materials! I found her wolfing down some wool from one of my pictures!

Bumped into my author friend Oonagh Lynch at St George's Market on Sunday...check out her brilliant stall and book, Joseph the Hairy Shark.https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Joseph-The-Hairy-Shark/211766425561862

Have a busy week ahead...getting ready for Sunday's market.....very excited!

Have a great Monday!

Ciara

Back to the 'Blog'stone!

The end of the week at last!
And what a week!
Had a lovely house guest this week.....Mrs vomiting bug! Don't you just love her!She kindly sprinkled her germs around until everyone was queueing up at the bathroom! Our one and only bathroom! ekk! Anyway, week over, tummy still in a delicate state but I live in hope to have my weekly brownie fix tomorrow (have replenished stores at the very scrummy www.bakedinbelfast.com and look forward to my tummy not protesting too much when I have my wee cupa and brownie tomorrow!)
Alas I didn't get much drawing done this week, but I did manage to attend my showcase meeting with the guys from Belfast's Victoria Square variety market and I am happy to say Smudge Illustration https://www.facebook.com/SmudgeIllustration will be selling at their Sunday fayre market in the very near future! Am very excited ...big squeal!

I never once envisaged myself as a market trader... a real eastender like! it's not something I've ever thought about and low and behold it's happening...and I love it! Before Christmas I tested my Smudge Illustrations on the unsuspecting crowds at Belfast's St Georges market and it was great! The 5am starts,( not forgetting to write my name on 'the list', a tradition spanning many decades that prevents stampeding when the doors open!), queueing up for hours in the freezing cold to get a stall and the lugging of  heavy boxes in and out of my car was a little bit  'rubbish'. However , I absolutely loved everything else! Especially the lovely people I meet who made those long hours in the frosty mornings seem like only minutes....Andrea, quite possibly the best maker of mint chocolate cupcakes ...in the World!! was so lovely...You have to taste her creations https://www.facebook.com/#!/sugarmamasni and then very coincidentally I was in front of local Children's Picture Book Author, Oonagh Lynch, who filled me in on how she managed to get her story from her notebook into print! Check out Joseph, a very hairy shark, a heart warming, funny tale about an inventing shark!https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Joseph-The-Hairy-Shark/211766425561862.
Anyway, looking forward to feeling like my old (not that old!) self again and getting more pictures done. Here's a textile I finished right before Mrs tummy bug arrived!

She's called button owl! 
On a final note, I have to mention my good friend Avril, who I met for a cupa today....she blogs about affordable fashion for mum's, she's brilliant!!... check out her blog schoolgatestyle.blogspot.com She reminded me I should be blogging, hence my return to blogger after a little sabbatical, so thanks Avril!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Ciara ;)

ps my spell checker on the blink so sorry for any typos!