Here you can see a selection of projects. Please get in contact if you would like more information on a specific project or have any questions.
My aim is for each child or young person to find their creative voice and expression and 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. The art residencies usually take place over a period of time. They are mainly process-driven to some degree. This gives everyone involved a chance to reflect and revisit their artwork. I have worked with primary and secondary schools in Ireland and Northern Ireland. The sessions has allowed me to develop tools and specific processes for working with larger or complex 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 school murals. The work explores themes like identity, local history, or landscape, nature or ocean, Irish folklore, integration, and/or exploring new cultures.
Seashore and Marine Creatures. Carbury NS. 2025.
Exploring the Irish seashore through art. During our sessions we explored different animals and creatures connected to the seashore. The children were asked to investigate how they could add a 3D element to their artwork. 4 pieces were created and now displayed in the school.
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.
The residency was awarded by Sligo Education Center as part of BLAST (Bringing Live Arts to Students & Teachers. )
Our Place. School Mural.
Errew NS, Mayo. 2024
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.
Past – Present – Future. School Mural. Killavil NS, Sligo. 2023
The school wanted for the children to reflect and learn about the local area and also imagine how the area would look like in the future or what they dreamed about for the area. Each child created a historical illustration and then imagined how the same item would look like in the future. Whole school approach, 20 children. 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 School Mural.
Scoil Ursula, Sligo. 2023
The school wanted for children to think about spaces we feel good in – and the result was a mural inspired by the nearby Hazelwood Forest and Lough Gill. 4th Classes, 58 children. All children in the 4th classes 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.
From Aughris to Trá Bhui. St Mary’s, Kilrusheighter NS, Sligo. School mural 2024
The school wished for the children to create a school mural, reflecting on the local area. Collaborating with the children we created a map from the area Aughris to the beach Trá Bhuí. The whole school participated in the school mural and it will now be on display to welcome children, staff and visitors for years to come. The youngest added fish and starfish they remembered seeing during summer holidays at the beach!
Our Place. Errew NS, Mayo. Champion of Reading, Children’s Books Ireland. 2024
Printing and book making using printed textures. During our sessions we explored art as a way into children’s books. 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.
Coral Reef.
Scoil Mhuire agus Iosaf Collooney. 2024 2nd class
Under the theme ‘Water’ – the children discovered how to create textured artworks and tried different printing methods to create a colourful coral reef. The children discovered how to blend colours, print with leaves to create algae and seaweeds.
Owenmore River, Collaborative Model Artwork, by 1st class at Scoil Mhuire agus Iosaf, Collooney. 2024. The school looked at the nearby Owenmore river as inspiration. 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 connected local history, ecology and noticed that the fish in the river needs the steps to get up past the waterfall!
Queen Meadbh & The Brown Bull of Cooley, Carraroe NS, Sligo. 2023 2nd class reflected on the local legend of Meadhbh and the Brown Bull of Cooley. The children worked in groups exploring and using multiple materials like fabric, sprigs, sand, shells and paint.
“We are all unique, but we are the same” , St Attractas Community College, Tubbercurry. 2023
Collaborative Artwork, created by 94 students in TY. Each student was asked reflect, and create a symbol for their hopes and dreams or a symbol to represent themselves or the school to celebrate that “We are all unique, but we are all the same”. The students discovered that we all shared many hopes and dreams about an exciting future!
Boat building, McCanns Boatyard. Carns NS, Sligo. 2022
The junior room constructed and created their own boats. The senior room built boats made of recycled materials.
Australia – the Rainforest
Scoil Ursula, Sligo 2022
Each class in the school was exploring a new culture and country. Senior infants created a rain forest artwork and explored parrots, leaves and bugs.
Australia – the Coral Reefs
Scoil Ursula, Sligo 2022
Each class in the school was exploring a new culture and country. 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 in senior infants B made coral reefs out of sticks and tried making natural colors out of blackberries.
China – Exploring new cultures through inventions. 2022
Each class in the school was exploring a new culture and country. 5th classes used media and techniques related to Chinese history like printing, pottery (clay) and more to create their own artworks.
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:
Linda Fährlin Visual Artist & Illustrator 