Abbey Art Studios is a working art studio and our motto is “Fun, Inspiring Creativity!”
Classes are available mornings, evenings and online. The atmosphere is friendly, informal and comfortable (the most important ingredient in the creative process – you have to feel ‘at home’ and relaxed).
The style of tutoring aims to celebrate the good points of everyone’s work, and develops paths for each individual to improve. Every artist is different, and therefore every artwork is different too. We provide a variety of courses to suit all lifestyles and levels of learning.
Susan Farrelly is an artist and educator with a strong interest in collaborative interactions and place, identity, embodiment and the senses. She works with a variety of materials, and of her most recent work has been site-specific and relational, and has invited public participation.
Susan teaches painting, observation skills, and creative reflection. She also runs painting and drawing, mixed media workshops with Abbey Art Studios, across Leinster.
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It has always been my mission to provide accessible art education to all age groups who wish to learn more, fun inspiring creativity is my motto. As technology allows us more ways to connect it seemed like the right time to offer some more opportunities to learn together online.
I regard the things I make as tools, relational objects. The morning I arrive in Listoke I draw the objects into position. I ...
11 May, 2021
Ellis and Bochner (2000) define as “…an autobiographical genre of writing that displays multiple layers of consci...
21 April, 2021
Assembling the ‘girdle’ is a slow, small, quiet job. The stitches must be strong and unseen to anchor the strips ...
12 April, 2021
References Notes about Red Flannel from previous research 1800’s onwards, in those days many folk wore red flannel as u...
10 April, 2021
I wrote my way through February and March. I gathered all the writing that came out of me and put it ON something. I was obje...
01 April, 2021
Mold, replica, plaster, shape, embodiment, copy, cast. Hand as tool, hand as drawing implement. Death masks and life casts. I...
11 March, 2021
As part of my materials kit for my ‘This is Tomorrow Project’ I constructed 16 x 2m lengths of dyed recycled flag...
23 February, 2021
There is something that drives me, from the gut or belly to take a material and make with it. I’ve been responding to m...
13 February, 2021
From session with Hayley 1st Feb 2021 The following quote is in reference to Schrag (2003) and his unpacking of Praxis/Poiesi...
02 February, 2021
Giving up the ghost is an intriguing phrase. If an idea/thing/machine isn’t working, it gives up the ghost. My initial ...
01 February, 2021
“Curiosity about the object of knowledge and the willingness and openness to engage theoretical readings and discussion...
17 January, 2021
On the last making day in 2020 I began the design and construction of an object with the salvaged baby wipes from the Craobh ...
17 January, 2021
In this quote from the book The Meaning of Things: domestic symbols and the self (1981), Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi states: Cher...
09 January, 2021
I explore gently tethered things. It is done through the objects I make, the drawings I create, the collaborative workshops w...
30 November, 2020
I set the relational objects up in the sitting room at home when the project in Craobh Rua was complete. I identified it as s...
13 November, 2020
How do images reflect your thinking? Drawings are how I unpack ideas and themes. Photographs are how I document. Painting and...
10 November, 2020
AAEX Performative making session one happened on Wednesday 28th October 2020. It was a proposal I submitted inspired by Kimbe...
02 November, 2020
How does Christian art depict women and their bodies? Our agreed provocation took me on a trip into history, lived and read. ...
26 October, 2020Chapter 5 in the book ‘On Dialogue’ had a particular relevance to me. A further look at slippages of role in my p...
23 October, 2020
Chapter 6 Participatory thought and the unlimited Words in bold extracted from chapter 6 – On Dialogue. My slippage of ...
15 October, 2020
Documentation of box in progress. The outside was varnished. I left the inside blank, hope to capture some new lines in there...
18 September, 2020
Find 3 things……. (Found that I had to establish rules with myself: steered away from my previous red things (Red ...
17 September, 2020
Envoi Imprisoned by four walls (to the North, the crystal of non-knowledge a landscape to be invented to the South, reflectiv...
30 August, 2020
The Reliquary box was delivered on the 29th of April and collected on the 8th of May. During this time Amber, Kai and Sarah p...
25 May, 2020
I am always exploring ways to use my interactive objects and sculptures by creating encounters. I have reached out to th...
14 April, 2020
One speaks of individuality, two speaks of duality and 3 speaks of otherness. Triple symbols are prevalent in ancient culture...
30 March, 2020
The 18th March is known as Síle’s Day in Ireland. A long forgotten and un-celebrated Saints day following St. Patrick&#...
20 March, 2020My practice uses a collaborative approach with participants, space for encounters with soft sculptural objects to interact wi...
19 March, 2020
The presentation is available to view on the gdrive. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/13d4Lu1AFfZcZGkqHiCCmHYgRFyO3vtAl...
18 March, 2020
The use of the materials attempts to capture and deliver desired outcomes for audience: Babies: Puzzle, play, touch Mot...
09 March, 2020
I installed a hook in the ceiling of the studio to use as a suspension point for the next part of the TYB project. To utilize...
09 March, 2020
The labyrinth rug was based on a ink drawing, the trace of the brush marks are still evident despite the digital printing met...
09 March, 2020
While waiting on tenants to leave the Creative Spark building on Tuesday night so I could lock up, I spotted a little booklet...
20 February, 2020
This sentence triggered a series of memories which, for me encapsulated the doing and saying of ritual. The context of Valent...
15 February, 2020
Today I had the pleasure of having 7 of the little artists to the studio who created the initial drawing on the white cape. I...
09 February, 2020
Things are progressing nicely with the TYB Craobh Rua project, inside and outside the studio. Two of our artists met for with...
04 February, 2020
In November I explored ways of honoring the work of the Drawn Mantle Makers – the children who filled the white cape wi...
18 January, 2020
I was first introduced to Derek via Chroma, his book on colour and I was hooked. His writing style, so visual and poetic brou...
15 January, 2020
During the time the ‘Cloaked’ ( see previous post dated 3.12.19) installation was live I spoke at length with an ...
04 January, 2020
As a group we set ourselves the challenge of designing and producing a catalogue of the show. We wanted to preserve the show ...
07 December, 2019
20 artists from our group have worked together for 3 months with a curator Anne Mager. We obtained the use of a building that...
03 December, 2019
These are my RITUAL patterns of my making in the studio – neolithic marks, a language, labyrinths – a journey ins...
02 December, 2019“Why is Banksy allowed to write on walls?” was a question I was asked once by a wonderfully curious 9 year old. A...
15 November, 2019
November 9th arrived. We met on site at 11.30am, it was my first time being on site having only seen the space virtually. Bui...
14 November, 2019
Manifesto for performance with multiple capes. Blanket Cape Circumference (Elena) Cloak Clothe Cloud Conceal Cover Curtain Di...
24 October, 2019
Gathering, Cataloging, making, fusing together, being tethered – cutting cloaked, drape My tutorial was spent discussin...
23 October, 2019
Words emerging from work, where to put them? Other artists that use words, that seem most relevant to me now (as they doing u...
13 September, 2019
” I would open my heart and carry it in my hand so that others may know also; for there is no deeper desire than the de...
29 August, 2019
After the work submission deadline and the physical submission of the ‘box’ I was catching up on life things. I a...
12 June, 2019
2019 The Mapping the territory project began my close investigation of my practice as it stands now. I have been working for ...
12 May, 2019
I came across this exhibition in The Butler Gallery, Kilkenny. Originally from El Paso Texas, Reveles lives and works in Wick...
25 April, 2019
“I’ve told you my name, now learn my shape, though you already understand it in part. Every doorwa...
23 March, 2019
These are the two images I feel work best out of the batch that I took. Wrapping thread and rags around a tree is an old paga...
04 March, 2019
A strip of light fractures the otherwise dark surface of the stone. Split in two but still whole. Rough hewn. Larger flat sid...
01 March, 2019
Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda Co. Louth In the 1940’s this was a church where my father served mass as an altar boy. He l...
15 February, 2019
Having glued a pair of the little people onto a piece of card I used various light sources to make different cast shadow imag...
13 February, 2019
My brother sent me this article yesterday. And Bob also sent me the link after I posted this, how’s that for delicious ...
04 February, 2019
While creating the map I stumbled across 3 different artists that visually gelled with the appearance of my own. Robert Fludd...
27 January, 2019
So after I stuck down all the bits, the act of sticking and being with it triggered more thoughts. Seen here in black marker ...
22 January, 2019
During a power cut I took the quiet time to brain dump initial thoughts into my notebook. When I scribbled the word ‘sy...
15 January, 2019
I had great intentions of getting to the Tate during our three day trip to London but the realities of maneuvering 8 kids aro...
10 January, 2019
This idea surfaced in the ‘sitting in the labyrinth’ phase. To create a series of mono-prints that might capture ...
10 January, 2019
Folds have always been a source of pleasure for me. Folds of flesh, fabric, undulating landscapes, enveloping, uni-directiona...
10 January, 2019
When my term of taught workshops and classes end in the studio I relish the time I have to myself. I try to catch up with my ...
19 December, 2018
When the tiny plastic people arrived last week in the post I wanted to revisit the red wax labyrinth model again. In many way...
11 December, 2018
I (M+C)*(N-VR)-C=F Intention, materials and construction, narrative and view/reflect minus changes = Finishedness For me inte...
24 November, 2018
Not to be confused with a maze,a labyrinth is about a journey. A quest. It’s so apt that Sally suggested it to me as a ...
21 November, 2018
Neolithic Art (dating back over 5000 years), particularly the symbolism in mark making and their sculptural forms hold a huge...
16 November, 2018
These photos were taken of crumpled wax papers back lit using a red light. in my call with Sally I sought her help and feedba...
12 November, 2018
So it’s Saturday night, time to kick back and relax with your husband on the bank holiday………. or do y...
30 October, 2018“
‘I have been a student of Susan’s for many years now. I took up Art when I retired, that was a wonderful decision. Painting (art) is so relaxing, you can do it in groups or on your own. I was very lucky Susan was my early tutor, as she is so encouraging and patient. She is a brilliant teacher and can see the different strengths in each student. Art has been a wonderful hobby during the cocooning. I would highly recommend Abbey Art Studios.’
Kate, Co. Louth
“
I thoroughly enjoyed the art classes I attended in Abbey Art Studios Co. Louth. There is a lovely warm and safe atmosphere created in the class that suits every level. The time flies with Susan’s experience and good humour. Abbey art studios opened a creative side in me I didn’t even know was there. It became therapeutic and I transferred the things I learned to other areas of my life. Thank you Susan for sharing your gift.
Olivia, Drogheda
