I few months ago I ran the first Blogging For Beginners course for Irish artists network, ArtLinks, their main office operating in my home town.

I’ve been holding off on this a while but it’s about time to showcase some of those bloggers who were there on the day, blogging (or improving) their blogging as a direct result of the half-day course as well as other artists in the area that have taken to blogging, indirectly related to the course.

Overall I’ve been delighted with the feedback from the course and have had several emails from those in attendance and I’m quite pleased in watching their blogs and style of blog-writing grow and go from strength to strength.

If you have the time, do stop by and check them out, especially if you’re working in the arts sector in any form.

No 72 John Street

“No. 72″ (number 72) is the home of the Kilkenny Arts Office which hosts regular artists in residence programmes. The blog is hosted on Wordpress.com and maintained by the Arts Office and ArtLinks staff located in Kilkenny. One great addition is the introduction of regular blogging from the artist in residence at the gallery, one of whom had attended the Blogging For Beginners course during the year, allowing interaction between the artist and the public and a chance for you to track the ongoing progress and development of any of the pieces created during the residency.

Nicola Brown Felt

Emerging artist Nicola Brown creates sculptural pieces and wearable art using a variety of felting techniques. From a non artistic background, Nicola finds the immediacy and fluidity of felting with natural fibers very appealing. Inspired by nature and the beauty of the Irish landscape Nicola finds that ideas develop very quickly. Recycled and found items are incorporated into some pieces and renowned felt maker Sheila Smith, author of ‘Felt to Stitch’ provides the inspiration to experiment with new materials and techniques.

Nicola blogs on a regular basis about her felt making, providing a great insight into the industry and stepping through the felt-making process. Since the course, Nicola’s blogging has become more focused, resulting in an increase in both traffic and user interaction on her blog, including receiving commissions for works.

Lisellote Oloffson
Lisellete Oloffson had just finished her residency at No. 72 when the course came around and had used the residency blog to map out thoughts and photographs of works carried out during her residency.

Having blogged 3 times a week during her residency, Lisellote has just started a new blog (linked above, about 2 weeks ago-ish) having been encouraged “to create this new blog as a way to allow people to see my work in progress”.

Martin Lyttle

Martin has recently started into blogging his works (hopefully with more to come over the year) and using his Wordpress.com hosted blog to host his CV and details of works completed to date.

Martin is a stone sculptor and engineering geologist who has always been fascinated by rocks, soil and the physical landscape. I’ve met Martin on a few occasions and hope to see more of his works appearing online in time to come.

Cathy Fitzgerald
A visual artist in her own right, Cathy Fitzgerald is also the director for ArtLinks, a five county body embracing and supporting the arts in the south east of Ireland. Cathy’s blog is her “artists’ notebook - part ongoing notes on an ongoing Irish tree ecology project that I am involved with ‘the Local Project’, part eco art news and partly links to other people’s work that inspires me; bits and pieces of ideas and thoughts that I collect for my own practice and in turn”.

Cathy is a terrific example of someone embracing the power of blogging, podcasting and social media to promote the arts, particularly through her work with ArtLinks.

Michael Lee

Blogging also through Wordpress, Michael Lee looks at opera news and views through The Opera Page. Michael has an interest in opera, theatre, art and music and has also given public courses in opera while expanding his operatic work into into the world of radio.

Malcolm Noonan

Local musician and Green Party councillor for Kilkenny, Malcolm Noonan is also blogging away on Wordpress, using his blog to promote local political and council matters as well as raising awareness on Green Party issues. I’m keeping an eye out online to see when Malcolm embraces the power of blogging to promote his own music locally.

These are just some of the blogs of those who have started since the course or been able to implement some of the points raised over the day.

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