Stories


design

Stories


design

Sorrell Reilly

Sorrell Reilly

  Posted by Hannah Gumbrielle in: design, dublin, handmade, Illustration

Clare based artist Sorrell Reilly creates bright, illustrative landscapes of the Irish countryside, starting off life as delicate lino prints and later digitized to add vivid colour. We asked Sorrell a few questions about her beautiful artwork and the process behind it.

Tell us a bit about what you make.
I make print artwork of the Irish landscape. I strive to make work that speaks to my soul, brings me joy and has personal meaning and connection with a certain place and time. 

Could you describe your studio to us? What is your favourite thing about the space? 
Myself and my husband have recently moved into a little cottage by the sea in Clare. We’ve made one of the rooms into a workroom and I love it! 

I lived in Cork city for years and lived in some pokey flats, not big enough to swing a mouse! So coming out to the coast and having my own space with things around me that inspire me has been liberating. I’m so grateful for where we live. My favourite thing is hearing the seagulls and the waves while I work. In the summer I can take my work outside and I feel pretty darn jammy!

How do you get into the mindset of making?
I have to connect to my subject to get into the mindset of making. Often when I travel I use that time to self reflect and associate the place with a poem or song. And then later I revisit the words or music to get back to what I was experiencing. Music has a powerful way to travel you back to past feelings and to get into a creative head space.

What is your favourite tool and why?
Pfeil Lino cutting tools, my magic weapon. I know they say a poor workwoman blames her tools, but I think a good tool can shorten the distance between the artist and the art. And of course it can also make you feel like the business. I remember when I was a child I learned the piano but only had a keyboard to practice and then one day my parents bought me a beautiful upright piano. I adored it and couldn’t wait to wake up everyday to play. That’s what Pfeil cutting tools are like for me.


Can you describe your making process to us?
To start with I always draw a number of rough sketches to find a composition that I am happy with. After this, I try to find ways to add more design elements and motifs that I can use throughout the piece. This is often patterns and textures derived from plants, flowers, rocks etc. Once I am happy with the design I clean up the sketch and transfer to Lino. I then cut the Lino, ink and print it and leave to dry which usually takes about three days. Once the print is dry I do a high resolution scan and bring the design into Adobe Photoshop. I then mask and edit the colours digitally ready for the final print. 

What is your inspiration?
Nature has been a medicine and a constant inspiration for me. It has the ability to lift you out of your head where you can view life from new perspectives. Also, the more time I spend observing my surroundings, the beauty of the landscape and the flowers and colours around me the more I get the impulse to create. 



Moylussa - Killaloe print by Sorrell Reilly.

What led you to choose this craft as a profession? What do you love most about it? 

I have thought about this question before and I think that printmaking chose me rather than the other way round. 

To give you a bit of background, I have Endometriosis and Adenomyosis, both of which took years to get properly diagnosed. It was a difficult time and normal everyday life could at times be exhausting. I often felt I was at the mercy of my illness. Then in 2017 while I was studying illustration I had radical surgery in the UK that helped to dramatically reduce my symptoms. After my studies I started working with my husband who is an animator, designing and illustrating marketing animation for start-ups, non-profits etc. But the work can be frenetic and deadline-driven and ultimately I found that type of work didn’t feed my soul. Also, I think even though my illness was under control I needed time to heal in other ways.

I had studied printmaking for a short time in college where I made etchings, transfers and of course Lino prints and was immediately drawn to the whole process. I think printmakers are careful artists. For example, a painter friend of mine paints huge canvases with sweeping brush strokes and is very loose in his approach. Print making, on the other hand, doesn’t allow that level of freedom. Ideas are explored and worked out before ever committing them to paper, and this slow deliberate process lends itself to my sensibilities and introspective nature. 

By far the thing I love the most about my work is when people connect with it and make it their own. I am always fascinated with how people see my work, there are so many stories and memories associated with the landscape and I love that my work can reflect parts of who we are.


How do your surroundings affect your work?
The beauty of the Clare landscape with the Atlantic coastline at my doorstep is a constant reminding voice to be creative. You have only to take a walk along the shore, especially in the evening with the stunning sunsets to be compelled by nature to make. Also, I work together with my husband and having another creative person to bounce ideas off is really helpful. It a great way to hone ideas and try out concepts, he’s also my 24hr tech support!

What is your favourite piece?
I think my favourite piece is probably my print of Nohoval Cove in County Cork called ‘I am Outside, I am Breathing’. (pictured above)

The Sea Remembers and Sings Back print by Sorrell Reilly.

We stock Sorrell's work both in-store and online, which you can check out here

 

Sorrell Reilly

Sorrell Reilly

  Posted by Hannah Gumbrielle in: design, dublin, handmade, Illustration

Clare based artist Sorrell Reilly creates bright, illustrative landscapes of the Irish countryside, starting off life as delicate lino prints and later digitized to add vivid colour. We asked Sorrell a few questions about her beautiful artwork and the process behind it.

Tell us a bit about what you make.
I make print artwork of the Irish landscape. I strive to make work that speaks to my soul, brings me joy and has personal meaning and connection with a certain place and time. 

Could you describe your studio to us? What is your favourite thing about the space? 
Myself and my husband have recently moved into a little cottage by the sea in Clare. We’ve made one of the rooms into a workroom and I love it! 

I lived in Cork city for years and lived in some pokey flats, not big enough to swing a mouse! So coming out to the coast and having my own space with things around me that inspire me has been liberating. I’m so grateful for where we live. My favourite thing is hearing the seagulls and the waves while I work. In the summer I can take my work outside and I feel pretty darn jammy!

How do you get into the mindset of making?
I have to connect to my subject to get into the mindset of making. Often when I travel I use that time to self reflect and associate the place with a poem or song. And then later I revisit the words or music to get back to what I was experiencing. Music has a powerful way to travel you back to past feelings and to get into a creative head space.

What is your favourite tool and why?
Pfeil Lino cutting tools, my magic weapon. I know they say a poor workwoman blames her tools, but I think a good tool can shorten the distance between the artist and the art. And of course it can also make you feel like the business. I remember when I was a child I learned the piano but only had a keyboard to practice and then one day my parents bought me a beautiful upright piano. I adored it and couldn’t wait to wake up everyday to play. That’s what Pfeil cutting tools are like for me.


Can you describe your making process to us?
To start with I always draw a number of rough sketches to find a composition that I am happy with. After this, I try to find ways to add more design elements and motifs that I can use throughout the piece. This is often patterns and textures derived from plants, flowers, rocks etc. Once I am happy with the design I clean up the sketch and transfer to Lino. I then cut the Lino, ink and print it and leave to dry which usually takes about three days. Once the print is dry I do a high resolution scan and bring the design into Adobe Photoshop. I then mask and edit the colours digitally ready for the final print. 

What is your inspiration?
Nature has been a medicine and a constant inspiration for me. It has the ability to lift you out of your head where you can view life from new perspectives. Also, the more time I spend observing my surroundings, the beauty of the landscape and the flowers and colours around me the more I get the impulse to create. 



Moylussa - Killaloe print by Sorrell Reilly.

What led you to choose this craft as a profession? What do you love most about it? 

I have thought about this question before and I think that printmaking chose me rather than the other way round. 

To give you a bit of background, I have Endometriosis and Adenomyosis, both of which took years to get properly diagnosed. It was a difficult time and normal everyday life could at times be exhausting. I often felt I was at the mercy of my illness. Then in 2017 while I was studying illustration I had radical surgery in the UK that helped to dramatically reduce my symptoms. After my studies I started working with my husband who is an animator, designing and illustrating marketing animation for start-ups, non-profits etc. But the work can be frenetic and deadline-driven and ultimately I found that type of work didn’t feed my soul. Also, I think even though my illness was under control I needed time to heal in other ways.

I had studied printmaking for a short time in college where I made etchings, transfers and of course Lino prints and was immediately drawn to the whole process. I think printmakers are careful artists. For example, a painter friend of mine paints huge canvases with sweeping brush strokes and is very loose in his approach. Print making, on the other hand, doesn’t allow that level of freedom. Ideas are explored and worked out before ever committing them to paper, and this slow deliberate process lends itself to my sensibilities and introspective nature. 

By far the thing I love the most about my work is when people connect with it and make it their own. I am always fascinated with how people see my work, there are so many stories and memories associated with the landscape and I love that my work can reflect parts of who we are.


How do your surroundings affect your work?
The beauty of the Clare landscape with the Atlantic coastline at my doorstep is a constant reminding voice to be creative. You have only to take a walk along the shore, especially in the evening with the stunning sunsets to be compelled by nature to make. Also, I work together with my husband and having another creative person to bounce ideas off is really helpful. It a great way to hone ideas and try out concepts, he’s also my 24hr tech support!

What is your favourite piece?
I think my favourite piece is probably my print of Nohoval Cove in County Cork called ‘I am Outside, I am Breathing’. (pictured above)

The Sea Remembers and Sings Back print by Sorrell Reilly.

We stock Sorrell's work both in-store and online, which you can check out here

 

Local Shops We Love

Local Shops We Love

  Posted by Hannah Gumbrielle in: design, dublin, handmade, independent
We've been in business over ten years, and we know how much of a difference it makes to shop local and support independent businesses around us, especially in January after the hustle and bustle of Christmas. Here are just a few we're lucky to have local to us and are always pleased to see doing well! 

Located in the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, Article stock contemporary homewares and gifts by Irish designers, as well as all the beautiful stationary you could ever long for. We find it fascinating that Article is located in Lord Powerscourt's former dressing room with its spectacular original plasterwork ceiling dating from 1780 too!

Just around the corner in the Westbury Mall is Stable, an independent brand showcasing the best in Irish textiles and clothing. They are particularly passionate about wool and tweed and work closely with Irish knitters, weavers and craft makers to produce high-quality textiles. Their gorgeous shop is a great place to explore a variety of scarves and accessories to wear and for the home, in different designs, patterns, shapes and sizes.

Designist focus on products being beautiful, useful and affordable. A design led gift and homeware store, we love just how much they collaborate with designers and crafts people, lots of which are Dublin based. They also have quite the collection of of brilliant greeting cards from local artists and designers.


Previously our neighbours just around the corner, Hen’s Teeth have since moved to a bigger and swankier store and studio in Blackpitts, Dublin 8. This very cool shop sells prints, brooks and ceramics, and hosts some great workshops and markets featuring other local makers and artists. Their new set up also has a diner serving some great bites to eat and fab coffee. Great vibes in here.

Located in Temple Bar, Scout is a gorgeous lifestyle shop with selections of homeware, knitwear, accessories and top-notch hand picked vintage finds. Those well versed in the Dublin fashion scene will remember the owner Wendy Crawford from from the fab Bow, the shop she ran on a co-op basis in the Powerscourt Centre with Eilis Boyle and Margaret O’Rourke.  

Just up the road from us is Fresh Cuts, a sustainable clothing shop using clean and simple designs. We love that all their labelling, printing and finishing is done right here in Dublin too. Big ups for ethical fashion!


Right on Essex Street in Temple Bar, Indigo and Cloth are a modern and minimalist boutique stocking the best in both Irish and international independent menswear. They also host a Brewbar in tandem with local coffee and tea experts Clement and Pekoe. 


We love seeing the bright and cheery vivid pink shopfront of Om Diva each morning. This boutique sells vintage clothing, jewellery and homewares, as well as contemporary pieces by local artists. We love the diversity and creativity here from emerging Irish talent. They also host workshops and stock beautiful pieces by two Dublin makers This Jewellery, one of which we share a studio with!

And of course our neighbours, Industry & Co, who specialise in Irish and International design orientated gifts, lighting, and homewares. They also host a fab in store cafe and deli with great coffee.

Local Shops We Love

Local Shops We Love

  Posted by Hannah Gumbrielle in: design, dublin, handmade, independent
We've been in business over ten years, and we know how much of a difference it makes to shop local and support independent businesses around us, especially in January after the hustle and bustle of Christmas. Here are just a few we're lucky to have local to us and are always pleased to see doing well! 

Located in the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, Article stock contemporary homewares and gifts by Irish designers, as well as all the beautiful stationary you could ever long for. We find it fascinating that Article is located in Lord Powerscourt's former dressing room with its spectacular original plasterwork ceiling dating from 1780 too!

Just around the corner in the Westbury Mall is Stable, an independent brand showcasing the best in Irish textiles and clothing. They are particularly passionate about wool and tweed and work closely with Irish knitters, weavers and craft makers to produce high-quality textiles. Their gorgeous shop is a great place to explore a variety of scarves and accessories to wear and for the home, in different designs, patterns, shapes and sizes.

Designist focus on products being beautiful, useful and affordable. A design led gift and homeware store, we love just how much they collaborate with designers and crafts people, lots of which are Dublin based. They also have quite the collection of of brilliant greeting cards from local artists and designers.


Previously our neighbours just around the corner, Hen’s Teeth have since moved to a bigger and swankier store and studio in Blackpitts, Dublin 8. This very cool shop sells prints, brooks and ceramics, and hosts some great workshops and markets featuring other local makers and artists. Their new set up also has a diner serving some great bites to eat and fab coffee. Great vibes in here.

Located in Temple Bar, Scout is a gorgeous lifestyle shop with selections of homeware, knitwear, accessories and top-notch hand picked vintage finds. Those well versed in the Dublin fashion scene will remember the owner Wendy Crawford from from the fab Bow, the shop she ran on a co-op basis in the Powerscourt Centre with Eilis Boyle and Margaret O’Rourke.  

Just up the road from us is Fresh Cuts, a sustainable clothing shop using clean and simple designs. We love that all their labelling, printing and finishing is done right here in Dublin too. Big ups for ethical fashion!


Right on Essex Street in Temple Bar, Indigo and Cloth are a modern and minimalist boutique stocking the best in both Irish and international independent menswear. They also host a Brewbar in tandem with local coffee and tea experts Clement and Pekoe. 


We love seeing the bright and cheery vivid pink shopfront of Om Diva each morning. This boutique sells vintage clothing, jewellery and homewares, as well as contemporary pieces by local artists. We love the diversity and creativity here from emerging Irish talent. They also host workshops and stock beautiful pieces by two Dublin makers This Jewellery, one of which we share a studio with!

And of course our neighbours, Industry & Co, who specialise in Irish and International design orientated gifts, lighting, and homewares. They also host a fab in store cafe and deli with great coffee.

A starry eyed Alex

A starry eyed Alex

  Posted by Laura Caffrey in: 2016 Calendar, Alex Synge, Astrology, Christmas gift

Three years ago we had a chat with our good friend Alex Synge about the idea of producing an annual wall calendar for Irish Design Shop. After a bit of playing around with what we might do we shelved the idea until last year when we produced our first calendar with The Project Twins. This 2015 calendar was so popular, that we decided to make it an annual project, and enlist the talents of a leading Irish designer, illustrator or artist to come up with the artwork and theme. 

So finally, this January we sat down with Alex again and started to plan a calendar for 2016, and we think it has been worth the wait. The concept behind this Calendar of Constellations was all Alex's idea. His amateur interest in the night sky has turned into a project which reaches far beyond any of our expectations.

The calendar comprises 13 beautiful lithographic prints of the constellations. Printed one colour, silver ink on black stock, each month includes informative descriptions of what might be on view in the night skies above Ireland at that time. These 300mm square prints are perforated to be kept long after the month has passed. We have enlisted our framer Conor to create a bespoke limed ash frame to fit the perforated images perfectly. Also, a limited edition tote bag has been produced which will be available to purchase along with the calendar and handmade frames from Thursday November 5th. 

 

 

A starry eyed Alex

A starry eyed Alex

  Posted by Laura Caffrey in: 2016 Calendar, Alex Synge, Astrology, Christmas gift

Three years ago we had a chat with our good friend Alex Synge about the idea of producing an annual wall calendar for Irish Design Shop. After a bit of playing around with what we might do we shelved the idea until last year when we produced our first calendar with The Project Twins. This 2015 calendar was so popular, that we decided to make it an annual project, and enlist the talents of a leading Irish designer, illustrator or artist to come up with the artwork and theme. 

So finally, this January we sat down with Alex again and started to plan a calendar for 2016, and we think it has been worth the wait. The concept behind this Calendar of Constellations was all Alex's idea. His amateur interest in the night sky has turned into a project which reaches far beyond any of our expectations.

The calendar comprises 13 beautiful lithographic prints of the constellations. Printed one colour, silver ink on black stock, each month includes informative descriptions of what might be on view in the night skies above Ireland at that time. These 300mm square prints are perforated to be kept long after the month has passed. We have enlisted our framer Conor to create a bespoke limed ash frame to fit the perforated images perfectly. Also, a limited edition tote bag has been produced which will be available to purchase along with the calendar and handmade frames from Thursday November 5th. 

 

 

Names Jewellery - Made in Dublin

Names Jewellery - Made in Dublin

  Posted by Clare Grennan in: design, grandmother, handmade, Irish Design

Myself and Laura have shared a jewellery studio pretty much since graduating from NCAD way back when. Our styles have always been incredibly different, but in the past year we noticed similarities appearing, be it shapes we were interested in, scale and making techniques. So the idea to work collaboratively just sort of happened early this year. Working from our Drury street studio (above the shop), we spent months brainstorming and prototyping ideas, our aim being to produce an affordable, yet very special range of jewellery which incorporated traditional jewellery making skills. The result is our inaugural 16 piece collection under the label Names. All items are hand formed in brass and plated in hard wearing 18ct rose or yellow gold. 

As this is a very personal project, a labour of love, we have named every piece in the collection after a woman in each of our families, from our mothers to our great grand mothers. A short profile on each of these women is included on the new website. All items are available to purchase online and direct form our Drury street shop. 

Photographer: Al Higgins    Model: Áine Tubridy 

Names Jewellery - Made in Dublin

Names Jewellery - Made in Dublin

  Posted by Clare Grennan in: design, grandmother, handmade, Irish Design

Myself and Laura have shared a jewellery studio pretty much since graduating from NCAD way back when. Our styles have always been incredibly different, but in the past year we noticed similarities appearing, be it shapes we were interested in, scale and making techniques. So the idea to work collaboratively just sort of happened early this year. Working from our Drury street studio (above the shop), we spent months brainstorming and prototyping ideas, our aim being to produce an affordable, yet very special range of jewellery which incorporated traditional jewellery making skills. The result is our inaugural 16 piece collection under the label Names. All items are hand formed in brass and plated in hard wearing 18ct rose or yellow gold. 

As this is a very personal project, a labour of love, we have named every piece in the collection after a woman in each of our families, from our mothers to our great grand mothers. A short profile on each of these women is included on the new website. All items are available to purchase online and direct form our Drury street shop. 

Photographer: Al Higgins    Model: Áine Tubridy 

Al Higgins Photography

Al Higgins Photography

  Posted by Laura Caffrey in: al higgins, design, dublin, irish

A couple of weeks ago we packed up half of the shop and dragged it across the river to Al Higgin's studio, to photograph our newest products as well as this year's Christmas offerings, which we'll keep to ourselves for now!

  

This was our first photo shoot with Al, having been recommended to us by our last photographer Philip White. We had seen some of his work before, including the beautiful shots he took for Bean and Goose chocolate, and Teeling Whiskey as well as his portrait of the guys in Designgoat.  Clare spent the morning with Al, arranging these beautiful displays and drinking strong coffee. We are so happy with how they turned out we wanted to share them with you.

You can see more of Al's work on his website or his instagram page

 

Al Higgins Photography

Al Higgins Photography

  Posted by Laura Caffrey in: al higgins, design, dublin, irish

A couple of weeks ago we packed up half of the shop and dragged it across the river to Al Higgin's studio, to photograph our newest products as well as this year's Christmas offerings, which we'll keep to ourselves for now!

  

This was our first photo shoot with Al, having been recommended to us by our last photographer Philip White. We had seen some of his work before, including the beautiful shots he took for Bean and Goose chocolate, and Teeling Whiskey as well as his portrait of the guys in Designgoat.  Clare spent the morning with Al, arranging these beautiful displays and drinking strong coffee. We are so happy with how they turned out we wanted to share them with you.

You can see more of Al's work on his website or his instagram page