statement
"My work is about line, a lifeline ((from a Border(line) upbringing?)) if you will. It is representational (I am a bit of a traditionalist). Form is made with lines rather than shading. I rarely erase, “mistakes” are memories of where the subject shifts or tethers to the air. I prefer to draw from life, as it has well, more life, and you can tell. I also paint, where I have found the line flowing from childhood doodles, where I started, to scenes and people of my local area."
bio
Geraldine largely works representationally, both personal work and to commission. She paints landscapes and the figure, in oils and watercolour. Her first residency - Print - in Creative Spark, in her native Dundalk, in 2022 explored the interplay between word and image, life experience and wellbeing, using different processes. She has a Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication from NCAD.
For graphic design (her day job) she trades as Realign Design - realigned is an anagram of her name. She has worked with local authority, education sector, non-profits, creatives and communities, creating illustrative visuals; in common with all, a “sense of place.”
By the time she was four, she had a lump on the end of the middle
finger on her right hand where the pencil pressed in. Then at seven, a
first prize - a box of Quality Street for a drawing of Zacchaeus up his
tree. (It transpired these were to share around). A year later a move across the Irish Sea (to the wetter island) found her doodling on copy books and across desks, with biro. (Periodically the headmaster at Shelagh School gave her sandpaper and washing up liquid and told her to scrub).
She is a former Jimmy Smyth Award recipient. Whilst in college she won a competition to design the new Bank of Ireland MasterCard, which made its way into a quarter of a million wallets.
She is a member of AAEX (Art As Exchange), an artist's collective based at Creative Spark, Dundalk. In 2022 she joined a panel of AAEX members delivering a series of art workshops in conjunction with Chime, facilitated by an ISL interpreter. She is a member of the Creative Spark print studio.
She has exhibited in group shows at An Táin, Dundalk, Íontas, Castleblayney, Dundalk Town Centre, United Arts Club and Trinity Arts Workshop, Dublin. She was named as an emerging writer by the Argus newspaper for short story, "Moving Things," published in the 2020 Ireland's Own Anthology.
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EDUCATION
1993 - 1997
National College of Art & Design, 100 Thomas Street, Dublin.
Qualification: Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication.
1988 - 1993
St Louis Secondary School, Castletown Road, Dundalk, Co. Louth.
Qualification: Leaving Certificate with five honours.
AWARDS
2022: Cooperative Housing Ireland Christmas art competition winner.
1996: Bank of Ireland MasterCard design winner.
1991: Jimmy Smyth Perpetual Trophy.
BUSINESS AWARDS (with Graphic Index Ltd)
2001: Overall winners, Offaly County Enterprise Board Awards.
2001: Finalists, National Enterprise Board Awards.
2001: Finalists, Ericsson Midlands Business Excellence Awards.
GROUP ART EXHIBITIONS
2022: ‘Dwell,’ Creative Spark Artist Residents, An Táin, Dundalk.
2021 & 22: ‘Awash With Colour,’ AAEX, Íontas Castleblayney & An Táin, Dundalk.
2020: ‘How We Live Now,’ An Táin Virtual Exhibition, Dundalk.
2019: AAEX, Installation, ‘Frostival,’ Clanbrassil St. Dundalk.
2018: AAEX, Long Walk Shopping Centre, Dundalk.
2018: M’anam, ‘Through the Eyes of a Child’, Creative Spark.
2019, 14, 13,12: Life drawing, United Arts Club, Dublin.
2012: Trinity Arts Workshop life drawing, Dublin.
2013: Ranelagh Arts Festival, Art in the Windows.
ART RESIDENCIES
2022: Two month residency in the Print Studio, Creative Spark.
WORKSHOPS
2022: Delivered two art workshops in An Táin, Dundalk and Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda respectively with an Irish Sign Lanaguage Interpreter, A joint AAEX-Chime initiative. .
WRITING
2020: Short story, ‘Moving Things,’ selected for Ireland’s
Own Anthology 2020.
1993 - 1997
National College of Art & Design, 100 Thomas Street, Dublin.
Qualification: Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication.
1988 - 1993
St Louis Secondary School, Castletown Road, Dundalk, Co. Louth.
Qualification: Leaving Certificate with five honours.
AWARDS
2022: Cooperative Housing Ireland Christmas art competition winner.
1996: Bank of Ireland MasterCard design winner.
1991: Jimmy Smyth Perpetual Trophy.
BUSINESS AWARDS (with Graphic Index Ltd)
2001: Overall winners, Offaly County Enterprise Board Awards.
2001: Finalists, National Enterprise Board Awards.
2001: Finalists, Ericsson Midlands Business Excellence Awards.
GROUP ART EXHIBITIONS
2022: ‘Dwell,’ Creative Spark Artist Residents, An Táin, Dundalk.
2021 & 22: ‘Awash With Colour,’ AAEX, Íontas Castleblayney & An Táin, Dundalk.
2020: ‘How We Live Now,’ An Táin Virtual Exhibition, Dundalk.
2019: AAEX, Installation, ‘Frostival,’ Clanbrassil St. Dundalk.
2018: AAEX, Long Walk Shopping Centre, Dundalk.
2018: M’anam, ‘Through the Eyes of a Child’, Creative Spark.
2019, 14, 13,12: Life drawing, United Arts Club, Dublin.
2012: Trinity Arts Workshop life drawing, Dublin.
2013: Ranelagh Arts Festival, Art in the Windows.
ART RESIDENCIES
2022: Two month residency in the Print Studio, Creative Spark.
WORKSHOPS
2022: Delivered two art workshops in An Táin, Dundalk and Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda respectively with an Irish Sign Lanaguage Interpreter, A joint AAEX-Chime initiative. .
WRITING
2020: Short story, ‘Moving Things,’ selected for Ireland’s
Own Anthology 2020.
TRAINING
2020: Introduction to Printmaking, Creative Spark.
2016 - 2017: Virtual Incubation Programme
Delivered in Creative Spark with the Regional Development
Centre, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Dundalk.
2015 - 2016: Wellness Recovery Action Planning
(WRAP) Levels 1 & 2
Cluain Mhuire, Newtownpark Avenue, Blackrock, Co. Dublin.
2006: 8 Week Business Management for Women
2020: Introduction to Printmaking, Creative Spark.
2016 - 2017: Virtual Incubation Programme
Delivered in Creative Spark with the Regional Development
Centre, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Dundalk.
2015 - 2016: Wellness Recovery Action Planning
(WRAP) Levels 1 & 2
Cluain Mhuire, Newtownpark Avenue, Blackrock, Co. Dublin.
2006: 8 Week Business Management for Women
Louth County Enterprise Board, Mill Street, Dundalk.
2006: 6 Week Business Management Course
2006: 6 Week Business Management Course
Offaly County Enterprise Board, Aras an Chontae, Tullamore.
CLIENTS/PROJECTS
CLIENT: Creative Spark | 2018 - 2020
PROJECT: Louth Community Tapestry
Illustrator for this Creative Ireland project, an embroidered 150cm square of Irish linen, launched in 2019. A series of public workshops, led by a storyteller brought out themes of legend, social history and industry. Volunteer stitchers realised the final piece under the direction of a textile artist.
PROJECT/CLIENT: Polio Survivors Ireland | 2017 +
Rebranding a renamed Post Polio Support Group. 2021 redesigned flagship book “Polio & Us,” - of survivors’ stories.This charity supports polio survivors and those experiencing the ‘late effects’ of polio. The name change better facilitated its remit.
CLIENT: Monaghan Tidy Towns | 2016
PROJECT: Patrick Kavanagh mural at Ulster Canal Greenway
84 foot mural on a wooden fence featuring Kavanagh and the poem ‘Canal Bank Walk in acrylic.
PROJECT: Louth Community Tapestry
Illustrator for this Creative Ireland project, an embroidered 150cm square of Irish linen, launched in 2019. A series of public workshops, led by a storyteller brought out themes of legend, social history and industry. Volunteer stitchers realised the final piece under the direction of a textile artist.
PROJECT/CLIENT: Polio Survivors Ireland | 2017 +
Rebranding a renamed Post Polio Support Group. 2021 redesigned flagship book “Polio & Us,” - of survivors’ stories.This charity supports polio survivors and those experiencing the ‘late effects’ of polio. The name change better facilitated its remit.
CLIENT: Monaghan Tidy Towns | 2016
PROJECT: Patrick Kavanagh mural at Ulster Canal Greenway
84 foot mural on a wooden fence featuring Kavanagh and the poem ‘Canal Bank Walk in acrylic.
PROJECT: Co. Monaghan Public Participation Network
Identity and communication.
CLIENT: Monaghan County Council | 2013 +
PROJECT: Ulster Canal Greenway, identity
Dual language logos for trail-head, directional and fingerpost signage. Fliers & illustrated guide.
“We wanted the Ulster Canal Greenway to be strongly associated with the unique role the canal plays as a wildlife corridor and the special asset it presents in terms of 80 years’ uncultivated growths-worth of a seed bed accumulated on its banks... strongly associated with the environmental sustainability agenda... we had a really strong design brief, which led to a really strong logo for the project. Well, we think so, anyway!” SO: www.ulstercanalgreenway.com
CLIENT: Patrick Kavanagh Centre | 2013 - 2019
PROJECT: Inniskeen Road July Evening Festival
Identity & communication.
The “King of blooming things” gets the girl, for once. Winner Best Small Festival in Co. Monaghan Award in 2014.
CLIENT: O Fiaich Institute, Dundalk | 2019 +
PROJECT: Prospectus, Nightclasses Fliers, Signage
A range of promotional material for this PLC and nightclasses provider.
Dual language logos for trail-head, directional and fingerpost signage. Fliers & illustrated guide.
“We wanted the Ulster Canal Greenway to be strongly associated with the unique role the canal plays as a wildlife corridor and the special asset it presents in terms of 80 years’ uncultivated growths-worth of a seed bed accumulated on its banks... strongly associated with the environmental sustainability agenda... we had a really strong design brief, which led to a really strong logo for the project. Well, we think so, anyway!” SO: www.ulstercanalgreenway.com
CLIENT: Patrick Kavanagh Centre | 2013 - 2019
PROJECT: Inniskeen Road July Evening Festival
Identity & communication.
The “King of blooming things” gets the girl, for once. Winner Best Small Festival in Co. Monaghan Award in 2014.
CLIENT: O Fiaich Institute, Dundalk | 2019 +
PROJECT: Prospectus, Nightclasses Fliers, Signage
A range of promotional material for this PLC and nightclasses provider.
CLIENT/PROJECT: St Brigids Pipe Band Dundalk | 2022 +
Identity and communication.
Identity and communication.
