Seashore and Marine Creatures. Carbury NS. 2025.
Exploring the Irish seashore through art. During our sessions we explored different aspects of the seashore. We painted pebbles, created jellyfish and fish as well as individual artworks using clay. The children also created their own sea urchin in clay.
The residency was awarded by Sligo Education Center as part of BLAST – Bringing Live Arts to Students & Teachers.
Seashore. Enniscrone NS. 2024.
Exploring the Irish seashore through art. During our sessions we explored different aspects of the seashore. We painted pebbles, created jellyfish and fish as well as individual artworks using clay. The children also created their own sea urchin in clay. Teacher: Grace Mulligan.
The residency was awarded by Sligo Education Centre as part of BLAST – Bringing Live Arts to Students & Teachers.
Art Residencies. Please get in contact if you would like more information on a specific project.
The art residencies I participate in usually take place over a period of time and are mostly process-driven to some degree. This gives everyone involved a chance to reflect on, and revisit their artwork. During the residencies, I have worked with primary and more recently secondary schools. The length of the residencies has allowed me to develop tools and specific processes for working with larger groups of varied ages, abilities, and skills. The projects are mainly visual art works, but with elements of model making, construction, mixed media, printing and even murals. The theme usually comes from the school and touches on areas the school would like to work with such as identity, local history or landscape, nature or ocean, Irish folklore, integration and/or exploring new cultures. My aim is for each child or young person to find their creative voice and expression, and for them to enjoy the process. It is my hope they will trust their abilities and bring with them a sense of achievement and methods/tools to use as they discover the joy of art. Here is a selection of recent art projects I’ve been involved in, but get in contact if you have any questions or if you’d like to arrange an art residency or workshop for your school.
St Marys NS, Sligo 
Tra Bhui beach 
All the children reflected on their local area and things they’d like to add to the artwork. 
In the junior room the children researched starfish and the beach. 
Trying different tools and discovering paint. 
A nice and sunny day so time to paint the mural! 
There’s a sand castle on Tra Bhui beach! 
The Beach Bar in Aughris 
The Beach Bar in Aughris! 
Boats… 
Some pupils chose to add animals to the mural. 
Tractor, horse stables and the school. 
St Marys NS, Sligo
Tra Bhui to Aughris mural. St Mary’s NS, Kilrusheighter Sligo. Whole school approach, 27 children. (BLAST) The school wished for all pupils to take part in the creation of an outdoor mural. The theme of the mural was the local area around the school and during our sessions with the children, we narrowed the area to the beach Tra Bhui to Aughris beach and surrounding farmlands based on the children’s ideas. Each child was guided through the process of reflecting on their surroundings, developing and creating their own artwork to contribute to the mural, as well as working collaboratively on the mural. The mural is now finished and located by the school entrance, welcoming all current pupils, staff, and visitors, and will continue to do so for years to come. This project would not have been possible without the support of the BLAST initiative, Sligo Education Centre, and the Department of Education, Ireland.
Our Place. Outdoor mural by the pupils at Errew NS, Co Mayo. Working together with the school staff for the children to have an enjoyable process creating an outdoor mural to brighten the school yard. Guiding the children in classes 3-6 through the process of creating a colourful wall mural. Each child sketched, created and planned their own artwork and colours, and added this to the mural. Junior Infants – 2nd class each added their own flower to take part of the process.
Hazelwood Mural, Scoil Ursula, Sligo. 2023. 4th Classes, 58 children. (BLAST) All children participated in this large mural placed in the schoolyard for the whole school to enjoy. They sketched, painted, scaled up their artwork, and finally painted outside.
Killavil – Past – Present – Future. Mural, Killavil NS, Sligo. 2023. Whole school approach, 20 children. (BLAST) Working with the school to realize an outdoor mural. Developing a framework to let each child participate and contribute to the artwork. Find and adjust methods and tools to suit ability and age.
Hazelwood Mural, Scoil Ursula, Sligo. 2023. 4th Classes, 58 children. (BLAST) All children participated in this large mural placed in the schoolyard for the whole school to enjoy. They sketched, painted, scaled up their artwork, and finally painted outside.
Our Place. Errew NS, Mayo. Champion of Reading, Children’s Books Ireland.
“Every a Child a Reader” is an absolutely lovely initiative from Children’s Books Ireland where Irish schools are GIFTED a LIBRARY(!) of children’s books. This is the second year I have had the opportunity to participate in the project as a Champion of Reading here in the West of Ireland. During this spring, I worked together with the primary school Errew NS in Co Mayo. We reflected on the theme “Our Place” and how different places can be (in books). The junior room created individual artworks and the senior room created their own books! First, we did a nature walk and collected material which the children then used while exploring printing. The children were guided through the process of mark making to more advanced printing techniques like Gelli printing.
Owenmore River, Collaborative Model Artwork, by 1st class at Scoil Mhuire agus Iosaf, Collooney. 2024. (BLAST). The school wished to work with the theme “Water” and the group looked at the nearby river as inspiration for the artwork. The children were guided through the process of idea – sketch- realisation. During the process the children used many recycled materials and made clay fish, buildings and villagers using textile, cardboard, buttons, cotton wool and more. The children learnt more about local history, ecology and that the fish in the river needs the steps to get up past the waterfall.
Coral Reef, Collaborative Artwork, Scoil Mhuire agus Iosaf, 2nd class, Collooney. 2024. (BLAST). The school wished to work with the theme “Water” and the 2nd class was interested to work with the coral reef. The children here, discovered how to create textured artworks and tried different printing methods to create a lively and very colourful coral reef. The children discovered how to blend colours, print with leaves to create algae and seaweeds. Everyone also created an individual piece to contribute to the large artwork.
Splanc! (Flash!) The Lighthouse Project.
Baboró International Arts Festival for Children, in association with The Lighthouse Project, delivered a series of workshops. These workshops were held with two Galway national schools: Claddagh National School in Galway city and Scoil Naisiunta Caomhain on the island of Inis Oírr.
Printmaking inspired by the environment
Inspired by the flashing light used by the lighthouse to communicate, visual artist Linda Fahrlin helped the young people to capture a brief moment in time. Working with light and local flora/vegetation, Linda encouraged young people to engage with their environment. They did this by noticing and collecting things. These items were used in the printing process. The children also created prints based on the texts from their writing workshops with Sadhbh. The print making method, called cyano printing, is a photographic printing method that uses a mixture of iron compounds, which when exposed to UV light and washed in water oxidise to create Prussian Blue images. Children in each school also collaborated on symbols for a school flag.
“Despite some stormy weather, we managed to gather and print many special items. The children got to explore new (to them) techniques of communication and expressing themselves and their own creative voices,” Linda said. “The cyanotype prints we made serve as a blueprint for a flash – in the history of time.”
You can read more about the project here:
“We are all unique, but we are the same” , Collaborative Artwork, St Attractas Community College, Tubbercurry. 94 Transition year students. 2023. (BLAST)
Queen Meadbh & The Brown Bull of Cooley, Carraroe NS, Sligo. 2nd class. 2023. (BLAST) The class reflected on the local legend of Meadhbh and the bull. The children worked in groups exploring and using multiple materials like fabric, sprigs, sand, shells and paint.
Boat building, McCanns Boatyard. Carns NS, Sligo. Whole school approach. 2022 (BLAST) The junior room constructed and created their own boats. The senior room built boats made of recycled materials.
Australia – the Rainforest – exploring new cultures. Scoil Ursula, Sligo. Senior Infants & 6th class. 2022 (BLAST)
Exploring Australia, Scoil Ursula, Sligo. Senior Infants. 2022 (TAP – Teacher Artist Partnership) During the residency the artist and teacher worked in partnership to let the children explore traditional Australian weaving by weaving the Great Barrier Reef and adding sea creatures and sea life. The children made coral reefs out of sticks and tried making natural colors out of blackberries.
Linda Fährlin Visual Artist & Illustrator 