8 & 9 June 2012 | 10am- 5pm on 8th June | 11am – 4pm on 9th June | Google Sketch Up will be a two day practical course, using this free open source software to plan, design, and produce a 3D virtual world of your gallery installation to scale. Sketch Up is a computer software used by designers and engineers to illustrate architectural and interior design plans in 3D where you are able to also navigate through this virtual space. For this workshop, the focus will be on using Sketch Up to design gallery/exhibition installations. Participants will be guided through the various drawing tools, effects and functions that Sketch Up has to offer. They will also be guided through how to animate their designs and virtually walk through their designed space which is a beneficial aid when illustrating installation plans to gallery curators for applications etc. Fee: E 70 (own laptop), E 80 (Fire Station iMac) | 12 places | www.firestation.ie/skills to print booking form | E: artadmin@firestation.ie | T: 01 8069010

19 May 2012 | 12 noon – 3.30pm | Art Hive is an artists’ group creating an Open Drawing Studio in the South Tipperary Arts Centre. Drop-in and stay as long as you want, try out different drawing techniques, access a variety of art materials and subject matter. Work on your own or avail of one-to-one guidance from professional artists. E 3 materials donation. | www.arthivegroup.blogspot.com

18 – 23 June 10am-4pm | Six day course on painting the Portrait in oils by Academic artist Donal Murray. Learn a step by step block in approach using a limited palette technique. Contact Donal Murray at T: 087 4113618 | E: dmurrayart@hotmail.com. Suitable for beginners and experienced artist with drawing skills. Workshop limited to 10 persons only

16th May 2012 | 9am – 12noon | Image Supply Systems in association with Adobe will host a presentation of the newly launched Adobe Creative Suite 6 on Wednesday 16th May in the Morrison Hotel, Dublin city centre. Adobe® Creative Suite® 6 software delivers a whole new experience for digital media creation, enabling you to work lightning fast and reach audiences wherever they may be.  The showcase will include demonstrations of the latest features with John Cole, Adobe Solution Consultant – Digital Media. This is a complimentary event but due to limited places, booking is required. To register your place, please email caroline@imagesupplysystems.com | www.imagesupplysystems.com

Intermediate Printmaking Workshop | Sat 9 & Sun 10 June | 10.30 – 17.00 | Tutor: Gráinne Dowling
In this intermediate workshop, participants will build on their previous experience to explore various techniques associated with etching and drypoint, including hard and soft etching. Participants will use these skills to produce their personally designed prints and are asked to bring along images as source material. Cost: E 150 (Max. 5 people)

Encaustic Painting Workshop | Sat 16 June | 10.30 – 16.30 | Tutor: Bláithín Quinn | Encaustic painting, also known as ‘Hot Wax’ painting was used in ancient Greece and Egypt to depict mythology and to colour marble. In this experimental workshop, participants will mix pigments with molten beeswax and paraffin wax to create textured and colourful paintings. Cost: E 60 (Max. 12 people)

Experimental Paper Art & Papermaking Workshop | Sunday 17 June | 11.00 – 17.00 | Tutor: Tunde Toth | This workshop is designed for participants with some previous experience in hand papermaking, paper arts and/or silk fibre papermaking. Participants will be introduced to techniques for three-dimensional and sculptural projects as well as using wax and batik processes, fibre scorching, stitching, sewing and collage work. Cost: E 70 (Max. 8 people)

Mosaic-making Workshop | Sunday 24 June | 11.00 – 16.30 | Tutor: Andi McGarry | Create beautiful mosaic pieces in this introductory workshop. Learn about colour arrangement, techniques and design. Participants are welcome to bring along a simple design to work with. Cost: E 60 (Max. 10 people)

Cardmaking Workshop | Saturday 30 June | 10.30 – 16.00 | Tutor: Ann Cannon | Design and create beautiful, unique cards using a variety of materials and craft techniques. Participants are welcome to bring along craft pieces to incorporate into their cards if desired. Cost: E 50 (Max. 10 people)

Letterpress Workshop: Letterheads | Sunday 1 July | 11.00 – 16.00 | Tutor: Conrad Devlin | Discover the fascinating techniques of traditional letterpress printing in this workshop. Learn the fundamentals of typesetting and letterpress printing while creating and printing personalised letterheads. Designed for those without prior printing experience, this workshop will cover. Cost: E 55 (Max. 7 people) | www.nationalprintmuseum.ie

May 19th 2-4pm | If we were called as artists to give testimony, of our reason for the hope we have, could we answer? Testimony is a term traditionally used in Christian religion to describe the sharing of how one became a Christian or a particular event where God has done something worth mentioning in one’s life. How did you become an artist? What drives you to continue your practice? What struggles have tested your hope?

You are invited to give testimony, but give it in a language that is accessible and does not hide behind the vagueness of some artistic expressions. What hope in art means in your lived experience and to share this with an understanding that the audience may not be used to the language of art. This work calls not for the polished presentation of an artist’s statement but an honest sharing of our beliefs. There are ten spaces available and each volunteer/participant will be asked to bring a witness for their testimony. Testimonies will be shared with the entire group. Each testimony will last up to ten minutes and light refreshments will be provided afterwards. The event will be documented as research. If you are interested in sharing please contact Julie at miller.julie83@gmail.com | www.makingsomethingsmallhappen.wordpress.com

A weekend course in wet felting will take place from 26th – 27th May 2012. The course will look at making flat pieces which can be made into a nice little bag, round balls, which can be used for jewellery making. We will also look at how to incorporate beads and buttons to add some detail to your pieces. The course will be taught by Teresa Downes. Teresa is a member of the crafts council of Ireland. The cost for the course is €30 including materials. Suitable for beginners. Anyone interested in registering for the course please contact Marjorie Carroll at: cloceardlann@eircom.net | T: 07491 – 62800 | www.clo.ie

It doesn’t matter if your camera is a compact point & shoot or an SLR; whether you’re an absolute beginner with no experience, or you’ve been photographing for years. This workshops is for everybody. From understanding how to use your camera effectively to seeing and capturing beautiful compositions, attending this course will answer all your questions and you’ll leave enthused and inspired and a better photographer! Maximum participants 6. Cost for the day including lunch: 65euro. For more information or to book : E: rhoda.cunningham@gmail.com | T: 0863201616

Patination and Finishing of Metal Workshop | Thur 31st May – Fri 1st June | Trainer: Keith Seybert | Course Fees: €140 (two days) | 10am to 5pm | Participants: 8 | Experience: Some basic experience required. Participants will learn safe effective cold-working procedure: cutting, grinding , carving, polishing, hand lapping, and sand blasting. Many helpful “tricks” and time saving “short cuts” will be demonstrated as applicable to this arduous, yet gratifying, process. Significant texts on patination of copper based metals will be made available for reference and discussion. Some basic patinas will be demonstrated. Please come with wellies and rain gear and a bronze object for patinating.

Refractory Mouldmaking for Kiln Cast Glass & Bronze Casting Workshop | Sat 2nd to Mon 4th June |
Trainer: Keith Seybert | Course Fees: €210 (three days) | 10am to 5pm | Participants: 8 | Experience: Some basic experience required. This in depth workshop covers the theory and techniques used in casting either bronze or glass. Tips for wax working, (pour cups, sprewing, gating, and venting) investment type refractory mould construction approaches (face-coats {brush on & splash}, Roman or Italian hand built, cores and poured monolithic) will be discussed with an aim towards enabling participants to “customize” their approach to fit their vision. Further info : www.leitrimsculpturecentre.ie

16 May for 6 weeks | Centre for Centre for Creative Practices, 15 Pembroke Street, Lower, Dublin | This is a Life Writing course over six weeks. We all have a story to tell, it is usually about ourselves, our lives, and those close to us. If you feel you have a tale to tell in the form of memoir, journal keeping, personal essays, short story or even through the medium of poetry this is the course for you. Life writing is a way of recording everyday life, it facilitates
the expression of feelings and a way of explaining life and events to ones self.

Think of writers such as Hugo Hamilton, Frank McCourt, Nuala O’Faolain, Alice Taylor and the powerful impact their books have had, yet most of them are just records of daily life, but daily life looked at anew and always with the human quest for meaning. The aim of the workshop will be to help you to complete a short piece of memoir. You are encouraged to have an idea for a piece of writing you wish to work on in the class. Everyone will have chance to have their work discussed. We will look to the works of established writers to help us with narrative, structure and techniques, subject matter and voice. This course is for anyone who wants to write, be they total beginners or further along with their writing and perhaps thinking of trying to publish. Members €115 / Non-members €130 | www.cfcp.ie