I have been collecting prints for as long as I can remember. My approach is neither scientific nor rooted in art history. What it comes down to is this: if I like it and it makes me happy then I buy it.
When I am in a foreign country, I buy a print as a souvenir of the holiday. Our Balinese print reminds me of our honeymoon, a flower print brings back memories of Copenhagen... and then there's the bicycle poster we lugged back from Australia only to realise they sold the exact same one in the National Gallery of Ireland’s gift shop.
I also like to frame smaller prints that mean something to me, whether it is the little fox card my brother gave me when my son was born or the table place name at our wedding. They all have a spot on our gallery wall.
Top tip before you hang pictures: use the paper insert from inside their frames or cut out the frame sizes in newspaper and stick them to the wall to see if you like the look of your arrangement - before you go putting huge holes in your walls.
Of course, you don’t have to leave these shores to find a stunning piece for your home. Ireland has plenty of fantastic print artists. Here are five of them whose work you need on your wall.
Shane O’Driscoll
I came across Corkonian Shane O’Driscoll thanks to his murals, which appeared many times on my Instagram feed. You may recognise his work as he has a very distinctive style of using circles, colours and shapes.
Hugely influenced by beach culture and his time working in a surf shop, he recently felt the call of the sea and has moved back to his native county of Cork where he can often spend 12 hours straight in his art studio.
His prints are named after lyrics - but don’t expect Hit Me Baby One More Time, more like Midnight In A Perfect World by DJ Shadow. And despite his studio being closed during Covid, Shane told me that he found himself "very creative in different projects," adding that he finally got to make some pieces that he had put off in the past.
I personally love his recent Letterpress print for The Irish Design Shop which retails at €90. His prices start at €290 from sofinearteditions.
Niamh Gillespie
NCAD graduate Niamh Gillespie spent 15 years working in London where she built an impressive CV designing prints for the likes of Paul Smith, Alexander McQueen and Topshop, to name but a few.
A yearning to return to Ireland saw her up sticks and leave the bright lights of London for Co. Louth where she runs her successful Niamh Gillespie Design studio. Her typography prints from GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS to STAY HOME have been hugely successful.
Not one to sit on her laurels, she now also designs beautiful silk scarfs under her label Tidings which was inspired from a message in a bottle she found on the shore. Prints range from €58 and €150 from Niamh Gillespie Design.
Fuchsia MacAree
Carlingford-based artist Fuchsia MacAree is well known in design circles. You probably know her work from her humorous editorial prints for The Irish Times or the Christmas stocking filler of The Great Irish Weather book. I remember seeing her 'Pretty Woman, Big Mistake' poster and had a little chuckle to myself in the Jam Art Factory in Dublin.
Fuchsia’s latest exhibition at Hang Tough Gallery explored how during Covid we moved away from material things and appreciated the simple little details that were right in front of us. She also told us "a sense of humour is important" in her work, and that she draws inspiration from the renowned modern British painter David Hockney.
Fuchsia currently has an exhibition at the Hang Tough Gallery in Dublin. Her work ranges from €18 for a smaller piece to €110 for some of the larger ones and can be bought from many shops including Damn Fine Print and Jam Art Prints.
Alice Fitzgerald
Starting her career at Mongrel magazine, Alice Fitzgerlad’s work is heavily influenced by the geometric shapes of her Dublin City life. Her work is often described as having order and chaos side by side.
I love her use of colour and her style is so unique I can often tell an Alice Fitzgerald piece against another artist. Alice’s work sits in the permanent collection at Dublin City Council’s offices and if you happen to be one of the lucky ones to stay at The Dean in Cork her work brightens up their hotel walls.
In her own words, Alice’s work "demonstrates playful interactions between colour, shape and form". She is currently enjoying the work of "younger Irish artist such as Deirdre Breen and Shane O’Driscoll".
Alice's prints start at €30 from www.alicefitzgerald.ie.
Sally Caulwell
Dubliner Sally Caulwell’s botanical prints have been on my wish list for quite a while. I like the simplicity of her graphics and how she brings the image back to its most basic form.
Sally says she is hugely inspired by nature and often picks up things from hedgerows and starts sketching them straight away. Sally explained her design process to me: "I like to play with geometry, distilling things down to simple forms. Nothing makes me happier than a balanced composition. I love repetition, pattern, colour."
I’m particularly fond of her Hedgerows of Ireland and Woodland of Ireland prints. Her illustrations can also be found in The Great Irish Farm Book. Prices start at €28 from the Irish Design Shop. They are also available from Forest and Flock Bantry and Ardmore Pottery & Gallery.
