ArtsCare Exhibition – Feb.2023

I was lucky enough to have three assemblage boxes chosen to take part in this amazing local exhibiton. I was even happier to find that my sister Moyra Blayney had three of her newly created abstract pieces in the same show!

This is the 12th year of the Arts Care ‘Here & Now’ Arts Festival for Older people.
This Annual Arts Festival offers a unique opportunity for older people to participate in arts activities right across Northern Ireland.

The RIPE exhibition was open to independent amateur artists and professional artists.

RIPE Exhibition and Festival Theme
Each year a theme is established for the RIPE Exhibition and Here & Now Festival. The theme for the 2022/23 Festival is ‘Living Well, More Tales to Tell’. They asked participants to draw on the strong oral tradition in Ireland of passing on tales and stories from one generation to the next and invited them to celebrate, reflect and share their tales through the creative arts.

Within this exhibition I saw artworks in a variety of mediums from paintings to photography, felt making to sculpture but all with a common theme and a focus on …
•    Every artwork has a story to tell.
•    Reawakened feelings from long ago.
•    Passing a story from one generation to the next.
•    Capturing a moment.
•    The Environment /how people and places have changed/stories of rural landscapes, seascapes, and skyscapes.
•    A celebration of ‘My story to tell’, past, present, and future.
•    Abstract interpretation of ‘Living Well, More Tales to Tell’

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Close up on ‘Every Meal a Torture’

This was one of my favourite boxes, not only because of the colours that matched so perfectly but because it reflects my dislike of cooking! I wish I could enjoy the process as much as I enjoy the meals, but it was a title I found in an old 1920 or 30s magazine which gave me the idea for the box. I papered the box with vintage adverts and then added some found objects such as a large wooden spool, miniature rolling pin and added a Nebromax binding tape box (which has absolutely nothing to do with cooking) but fitted the look. The box itself is meant to hold keys and I finished off with my signature pocket watch and ended up keeping this one because I couldn’t part with it!

22.02.2022

If ever there was going to be a date to add a new post to my website it was today! I am so surprised that there have been so many views over the past couple of months. I am not sure why but it may be the story I wrote about discovering a new Joseph Cornell box via a visitor to my Facebook page! (Denise’s Boxes / Denise McDowell Art)

I was commissioned to complete a box as a bon voyage present just before Christmas and thankfully the customer was pleased with it.

My love of assemblage art goes on, I love to find new artists and add them to my Pinterest page.

A selection box of boxes!

Just for anyone finding my page for the first time I thought I would show you some of the boxes that I have made over the years. My very first box was included in the Royal Ulster Academy Exhibition which I didn’t realise at the time was very unusual for a new artist. It sold and I often wonder who bought it!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Treasure Uncovered! – A New Joseph Cornell Box

I was absolutely thrilled when a viewer to my Facebook page Denise’s Boxes / Denise McDowell Art contacted me during the week.

A lady by the name of Lana commented that she had actually met the assemblage artist Joseph Cornell many years ago, and not only that, he had given her one of his boxes as a present. Now, as most of you know, I am a huge admirer of this particular artist and have been inspired to create box assemblage pieces through his work.

To actually be able to ‘meet’ someone who spoke to him and received a gift from him is absolutely fascinating to me. Lana and I exchanged some messages and she has given me permission to tell her story on my blog and has provided me with some photographs to share.

As a 16 year old working in a store on Main Street, Flushing, Queens, NY, Lana lived only a few miles from Joseph Cornell. The store sold fabric and the artist would come in every now and then to buy fabric. She remembers him as ‘very quiet and polite’. He also asked if she and another girl would work part time cleaning his home – Lana says that unfortunately her mother would not give her permission but the other girl did work for him for a time. In her own words she says, “What a lost opportunity, can you imagine I would have been able to see inside his home and his unfinished works”. I agree!

Joseph Cornell presented Lana with a tiny box assemblage which she has treasured since 1966 and which shows on one side an image of a child, possibly a Medici print which have featured in many of his boxes. On the other side of the box is a simple stamp showing a seahorse. The box is papered inside and you can plainly see Cornell’s handwriting where he has dedicated and signed the artwork personally to Lana. Oh my goodness, how excited I was to see these photographs!

I really am honoured that Lana contacted me and feel that this is a very important find not only for Cornell followers but the world of art in general. I hope you get as much pleasure from looking at this tiny treasure as I (and Lana!) have had.

Arts Fest Belfast @artsfestbelfast

Thanks to local Belfast art initiative Arts Fest Belfast for including Denise’s Boxes in their Instagram online exhibition!

Please check it out and have a look at all the past artists that they have featured including Moyra Blayney Art

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ARTS FEST BELFAST (@artsfestbelfast)

Still thinking outside the box!

Earlier this year I held my first box making class, aren’t the results amazing!

I based mine on the musical ‘Six’ which is about on the six wives of Henry VIII. I love it and saw it in the West End last summer.

As it was centred on the Ann Boelyn character who wore green in the show I added a tiny light for moodiness!

A Delight of a Box! The challenge of commissions…

Last month one of my work colleagues asked if she could commission a box for her father’s upcoming 80th birthday.  I was very happy to oblige but it was also daunting to be given this major task as the box was going to be making its way half way around the world, to Brazil in fact!

I love to know as much about the person who will receive the box as possible and this gentleman really has lived an interesting life!  He was not only a dentist in the military, but had an amazing football career and a lifelong interest in ornithology – this was going to be interesting.  Thankfully his daughter had provided me with some gorgeous old photographs, memorabilia and the rest I was able to source for myself.

I began by papering the inside of the box with vintage inspired papers including some of birds native to South America, advertising papers from old dental magazines and maps of Brazil. I then placed the main photographic images in place having scanned, resized and aged them.  Of course I had to add a few of my signature elements such as a little watch and some game pieces!

The final touch was to place the special items such as medals and family photos into the assemblage and check the final look of the box before handing it over for delivery!  It was a real honour to make this special keepsake and I was so happy when it was received by my friend with such joy.

 

The People’s Painters – BBC2 NI 3rd Feb 10pm!! — See my twin’s appearance!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06zpj07

via The People’s Painters – BBC2 NI 3rd Feb 10pm!! — moyra blayney art

Cannot wait to see my twin sister, Moyra Blayney take part in this new BBC NI art show called ‘The People’s Painters’ which was filmed all over the Province during last summer.  All five amateur artists were chosen from over 100 applicants and their task is to paint three works based on Work, People and Places.  It is so nice to see some local talent on display and if you are interested in seeing more of Moyra’s amazing original art have a look at the Yard Gallery’s website – just put Moyra in the search bar! 

Mo’s first appearance on the BBC – when we both took part in Bargain Hunt a few years ago!

Mo uses all sorts of mediums – this is a collage using old Belfast receipts!

#One of Mo’s famous floral wreath paintings – get in touch if you would like to know how to paint one yourself!#This is Mo at the Hallows Gallery and Framing at their Untold Story Exhibition (not her painting by the way!)

‘Linenopolis’ in Hallows Gallery Summer Collection

So happy to get the news that another of my boxes has made it into the summer collection at The Hallows Gallery on the Ormeau Road in Belfast. This piece is based on the theme of ‘Linenopolis’ an old name for Belfast when it was the centre of the world’s linen industry. If you are passing the gallery call in and see it and all the other gorgeous works of art. It is a very friendly space and has a lovely relaxed atmosphere, check out their website! www.thehallowsgallery.com

 

Deaf Awareness Week – Art Session

My talented twin sister Moyra Blayney is forever using her teaching techniques to encourage others to explore their creative side.  Her student range from those from the deaf community, children’s groups, in store demonstrations with Sostrene Grene to 140 Harry Potter Fans at Leakycon Dublin!

moyra blayney art

Well…that’s another two hour teaching session under my belt!! 🙂  This time we had both deaf and hearing people painting together (with our BSL interpreter!) at a Deaf Awareness Week event.  We had a wonderful couple of hours using the Sostrene Grenes art materials!  We started out by drawing practice, then progressed to techniques of applying the watercolour paint and finally the small group produced some wonderful floral rings! It’s amazing to think that some of these people have never painted before!!  Wow…very impressed!  Well done x

View original post

Hallows Gallery – An Untold Story Exhibition – Preview Evening

Such a lovely evening on 12th April for the preview night at The Hallows Gallery in Belfast for their new exhibition, ‘An Untold Story’.   My box entitled ‘Miss Henderson’ was chosen to be part of it and I was thrilled that Moyra Blayney Art was able to join me to be my official photographer! (In the first photo you can see owner, Maebh who along with her husband Dylan put on an amazing night, thanks to them both!)

 

My box was placed in the perfect little nook under the amazing curved staircase and it was wonderful to see the reactions of visitors who sat down and peeked into see what it contained.

There are over fifty artworks in the exhibition with a percentage of the profits going to a local charity Belfast & Lisburn Women’s Aid.  It will run until 12th May and is well worth a visit!

My twin is an artist too!

https://www.facebook.com/events/2078241799076829/?ti=as

Check out my twin sister’s art event on Moyra Blayney Art Facebook page, she holds art events regularly! I have so many of her pieces dotted around my home!

Fun and games

I have been having a ball creating these new little boxes, using some original vintage photographs and focusing on humour rather than meaningful items for commissions has been really refreshing.  I am putting these up for sale on my Facebook page (Denise’s Boxes / Denise McDowell Art) at a very reasonable price so that some of my followers can own ‘a little bit of history in a box’!  Enjoy!

Something a little different!

How cute!

RUA Memories

Lovely to look back on these photographs from the 130th Royal Ulster Academy Exhibition in the Ulster Museum when one of my assemblage boxes was chosen for the second time to be part of it.