Final preperations are well and truly under way for the Dragon of Shandon Samhain Parade tomorrow in Cork City. I will be on hand from 2 pm tomorrow in the Shandon Craft Centre, face-painting the performing ghouls and goblins for the parade. My Baron Spolasco portrait illustration from the Gruesome End of Baron Spolasco mini-comic, was also featured yesterday in an article by Carl Dixon for the parade in the Irish Examiner newspaper.

The Gruesome End of Baron Spolasco will be available to purchase tomorrow at the parade for just 2 Euro!

The wonderful people up in Cork Community Art Link have been busy creating amazing 'props' for the Dragon of Shandon Samhain Parade next Monday night, October 31st. Yesterday I visited the Shandon Craft Centre, where the Art Link team have been busy doing what they do best and it was very exciting to see my illustration work from the Gruesome End of Baron Spolasco start to come to life.

Here is how the 'Coach of Death' is shaping up:

The Gruesome End of Baron Spolasco mini-comic is now available to purchase in the Butter Cup Cafe, Shandon, Cork City. The limited edition print has been published by Cork Community Art Link for the Dragon of Shandon Samhain Parade. It is available for 2 Euro in the cafe!

It has been a while since I posted an illustration from the Ghost of Shandon, so here is South Gate Bridge overlooking Saint Finn Barre's Cathedral. As you can see, an eloborate jail, just like on North Gate Bridge, stood on South Gate Bridge. So no matter what direction you came from, to enter the city of Cork in the 18th Century, you had to go through a jail!

This is an illustration that I was asked to do for the Cork Fright Choir for the upcoming Dragon of Shandon Samhain Parade. I decided to draw a Cork 'Shawlie' screaming her head off. In the 19th and early 20th Century, women in Cork were known for wearing very long shawles and they were simply referred to as the 'Shawlies.' Apparently they gave the city of Cork a very monastic feel in the 19th Century. 

The Cork Fright Choir that are looking for new members to perform on Halloween night this year!

Please contact vocalcork@gmail.com for more details.

On November 1st I will be giving a talk on Illustration at Cork Institute of Technology in Bishopstown, Cork. The talk will be held at 2 o'clock and will be part of a past graduates exhibition and talks series being held by the Media Communications Department of CIT. Fellow children's book illustrator Findlay Brown will also be talking on the day. 

I would like to thank Rose McGrath for inviting me along!

Keep an eye out if you're in Cork City for my illustrations on Dragon of Shandon advertsiments. There are currently illustrations on display on Shandon Street, North Main Street and in the window of the Cork Tourist Office on the Grand Parade! Much thanks must go to Cork Community Art Link for showcasing my illustration work!

There will be a number of copies of my mini-comic The Gruesome End of Baron Spolasco available for purchase tomorrow evening, Tuesday October 11th at the Dragon of Shandon Samhain Parade Launch event. The launch starts at 6 o'clock in the evening outside the Butter Exchange Museum on O'Connell Square in Cork City. 

 I'll also be present at the event 'sketching' !

There is a podcast available now of an Arts show on Cork FM that discusses the up coming Dragon of Shandon Samhain Parade. My collaboration work with Cork Community Art Link on the Samhain Parade and my work for the Gruesome End of Baron Spolasco mini comic are talked about.

Here is a link to the show-

http://www.corkfm.net/podcast/arts/ArtsOct2.mp3


Thanks Aoife for saying nice things!!

The 6th Annual Dragon of Shandon Samain Parade will be officially launched next Tuesday the 11th of October at O'Connell Square, Shandon at 6 o'clock. Lord Mayor of Cork, Terry Shannon will officially unveil details of this years event. 

Keep an eye out for some of my illustration work!