Action Speaks Louder

Ginger Monkey Design

Written in 2018

I have wanted to write & purge about one particular project and have resisted because I could find the theme....I logged onto Behance to see this beautiful typographic print by Tom Lane AKA GingerMonkey.

That's IT!! A phrase that I have edited as I that Action Speaks Louder.

Over the last year I have had to pause some projects reluctantly, but i knew I would be able to come back to them.

I kept one project on the go during my maternity leave, a project that has grown to be bigger than me and has the potential to be brilliant......but.

The idea was/is simple...what could happen in a decaying council owned-but-not-wanted building that would have a positive impact.  The conversation  started in the playground with another mum. The conversation grew and developed  to a larger group, then a more refined and eager group. The attention moved on from the original building to a newly vacated one, prominant and beautiful, full of potential.

One year on...with support from a government non-departmental body, a feasibility study completed but not reconciled, 3/4s of a professional qualification completed.....yada-yada-yada. The building is still empty and the impact is nil and my frustrations are through the roof.

Working as part of, what is now a community association has been a challenge...and maybe it should be.  

Plastici-SEA: Rolling Tides (Disrupted Placidity)

Plastici-SEA: Rolling Tides (Disrupted Placidity)

There is an energy that enters the studio when you stop trying to control every mark and instead let the paint take over.

In this piece (measuring 8.5 in × 12.5) on a raw, fused plastic canvas, I wanted to explore the sheer kinetic force of rolling tides: that moment when heavy, crashing waves swell and break into calm, placid waters.

This work grew directly out of one of my small 4.5 in×3.5 in ocean studies, scaling up the composition to test how acrylic mediums and salvaged paints respond to recycled fused plastic. Working with a limited palette of three colours, I set aside traditional brushes entirely.

Instead, the surface was built up using discarded credit cards and stiff cardboard offcuts, creating heavy ridges, dragging thick paint diagonally across the plastic created a dramatic, cresting wave that cuts straight through the composition. Beyond adding paint, I spent time scratching and scraping back into the surface with the corners of the cards. Carving away layers revealed the darker indigo fields and the raw plastic beneath.

Working experiment-first means accepting what the materials reveal..the mid-tone blue has a chalkiness, but as the paint set, the sculptural presence of the scraped ridges took over.

The act of scratching back into the wet surface mirrored the wider story running through this body of work—the feeling of unseen forces circling beneath a quiet surface and forcing you to react.

To honor the physical reality of the fused plastic, Plastici-SEA: Rolling Tides is presented in its completely unrefined state. It isn't trimmed into a neat rectangle, nor is it trapped behind glass in a traditional frame.

Mounted using a hidden magnet system, the artwork floats just off the wall, letting its torn, deckled edges cast soft, natural shadows. It stands as a testament to disrupted placidity—a reminder that when rolling tides crash into quiet waters, we find our strength not by resisting the wave, but by riding its energy.

Plastici-SEA - Rolling Tides - Standard Postcard

£2.50

These postcards are made from thick high-quality matte paper, so they serve as a great addition to a gift or just a thoughtful written note to a friend.
• Cardboard paper
• Paper weight: 7.67–10.32 oz/yd² (260–350 g/m²)
• Size: 4″ × 6″ (101 × 152 mm)
• Paper thickness: 0.013″ (0.34 mm)
• Coated outer surface
• Blank product materials sourced from Sweden, US, Brazil, or China

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Plastici-SEA: Bending the Tide

Bending with the Tide

Supermarket white and blue carrier bags were fused together under heat, embedded with discarded orange and yellow fruit netting. As the plastic melted and set, it split and separated in places, creating an organic, lace-like webbing reminiscent of fish scales or sunlight fracturing through tide pools. Rather than trimming the piece into a neat rectangle, I preserved its raw, asymmetrical deckled edges—honouring the plastic’s unrefined origin.

The painting process carried that same spirit of adaptability. Working brush-free, I applied paints rescued from landfill alongside new to industry bio-products, scraping the surface with expired credit cards. As the paint clung to the plastic edges, unpredictable textures emerged—mimicking the ebb and flow of deep ocean currents.

There is a rhythm to working with materials that have already lived a life. This experiment has been in my mind for at least nine months, moving it out to the studio I framed it as question: can discarded soft plastic bags be transformed into a workable, tactile canvas?

The answer arrived not through rigid control, but through heat, layering, and letting the material dictate its own form.

The body of work “Plastici-SEA” came out of a period of deep personal and creative processing.

The pieces started in In early 2026, as news flooded in of sharks circulating off Sydney’s coastline—captured from high-altitude drone cameras as shadowy forms moving beneath unsuspecting swimmers—I found myself reflecting on the unseen pressures and unexpected disruptions that occur in our own lives. That sensation of something circling in the murky background before taking a bite is both visceral and universal.

To respond to these turbulent waters, I turned to the studio .

The word plasticity refers to the physical nature of synthetic materials, but psychologically, it defines resilience, the capacity to bend, yield, and adapt to shifting tides without breaking. Plastici-SEA stands as a tactile testament to taking single-use waste—and personal upheaval—and reshaping it into a space of strength and renewal.

Plastici-SEA: Bending with the Tide - Postcard

£2.50

These postcards are made from thick high-quality matte paper, so they serve as a great addition to a gift or just a thoughtful written note to a friend.
• Cardboard paper
• Paper weight: 7.67–10.32 oz/yd² (260–350 g/m²)
• Size: 4″ × 6″ (101 × 152 mm)
• Paper thickness: 0.013″ (0.34 mm)
• Coated outer surface
• Blank product materials sourced from Sweden, US, Brazil, or China

Add to cart

Holiday Sketchbook 2024

Trying to do a sketch a day, is difficult enough..

juggling the Campervan lifestyle is a lot more challenging than Insta makes it look!

The Art of Finishing.

Last year my art practice was scattered at best… experimental.

Lots of pieces started and not many finished! and those that were finished were definitely a dash to the finish line.

The pieces sit around the studio looking at me for months. Ideas lying around everywhere.

This year I want to finish things.

I learned that ;

• I need to have discipline introduced into my art practice, to protect my studio time.

• I need to have protected time to make art.

• I struggle to invest long hours into 1 piece.

My project for 2024 is simple really

52 pieces

104 hours

2 hours a week , 1 hour to start and one hour to finish. .

Mittens Patterns inspired by Bernie Sanders

My social media has been filled by pictures of men in mittens this week, inspiring me to trawl through my collection of vintage patterns. I must have a pattern there somewhere…..

I have posted what I found in my stash, taken from Golden Threads… enjoy.

Heres the story of the mittens …..

““Bernie Sanders’ mittens may have become the unexpected must-have fashion accessory of Joe Biden’s inauguration, but those hoping to steal the Vermont senator’s look are in for a disappointment. The teacher who made them and gave them to Sanders says she has none for sale.

The mittens that sparked hundreds of internet memes were made from repurposed sweaters and recycled plastic by Jen Ellis, 42, a second grade teacher who lives in Essex Junction, Vermont, just outside of Burlington, where Sanders was mayor in the 1980s.

“I don’t have any mittens to sell. I don’t really do it a lot any more. I’m flattered that they want them, but there are lots of people on Etsy who sell them and hopefully people will get some business from them. But I’m not going to quit my day job,” Ellis told the Jewish Insider in an interview on Wednesday night.

McConnell proposes delaying Trump’s trial as Biden details Covid strategy – as it happened
She explained that the demand had been overwhelming. “I am a second grade teacher, and I’m a mom, and all that keeps me really busy. There’s no possible way I could make 6,000 pairs of mittens, and every time I go into my email, another several hundred people have emailed me.”

She went on to say: “I hate to disappoint people, but the mittens, they’re one-of-a-kind and they’re unique and sometimes in this world, you just can’t get everything you want.”

“It’s been unexpected,” she said of their sudden social media fame. “He must really like them if he chose to wear them.”

Ellis said she was not a regular social media user, and had struggled to remember the login for her Twitter account.”

— https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/21/bernie-sanders-mittens-not-for-sale

Making the future...Shades of Place - WIP Blog

Making the Future is a major new cultural heritage project delivered by a consortium of partners, the Nerve Centre, National Museums Northern Ireland, Public Record Office of Northern Ireland and Linen Hall Library.

Shades of Place is a new online programme where you will explore archival maps and stories whilst learning to master the art of hand embroidery and eco-dyeing thread. 

Drawing from inspiration from the archives and your local surroundings, you will get the opportunity to use your new creative skills to contribute to a collaborative postcard map of Northern Ireland and border counties to share with future generations. 

Session 1 - Maps as storytelling with Garrett Carr

Place

This is my studio wall.. it has been like this for at least 3 years… gathering up phrases, statements and inspiration centred around my place, which is Bangor, Northern Ireland.

I have used maps in my own art making since I participated in a 2 day workshop with textile artists Rosie James… using maps, tearing them up and stitching into them felt… destructive.. these documents are official, they tell us where to go & what our journey looks like, we follow them without question.

Using the lines from maps make it instantly recognisable as of a place…

Postcards

I’ve been making postcard sized art recently. It is accessible…

The postcards I created with Rosie, where inspired by. and reflected on Brighton, a place referenced many times in Bangor’s new/future identity.. “The Brighton of Northern Ireland”

Maps

In his first lecture Garrat ask “what will you map”.. my instant response was where do people connect with the sea, where do they get there feet wet and how do they do that.

Imagined Maps

These 3 pieces are created out of the process of experimenting. Using inks and water to make initial marks… and let it flow where is wants. The inks creates tidal marks that I have interpreted into maps.

Experimenting with the stitches to represent icons… greenery, trees, rocks, landscape height, boats, swimmers, borders and edges.

Imagined Maps - Black. Inks on found cotton/linen

Green Imagined Map . Ink on Silk

Imagined Maps - Blue on Found Cotton Hand Towel

Natural Dying

Natural dying results and stitching ideas.

Petals Project

Along with the rest of the world, my work has stepped onto digital platforms in 2020.
This opened up opportunities to get back to making art, completely process focused, with no expectations of what would be created.

The original "Petals", (currently on display in Boom Studios on Main Street, Bangor Northern Ireland) was created through a digital abstract art class.

The platform we used was Zoom, which at the time had some issues.

These issues appeared on my screen when I attended a group call, which was "ZoomBombed", interrupting a live feed and sharing disturbing, upsetting images.

My purpose is "making things.making things better".
This troubling experience motivated me to pull it into a positive. That this experience would have a better outcome than haunting imagery.

I pushed & pulled the image created in the online class to a final point, echoing the viral theme of 2020 into a floral abstract piece.

The original work is on Hahnemuhle Aquarell 425g/m acid free.
30cmx40cm, with Liquitex Inks, finished with Uni Posca and Liquitex pouring medium.

I have created 3 x art products now available in my online shop
100% of the profit of sales of this range will be donated to the NSPCC to support their work with children.

Petals Print

from £16.00

“Petals” offered on museum-quality posters made on thick and durable matte paper. Add a wonderful accent to your room and office with these posters that are sure to brighten any environment.

This range is part of the “Petals’ Project created during the 2020 Lockdown.

You can read the story behind this piece here

• Paper thickness: 10.3 mil
• Paper weight: 5.57 oz/y² (189 g/m²)
• Giclée printing quality
• Opacity: 94%

Size:

Select Size 12×16 16×20

Add to cart

Petals Enamel Mug

£17.00

“Petals” Enamel Mug

Every happy camper needs a unique camper mug. It's lightweight, durable and multifunctional. Use it for your favorite beverage or a hot meal, and attach it to your bag for easy access on a hike.

You can read the story behind this art product here

• Material: Enamel
• Dimensions: height 3.14″ (8 cm), diameter 3.54″(9 cm)
• White coating with a silver rim
• Hand-wash only
• Blank product sourced from China

Attention! Don't heat liquids or food directly in the mug—it can damage the coating.

Add to cart

Standard Postcard

£2.50

These postcards are made from thick high-quality matte paper, so they serve as a great addition to a gift or just a thoughtful written note to a friend.

You can read the story behind this piece here
• 4/4 full bleed
• 300 GSM
• Paper thickness: 0.13″ (0.34 mm)
• Laminated feel
• White matte back with a small QR code or a bar code
• Blank product sourced from the US

Add to cart

What would you mend?

The ideas of repair, fixing , hacking and mending appeal to me.  It is a thread that weaves through my creative work… from my experience and skills working with clothing and fabrics.... be it a building or a pair of Toms, it can be fixed.

Repairing something  breaths new life into it, changing it for ever, maybe even changing how it is used. 

Kintsugi is the Japanese art of reparing with gold, the item that was worthless is now valuable, the cracks are highlighted with golden, sparking slivers, a new set of skills has handled the item, changing it forever. 

The Sketchbook Project , Brooklyn Art Library

"The Art of Repair" is to slow down and to enjoy the process of repairing something. This will make it special & rewarding. You are building a history into the garment, making it special.

Went to the @openhousefestival showcase in @sercbangor few weeks ago..just finished the #sketchnote

Reduce/Revalue/Rethink

I find myself within a dilemma, I have the ideas, i have the studio space so why aren’t I starting. I find myself with reasons not to begin and am preferring to spend my time thinking and shearing my work to date.

I now understand a bit more about why I chose not to leave Project 24 as Eoin arrived. The past few weeks have been challenging. Returning to my personal 3 R’s

Reduce … my workload  through…. Revalue … of what I do and…..Rethink.

Is it OK to be small ?  ( Small is the new big or it was in 2005.)

I recently received mentoring from Carrie Neely. She is in the business of Art, well known and respected,  she happily shared her knowledge  and experience. True to her aim of “of helping emerging local artists make a name for themselves’

The workshop presented key considerations about my work and how I talk about it and link the different threads together.

I have returned to a jigsaw that I produce a few years ago that forced me to think about my personal motivations.  

Being pod-less for a few weeks has given me space to try an work out how i blend my different projects together so that my different output make sense.

What Leadership Looks Like.

jeremywaite:

Reading a lot about leadership today after reviewing a few of my favourite authors ~ John C. Maxwell, Hugh Macleod, Simon Sinek, Peter Drucker, Tom Peters, Rick Warren, Marty Neumeier and Tony Hseih.

John Maxwell gave me the title for the book that I haven’t written yet ~ “Follow Me, I’m Right Behind You (Leading from the middle of the pack)”. It was going to be the title of his book but his publisher preferred 360* Leader as it was easier to “brand”. I think it’s a GREAT title.

…If ever a sentence said a thousand words.

Just like Hugh’s five GapingVoid cartoons here. I think they sum up leadership better than most of the leadership / business books I’ve ever read.

Marty Neumeier wrote a tiny book called Brand Gap (voted one of the top 100 business books of all time) ~ the entire book was built around one sentence. Challenging business leaders to fill in the gaps;

My __________ is the only ___________ that ________________.

Many leaders within some of the worlds largest companies still struggle to find their own version of that sentence. Just having that one sentence up your sleeve will save you in many an interview / creative brainstorm or strategy session.

Sinek says exactly the same thing using different words ~ “What’s your purpose? Why do you do what you do? Why does your company exist?”

Rick Warren challenges us to live a purpose driven life that stands for something larger than ourselves.

I had a conversation with Brian Solis recently after he posted his own leadership challenge ~ “What Fo You Stand For?” #WDYSF ~ debating the notion that “what we stand for is more important than what we sell…”

After thinking long and hard about what I thought I stood for in business, the conclusion I came to was ~ I want to help brands stand for something larger than themselves.

I love Simon Sinek’s purpose ~ “I inspire others to do what inspires them”.

Peter Drucker’s purpose was to inspire managers to become leaders. He said, “Management is doing things right. Leadership is doing the right things”.

Everything revolves around purpose. Especially in leadership. Why do you even want to be a leader? Seth Godin throws down seven BIG questions to challenge a leader’s purpose ~

1. Do you let the facts get in the way of a good story?
2. What do you do with people who disagree with you… do you call them names in order to shut them down?
3. Are you open to multiple points of view or you demand compliance and uniformity?
4. Are you willing to walk away from a project or customer or employee who has values that don’t match yours?
5. Is it okay if someone else gets the credit?
6. How often are you able to change your position?
7. Do you have a goal that can be reached in multiple ways?

They’re good questions worth taking the time to mull over, especially if you consider yourself a leader. Having followers these days doesn’t mean as much as it used to because Twitter seems to have diluted its meaning. Real leaders will ALWAYS be defined by their followers (or lack of)…

“A leader with no one following them is just someone talking a walk”. John C. Maxwell

It’s all really good stuff. I must have read the words of some of these guys 100 times. Granted there is a bit of fluff and a lot of cheese here, but their words still feel as relevant and challenging to me as the first time I read them…

Never. Stop. Learning.

#lush

Studio - less

De-podded …un-podded…podless…from @project24ni today, after 12 months and 1 baby. No idea what to do now! #crazystudio

Bangor Made

bettydoesbangor:

Bangor Made …

The Interruption

The Interuption.

I like an interruption, but disruption is better.

It changes the journey and sends you to an unexpected door.

One year ago, I ( we) was disrupted.  I was gaining confidence, being self employed  and getting somewhere.

The disruption is now 5 months old and asleep next to me.  

He has given me a moment to reflect, a pause in a busy time, which I would never have given myself.

Think Place First

Love being back in the #pinkpod !! (at Project 24)

Follow Me, I'm Right Behind You: The 80 Rules of Social Media

jeremywaite:

The inventor of the web as we know it, Sir Tim Berners-Lee said recently that his next mission was “to bring about world peace”. Seriously. He believes that if people talk to each other, listen and understand each others problems, then they are less likely to shoot each other.

So in order to…

Repair is part of the process

#repair is part of the #UniCycle process @project24ni.