"Gloria" featuring PIGSY: A Slow Lane Gallery and Shoeless Foot Productions Collaboration /  by PIGSY

“Gloria”

PIGSY'S STUDIO

A Slow Lane Gallery Exhibition in collaboration with Shoeless Foot Productions..

Curated by Dino Notaro

Dino Notaro presents “Gloria”

Gloria is a group show looking at the works of three featured artists with an online exhibition divided into segments.

Segment 1 features a look behind the scenes at me (PIGSY) in my studio.

Just before Christmas 2021 Curator Dino Notaro and Videographer Will Duffy visited me in my studio in Dublin. This is a short video of this visit which is an unfiltered behind the scenes look at how I create my work along with me talking about some of the pieces.

You can see more videos by Shoeless Foot Productions on Youtube here. and also Slow Lane Gallery too.

I also wrote a blog and shared photos of the Studio Visit by Dino and Will which you can read about on a past blog.

My studio is currently open for visitors so do contact me if you want to visit!

PIGSY Art available in USA /  by PIGSY

PIGSY Art now available in Florida, USA

A white building (an art gallery) on Duval Street in Key West, Florida with a blue sky and a cyclist in front of the building with no cars on the road

Proud to announce that PIGSY Artworks are now available in Key West, Florida in Effusion Gallery on the world famous Duval Street.

The PIGSY showcase is a collection of PIGSY artworks selected by Curator John Bradford, With many of these artworks being exhibited for the very first time, they are on show 7 days a week in Effusion Art Gallery.

PIGSY in Effusion Gallery - in the Key West Citizen

PIGSY and his artwork featured in The Citizen, Key West

The PIGSY art showcase was featured in the Key West Citizen which is the local Key West Newspaper and is available in both digital version and also in traditional hard copy newspaper format from newspaper vending machines at locations all over the island.

Effusion Gallery, 701 Duval Street, Key West, FL

Effusion Gallery is located at 701 Duval Street in Key West. Phone Effusion Gallery on 305-735-4345 for further information (pricing and sizes) about the PIGSY showcase.

The Saint Hotel, Key West

Oh and here’s a little tip if you are planning a trip to Key West in the near future - my hotel of choice is The Saint on Eaton Street! General Manager Abraham Cox along with his assistant Amy Bebbington are gracious hosts in this charming boutique hotel, close to all the Key West Action, just off Eaton Street. If you visit, tell them PIGSY sent you……and be sure to sample Paul’s amazing world famous (well maybe Key West famous) Bloody Mary at the bar!

Contact me!

To find out more about available art, drop me a line, or watch the short video about my recent art exhibition in Dublin, Ireland

Hello 2022! Here's to a great New Year ahead...... /  by PIGSY

Goodbye 2021, Hello 2022!

Happy New Year from Ireland!

There’s an Irish tradition at midnight to open all of the doors and the windows to let out the old year and bring in the new year. Last night as the clock struck midnight, I stepped out the front door (thereby letting the old year away) and stood on the pathway with my wife Enid listening to fireworks go off all over the city. Of course as the clock strikes 12 you can’t help but think of the year just gone and what lies ahead in the new year.

For me, I have great plans and goals for my art career which I am always setting and updating as time goes on. Every year at this time I also look back at the year past and write a blog about the highlights. 2021 was a great year for me professionally, and in other aspects of my life, and I am hopeful that 2022 will be even better.

2021 in Spain

We were living in Spain up until July and of which I will always look back at fondly. The year I spent in Malaga was a year of great growth for me, artistically and personally and I know it will give me direction for years to come. The return to Ireland in the latter half of the year was exciting and there is so many opportunities for me here and beyond these shores also. It is all happening and I believe 2022 will be a big year for PIGSY!

In no particular order, here’s some highlights from the year past:

  1. Continuing with learning to speak Spanish, I feel like I am gradually improving and this is the year that I can get by socially in the Spanish language

  2. Committing to be car free. I didn’t need a car in Malaga and when I returned to Ireland I did not go back to being a car owner, instead I rent a van when need to move art or use Go Car Club also when needed. Other than that it is the bike or public transport to get around. It works!

  3. Malaga Art Exhibition - my first solo exhibition of 2021 was in La Casa Amarilla in Malaga, Spain in March

  4. Featured in The Gloss Magazine - thanks for the profile Penny McCormick

  5. Group Exhibition on the streets of Malaga “Estival” - this was impressive and very exciting to see my art in front of the the Alcazaba

  6. Commissioned to create a custom pair of Nikes - what a fun commission!!

  7. PIGSY is name checked in an exhibit in The Russian Museum in Malaga

  8. Beer sponsorships! San Miguel Cerveza sponsored me for my Malaga exhibition while Kerry Beer Company Torc Brewing sponsored my Kenmare exhibition.

  9. We move back to Ireland and get to live in The Liberties for a while before we move back to Ranelagh. The Liberties is “old Dublin” and it was a great experience to live in Inner City Dublin after living in the centre of Malaga city. There are definite similarities but they are also worlds apart too!

  10. Irish Homes and Interiors featured me in a massive “Homecoming” article along with numerous images of some of the art work I created in Spain

  11. Set up an Art Studio in White Swan Business Park in Dublin 8. The light is great, the space is incredible, there is huge opportunity for it.

  12. Solo PIGSY Art Exhibition in Kenmare Butter Market - this is is an incredible new venue and I was honoured to be the first artist to present a solo show here. The opening was brilliant with a memorable speech given by Poet Tim Buckley

  13. Honoured to have artwork hung in Sheen Falls Hotel

  14. Live painted on the streets of Kenmare, County Kerry for Culture Night 2021

  15. My “Catharsis of Collapse” exhibition was selected for critique by Visual Artists of Ireland

  16. One of my art works “De Facto Leader” was featured in the literary journal An Capall Dorcha (available in the MOLI Museum of Literature of Ireland)

  17. PIGSY film screened by Irish Libraries for European Dyslexia Week

  18. Selected by author Tony Bryant to be profiled in his new book…….watch this space for publication in 2022!

  19. I was gladly invited to be part of the “Pina de las Tentaciones” group exhibition in La Casa Amarilla

  20. New representation - Signed with a USA Gallery - PIGSY art work is now available in Effusion Gallery on Duval Street, Key West

  21. The PIGSY Art Showcase in Effusion Gallery featured in the Key West Press

  22. PIGSY Short Film screened in The Devlin Movie Theatre as past of The Ranelagh Arts Festival

  23. Part of the “Gloria” Group Exhibition curated by Dino Notaro in Slow Lane Gallery which showcases artists in their studies which brings the viewers in to the studios while we are currently going through different restrictions regarding meeting and visiting spaces

  24. Welcomed visitors from all over to my studio. Great to be able to chat to so many people about my art and to show them my process and output.

  25. A series of PIGSY paper studies was selected to be in new Dublin Restaurant “Library St.”

  26. Had a wonderfully quiet Christmas 2021

  27. Sold lots of work and was busy shipping work to different places all over the world including USA, Hungary and Singapore!

  28. Made so many great friends through my art events and also of course my time in Malaga - it was sad to leave them all, but I know we will meet again.

2021 - A great year, all things considered!

It’s always great to look back at all of the achievements of the year past and I always enjoy writing this annual blog (if you read back through my blog) you will find past years) and its a good record of all of the things that went on through the year that gives me happiness and also hope for the year ahead. Taking a pause at the end of one year and reflecting on the past makes sure that you don’t go hurtling from one year to the next without taking stock of all you have achieved. It also helps with goal setting for the year ahead which is very important as an artist who mainly works in a solo isolated setting. However from looking at the list above I can see all of the collaborative work that I did and this is of great importance to me. I value other artists and creatives so much and I believe that we are stronger when we work together.

And on that positive note, I’ll end with a wish for you to have a great 2022 where ever you are in the world!

All the best,

PIGSY

Art Studio Visitors /  by PIGSY

Visitors to the PIGSY Art Studio

It was great to welcome Curator Dino Notaro from Slow Lane Gallery and Videographer William Duffy (of Shoeless Foot Productions) to the PIGSY art studio yesterday.

Slow Lane Gallery

Slow Lane Gallery is an iteration of the well known and established North-side Dublin Art Gallery “In-spire Gallery” under the directorship of curator Dino Notaro. Dino is curating a group artist showcase in his new Slow Lane Art Gallery which I am really pleased to be a part of. Will Duffy of Shoeless Foot Productions shot footage which will be used as part of the showcase. The concept of the group show is to invite an audience in to the studios of artists through the medium of film to show their processes and outputs. It’s an exciting concept, particularly in these Covid times where people are not getting as much opportunity to visit artist studios or art exhibitions in art galleries.

Creative Energy

The energy from these guys was immense and I really enjoyed showing them my work and talking about all of our plans. Dino probes me and my art with some really insightful questions while I love Will’s take on my work and how he edits his videos - he creates really special films when working with some of Ireland’s top artists.,

Watch this space for the upcoming Slow Lane Gallery show “Gloria”. Featuring my work along with the work of Niamh O’Connor and Enza McDonald - it’s going to be epic!

Edit - You can now view the video created as part of the PIGSY Studio Visit by Slow Lane Gallery and Shoeless Foot Productions. A big thank you to Dino and Will it was a great experience to be part of the “Gloria” series of artists in their studios videos.

Dino Notaro of Slow Lane Gallery visits PIGSY’s Art Studio with Wills Duffy of Shoeless Foot Productions

PIGSY Art - Youtube

You can visit the PIGSY Youtube channel below to see more of my art along with videos of me working in my studio

PIGSY Press - In the Galleries, in Key West, Florida /  by PIGSY

PIGSY Art News in the Key West Press

“The Citizen” is the daily newspaper in Key West Florida and as well as being a traditional hardcopy newspaper it is available digitally on www.keysnews.com. Today, the Paradise feature includes a write up about the PIGSY Art Showcase in Key West in their “At the Galleries” section.

An image of “Self Control” is also featured

Key West Art Scene

Effusion Gallery, FLorida

Effusion Gallery is located at 701 Duval Street in Key West and can be contacted for more information about the PIGSY art collection by calling 305-735-4345.

Call in today to see the hyper gestural neo-expressionist art by PIGSY!

PIGSY Art: What people are saying,..... /  by PIGSY

“Catharsis of Collapse” Exhibition Visitors

Over 1,500 visitors saw my recent art exhibition in Kenmare Butter Market Contemporary Art Space in County Kerry in Ireland.

Guest Book for PIGSY Art Exhibition

Many of the visitors signed the guest book and left hugely positive comments and in this blog I will highlight what was said about the PIGSY art.

International Visitors to the PIGSY Exhibition in Kenmare Butter Market

The guest book shows that the visitors were from all over the world including The Netherlands, UK, Mexico, USA and Northern Ireland. It’s super to know that my work is being seen by people from all over the world while in Ireland, while also knowing that it is being seen in Spain and the USA right now, with my participation in a group show in Malaga that opened on 2nd of Dec and a showcase of my art in Key West, Florida also opened on this day!

Irish Visitors to “Catharsis of Collapse” by PIGSY in Kenmare Butter Market

And of course there were visitors from all over Ireland from counties such as Kerry, Dublin, Cork, Tipperary, Limerick, Meath, Laois, Louth, Sligo, Mayo, Wexford, Longford, Wicklow, Galway and Roscommon.

I’m really glad to have a record of all of the visitors and the places that they travelled from to see my artwork, but more importantly I am so grateful for all of the visitors that took the time to sign the guest book and write comments. I appreciate this so much and after the dust settled on the exhibition, which closed at the beginning of October, it is now great to be reading over them all now.

As well as the comments in the visitors book, I received so many positive messages and comments digitally all over social media where I posted about the exhibition. It was wonderful to see visitors tag me or share pics of the exhibition. However I am also really glad that I decided to also set up a physical guest book. There is something very tangible about seeing a comment in ink on physical paper these days (possibly even more so since Covid with the removal of many ephemeral items in paper and even the removal of simple things like paper menus in restaurants and cafes).

I’ll treasure this physical guest book and will continue it’s use at my next exhibitions and showcases. It may seem sentimental, but I see a huge value in having things like this. There is a permanence to it.

So I express a huge thank you for visiting and leaving a message!

PIGSY Art Exhibition - Visitor Comments

Here’s what was said about PIGSY art……in no particular order!

“Happy to discover your art show”

“Love your work Pigsy! Venue is awesome, looking forward to seeing a show in the USA some day”

“Wish you the best of luck”

“Interesting”

“Striking use of colour”

“Different”

“Never leave”

“Striking”

“Fab!”

“Deadly”

“Thought provoking”

“Great to see this exhib”

“Absolutely unreal”

“Strikingly beautiful”

“Class keep going”

“They grow on youu”

“Great stuff, a big fan"!”

“Inspirational & colourful”

“Well done!”

“V. deep”

“Beautiful”

“Great display”

“Fabulous”

“Impressive!”

“Cool”

“Conversational, provocative”

“Great creations, thanks”

“Exciting”

“Details and amazing”

“Vibrant colour!”

“Very refreshing”

“Vibrant thought provoking pieces”

“Excellent”

“Sweet”

“Spectacular”

“Brilliant show, huge congrats!”

“Different, enjoyed”

“A nice change from the usual”

“Excellent exhibition”

“Unforgettable”

“These paintings certainly make you think”

“Great Creations! Thanks”

Piña De Las Tentaciones at La Casa Amarilla in Malaga /  by PIGSY

Piña De Las Tentaciones - Pineapple of Temptations!

Raul Navas es el autor del cartel de esta edición

Ha llegado, ya está aquí!

#PIÑA 2021 en @lca_malaga

a partir del día 2 de diciembre.

It has arrived, it is here!

#PINEAPPLE 2021 in @lca_malaga

from December 2.

Piña Group Show

Proud to announce for the second year running, I am part of the “Piña” group show in La Casa Amarilla. The exhibition runs from 2nd of December to 10th of January and you can call in to see it in La Casa Amarilla Gallery on Calle Santos in Malaga to see a PIGSY artwork in the flesh in Spain.

La Casa Amarilla - tell them PIGSY sent you!

And if you do call in to the Galerie be sure and let Gallery Director David Burbano and Assistant Director Roy Laguna know that PIGSY sent you!!

*CANCELLED* "Studio Vibes" Event /  by PIGSY

“Studio Vibes” is cancelled

The art is on the wall but the DJ has been cancelled. The wine was ready to be chilled but it’s been boxed back up. The canapes were chosen but the caterer has been told to hold off making them.

I’m sorry to announce, that due to the current Covid situation in Ireland, the PIGSY “Studio Vibes” event in my art studio is cancelled. Hopefully I can reschedule the event in early January 2022.

With the announcements on Tuesday evening by the Irish Government that pubs, hotel events, and nightclubs must all finish and close by 11.30pm along with everyone being advised by to Work from Home if possible it doesn’t seem advisable for this event to be held. With over 4,000 daily cases of Covid being announced, along with hospitals reaching capacity, it is best to reschedule this event to ensure everyone’s safety.

Private Visit

In the meanwhile, I welcome private visits to my art studio. Send me an email on pigsy.art@gmail.com if you want to make an appointment to visit my art studio privately in order to see the PIGSY art works currently on show.

Studio Vibes......coming soon /  by PIGSY

Open Studio Event

At the moment I am prepping for the next PIGSY art event.

It’s an upcoming Open Studio night where I’ll be serving up my signature “Pigtails” to a gathering of art collectors and supporters along with DJ Mo spinning sounds and setting the vibe.

Watch this space - I’ll be announcing the date very shortly!

Studio Vibes /  by PIGSY

Sunday Studio Vibes

I spent the day in the Studio mainly cleaning, organising and getting things in order. I also hung some framed paper studies in the desk area where I have my laptop and screens set up. It was good to put a semblance or order on the chaos of my art studio.

I’m lucky to have such a large working space and there are even rooms to store further artworks off the main work area.

An Capall Dorcha Literary Collection /  by PIGSY

An Capall Dorcha

Issue 3, Autumn 2021

I’m beyond proud to have one of my artworks featured in “An Capall Dorcha” Literary Publication among a curated collection of poetry, short stories and art.

Edited by Laura Harvey-Graham, the 3rd issue of An Capall Dorcha was launched this evening in the stunning Museum of Modern Literature. It was a great launch event with poetry readings and a performance piece about Samhain to start.

And it was over a glass of wine at the launch that among all the entertaining short stories and excellent poetry I found on page 23, PIGSY’s “De Facto Leader”. A very proud moment indeed to be featured among these contemporary Irish writers and artists.

Arty gifts - is it too early to mention the "C" word?! /  by PIGSY

Framed Paper Studies now available

Buy local for Christmas

Contact me now if you are buying locally this Christmas and are looking for art gifts for friends and family. A range of framed PIGSY paper studies are now available from me in my Dublin studio and they make perfect gifts. Framed and mounted in a bespoke frame you can call in to the studio and select a paper study which will then be framed in a timely period. Alternatively, you can go online here and order directly on my website and your original artwork will be sent in the mail to you (or you can call in to the studio to collect, if you are in Dublin) - International shipping is also available.

Original Framed Paper Studies

Each paper study is framed and mounted with a bespoke frame handcrafted in Dublin.

Check out the full PIGSY paper studies range on my website under works.

PIGSY Press: Echo Live /  by PIGSY

PIGSY Press - on the Cork Echo

Happened on a nice little mention of my recent art exhibition in Kenmare Butter Market on the Cork Echo Live. In an article about Ireland and travels around Cork and Kerry, Colette Sheridan highlights that she visiting the PIGSY show in Kenmare. To read the article, click here. Below is the last paragraph where she gives a PIGSY shout out - always happy to be to have my work compared with Haitian American artist Basquiat who I a a huge fan of……“Reminiscent of Basquiat” - pretty cool!

Colette Sheridan writes about Cork and travels in Rural Ireland including to the PIGSY (or should I say the Irish Basquiat!) in Kenmare Butter Market Contemporary Art Space in Kenmare, Kerry in Ireland near Sheen Fall Lodge and The Park Kenmare

Finissage of "Catharsis of Collapse" /  by PIGSY

Kenmare Butter Market: Finissage of “Catharsis of Collapse” 1st of Oct 2021

After running for a month, my “Catharsis of Collapse” exhibition closed in Kenmare Butter Market on Friday 1st of October 2021.

Art Exhibition of Ciaran McCoy aka PIGSY closes with a finissage event in Kenmare Butter Market sponsored by Torc Brewing who presented their Killarney Beers

It was a great closing event, very chilled and had a different vibe to the opening night. It was a night where I got to speak to lots of people about my art in a very relaxed manner. In someways it was more about socialising and I felt that people were more about talking to me about my art rather than looking at it. I guess the opening night was where they really looked at the art and then the closing night was where they wanted to talk about it!

Torc Brewing

As at the opening night Torc Brewery sponsored and provided tasty Killarney beers at the finissage - this added a great ambiance to the evening - and as I always say, what better combo than Art + Beer!

European Dyslexia Awareness Week 2021 /  by PIGSY

European Dyslexia Awareness Week 2021

To mark European Dyslexia Awareness Week 2021, the “PIGSY” short film is being presented and shared on the social media pages of Irish Libraries. Directed by Filmmaker Mike Andrews it was originally screened in Film Festivals in the UK and Ireland including the prestigious Film Fleadh in Galway. In 2021, it went on to be screened as part of the Ranelagh Arts Festival. And now to raise awareness of Dyslexia it is being shared by Irish Libraries, including Tipperary Library, Meath Library and Donegal Library and also the Europe Direct Centre in Ballinasloe.

Dyslexia Awareness Day

Dyslexia Week runs from the 4th of Oct to 10th of Oct 2021 with Dyslexia Day taking place on Friday 8th of Oct 2021.

Thank you Libraries!

A big thank you to all of the Librarians and Irish Library Staff (especially Tipperary, Meath and Donegal Libraries) involved in sharing the “PIGSY” short film to mark European Dyslexia Awareness Week and to raise dyslexia awareness.

View “PIGSY” film

You can view the “PIGSY” short film here


Inside Out Home Show 2021 /  by PIGSY

Inside Out Home Show Art Auction

InsideOut Home Show charity event in aid of Friends of the Coombe, art auction now live along with masterclasses and design consultatons.

I’m really pleased to be part of the Inside Out Home Show 21. Last year €35,000 was raised for Friends of the Coombe - I hope we top that this year! Check out their Insta now for their newly launched website with full details of the art auction and lots more!

See www.insideouthomeshow.ie for details of everything they have on offer including design consultations and more. Sponsored by Albany Decor this is such a worthy cause that I am so pleased to be involved with again. This year I have donated a limited edition print of “Mo Laoch” for auction.

Bidding closes at midnight on 31st of Oct, with auction winners announced on Weds 3rd of Nov.. Get your bid in now!

“Mo laoch” featuring James Joyce now up for art auction for Inside Out Home Show

Finissage: "Catharsis of Collapse" Closing Event /  by PIGSY

Finissage of “Catharsis of Collapse” in Kenmare Butter Market

Proud to announce, after a really successful exhibition” the finissage of "my “Catharsis of Collapse” show in Kenmare Butter Market.

The finissage will take place on Friday, 1st of October 2021 at 6-8pm. Contact Kenmare Butter Market for further details.

I look forward to meeting you all at this closing event for PIGSY’s “Catharsis of Collapse”

Artist PIGSY standing at wall branded with his famous and very distinctive PIGSY signature, pictured also is his wife Enid Bebbington to promote the art finissage for his art exhibition in Kenmare Butter Market which closes this Friday. Get in befor…

Check my blog for pics of the opening event

Ranelagh Arts Festival - Film Shorts in the Stella at The Devlin /  by PIGSY

“PIGSY” in the Ranelagh Arts Festival

The Stella Cinema is part of the Press Up Chain in The Devlin Hotel Ranelagh along with the fully restored Stella Cinema in Rathmines - these are two gems in the Ranelagh Rathmines area and what make Ranelagh one of Dublin’s most sought after and de…

The Ranelagh Arts Festival runs from 16th to 26th of September which a range of cultural events including a screening of short films by local and international filmmakers as well as art, music and theatrical events.

Mike Andrews’ short film “PIGSY” will be part of these film screenings in the Stella Cinema in The Devlin Hotel. Screenings are on Saturday 25th of September at 12pm and 2pm and tickets can be booked on the Ranelagh Arts Festival Website.

PIGSY Film at the Stella

If you didn’t get to see the PIGSY film at the Stella Theatre you can watch it here on youtube!

Irish artist PIGSY talks about his art and life as an artist with dyslexia. PIGSY is Ciaran McCoy an artist from Ranelagh and formerly an architect