Exhibition | Summer 2018 | Why We Need Art in Carlow Town
Artists in Carlow are keeping the dream alive with a summer art exhibition in the heart of town. Every Saturday in July 2018, Carlovians and tourists will have the opportunity to view and purchase artwork produced by local artists.
Thanks to artist Elwira Bernaciak for volunteering to curate and organise this show on behalf of the group 'Why We Need Art'.
Exhibition Details
Visit us at 2 Dublin Street, near the junction of Tullow St and Castle Street.
Be inspired by colourful and creative artwork during July and meet the artists.
In addition, Carlow town has a lot to offer by way of shopping, heritage, nature trails and scenery. The glacial hills of Killeshin make a stunning backdrop against the outline of our ancient castle while you rest along the Barrow in the company of swans.
Caroline Cunningham Carlow Artist
Add Colour Inspiration to Your Life
My art speaks of the awakening of dreams, this is why we need art. I love vibrant colours and the freedom of allowing imagination to seep through reality.
Keep your dreams alive with a piece of art that speaks to you. Choose from landscapes, trees, travel scenes from countries such as India and Portugal.
There are lots of options; original paintings in a variety of sizes and a range of prints including some limited editions.
Explore my gallery, see something you like, get in touch, make it yours today!
Fresh air, stretching the muscles and a whole lot more: what you're likely to get from time spent in the forest.
What about the wonderful sense of connection to the earth which trees are strongly rooted to? Many people refer to this as the grounding effect of trees.
Giving voice to the fact that trees nuture our wellbeing, is my purpose for creating: ‘The Sacred Lives of Trees’
The Benefits of Grounding Yourself
Grounding helps when you've been affected by the following:
a crisis/shock/trauma
immune system has been weakened through illness
a period of low energy, anxiety or dizzy spells
feeling depressed, grieving or broken-hearted
There are lots of circumstances in life that can leave us feeling disconnected from ourselves.
Along with seeking professional support to heal, trees are one aspect of nature that can provide us with a way of restoring connection and it usually doesn't cost a lot to visit a forest or spend time with trees.
Tango Tree | Sold
"Trees are an important contributor to our well-being, this factor is much deeper than some may realise."
— Caroline Cunningham (@artofsinging) May 13, 2020
Tree Meditation
More people are recognising the grounding effects of trees as a very real benefit for well-being, which is why tree analogies are often used in meditations and visualisations.
Imagine yourself having roots just like trees, anchoring yourself strongly to the earth. By influencing our thoughts and feelings in this way, we can change our body’s chemistry over time and raise our energy to allow sensations of being centred.
By developing this practice we can become more clear in our thinking and more able to deal with the surprise ‘hits’ life throws in our paths.
Sacred Lives of Tree's Tour
The response I got from launching ‘The Sacred Lives of Trees’ tour was tremendous. My on-line community sensed the importance of my quiet message, through my use of vivid colours and the intimate settings of trees.
From the comments I received,it was clear that the message resonated with many people, as they expressed their gratitude for trees and the comfort that they had received as a result of their presence.
Add Tree Inspiration to Your Walls
Add the healing energy of trees to your home or work space through my vibrant tree paintings, with many sizes and styles to choose from. Explore the collection, see something you like, get in touch and make it yours today.
The stately beech tree which resided in my parents garden was possibly 200 years old. Graced by the backdrop of a majestic mountain it's presence was powerful and and conjured to the me a kingdom of it's own, which I christened 'Treedom' as far back as 2012.
Treedom has been the inspiration for a number of my paintings in the collection 'The Sacred Lives of Trees'.
"Within its sturdy structures I could see the shape of a warrior with his chest to the east, giving protection to his divine female counterpart, as she danced their dream of love."
Art of Caroline Cunningham
Treedom 1 | Prints Available
Treedom 2 | €480
Treedom 3 | €650
The 1st Treedom Ever
I posted my first Treedom painting in pastel on social media on the eve of New Years Eve in 2014 and by 7am the next morning it was sold to an art buyer in London. My desire to paint Treedom in all it's beauty grew and hence a few more were created.
Interestingly, I could find no other reference to ‘Treedom’ online at the time (I scoured the internet), Treedom was certainly unique. Regardless of my limited financial resources in the years that followed, alongside several other studies and attempts to start a new business, I took a leap of faith and started creating the collection of paintings ‘The Sacred Lives of Trees’.
Choose a Treedom for Your Home
Are you ready to add Treedom inspiration to your home? Explore my collection The Sacred Lives of Trees, see a Treedom you like, get in touch and make it yours.
Sadly, as happens to old trees, Treedom finally succumbed to the ravages of Storm Eowyn on the night of January 24th 2025. It had narrowly surrived the a hurricane, Storm Ophelia on 16th October 2017.
The north westerly winds of Eowyn proved to too much as the tree was weakest on it's southern bank. It was sad to see it lying there in the aftermath but, as with any lossl, I cherish all I received from this magnificent tree with it's character and stunning features. RIP Treedom
December gives some of us cause for despair as we plunge deeper into darkness and cold damp air, hallmarks of Irish winters. Summer, I'm in my element, spending time outdoors, the warm feel of sunshine on my skin and sleeping with my window open, regardless of what experts say no amount of vitamin D can produce those soothing sensations.
"That which, diverts our minds from perceived problems and dilemmas, is worthy of being appreciated and framed."
Caroline Cunningham, Artist
As we glide through the sublime colours of autumn, I acknowledge the in-between state of summer fading away and the looming winter which I'll endeavour to embrace once more.
Many of my paintings in ' The Sacred Lives of Trees' collection show the bareness of winter branches attempting to catch hold of the setting sun, reflecting beauty and hope.
The In Between’ painting places the viewer between darkness and the light. In such moments, our true essence can be impressed even more upon us. Embracing our darkness is just as important as recognising the brilliance of our light.
Embrace The In Between
While the original painting of The In Between now resides in a home in Finland, you can still avail of your own printed copy with many options to customise for homewear, lifestyle and even as greetings cards.
For the one who buys the most thoughtful gifts for others for Christmas, birthdays and anniversaries and for those who like to surround themselves with colour and comforting nature inspiration, this post is especially for you.
Spend as little as €12 or more on books, paintings and art prints with lots of variety to choose from.
Books of Poetry and Calm:
My books evoke feelings of calm and encourage people to restore and maintain calm. 'Seven C's to Calm - Reclaiming your Anxiety-free Self' provides tips for self-care and includes a workbook. The Whisperings of Nature provides thought-provoking nature-inspired poems. Click on the book images to go straight to purchase area (Amazon & Feedaread book stores).
Discover my affordable art prints, with options for customising lifestyle items; phone-covers, tote bags and even personalised greetings cards. The beauty of this option is that you get to choose the size of the art print and the format (e.g. paper or canvas options) and ultimately you choose within your budget.
Limited edition art prints provide a high quality affordable option for you to obtain an original Caroline Cunningham art piece.
Limited Edition of 150
Giclee print on Hahnemuhle, German etching paper
Archival inks
Titled, numbered and signed by the artist
Signed Certificate of Authenticity (includes matching stickers with numbers x 2)
Price includes free worldwide shipping
Art of Caroline Original Paintings:
Often people prefer to have the original painting for their home or workspace. My art is an expression of stories that awaken dreams and keep them alive. I love vibrant colours and the freedom of allowing imagination to seep through reality.
Explore my paintings in the interest of feeding your own dreams and keeping them alive. You'll find landscapes, trees, scenes from lands such as India and Portugal.
See something you like, get in touch to make it yours.
Remember that Shaws radio advert back in the day? ‘Shaws! Almost nationwide!’In some typical Irish banter with friends, we en-acted the scenario of a Carlovian emigrant eager to know about things back home: ‘tell me this....did Shaws ever make it nationwide?’
Many Carlovians have grown up with Shaws department store at the heart of their shopping experience. A family owned business in its fourth generation, since Henry Shaw first opened its doors in 1864, it seems they have indeed ‘made it nationwide’, with stores in 16 locations across Ireland.
The new tag line for adverts: ‘Shaws, your complete department store!’
Art Show Case | 2017
Shaws Carlow have traditionally featured the work of a local artist during Carlow Arts Festival in June and this year, I'm delighted to have my work featured in their windows.
As you stroll through Tullow Street, watch out for a sample of my paintings from ‘The Sacred Lives of Trees’ collection, along with a selection of my limited edition prints.
I first connected with Michelle Mc Loughlin in a popular Twitter network, #womensinspire, supporting female entrepreneurs. Michelle's new business 'Train With Us' was the featured business that night, we joined in to help her business to trend by using her hashtag #businessSOS in our conversations.
I was thrilled to win the prize she had offered at the outset; a one hour consultation with regards to achieving a particular business goal of my choice.
Boosting Online Sales of Art Prints
I set the goal of achieving on-line sales of my limited edition art prints via my newly launched website, late in 2016. Exhibiting my work during the launch brought a good deal of direct sales and gave more visibility to my work in general. Following these events, I need to also boost awareness of my online art shopping facility.
"A few days before my review with Michelle, I achieved my goal of an on-line art sale!"
Making SMART Plans with Michelle
During the consultation, Michelle helped me to identify key tasks which we both agreed would be useful for generating awareness of my on-line shop. Together we prioritised the tasks and agreed on a timeframe in which to achieve them.
A review session was set to take place within one month. Meanwhile, Michelle had eyes and ears on all my social media activities. It was lovely that from time to time she gave me encouragement seeing that I was putting the plan into action.
If you need help identifying how to achieve your goals and could do with some motivation and accountability, I highly recommend connecting with Michelle via her website www.trainwithus.ie
Limited Edition Prints:
My limited edition prints are an excellent choice of gift for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries or for any gifting ocassion. All are printed on Hahnemuhle paper using giclee archival inks. They come with a certificate of authenticity and can be delivered worldwide.
Trees are constantly moving in unison with the wind, the minerals of the soil, the light of the sun and the earth's water. They clench the soil and reach into the heavens while witnessing every moment of Earth's revolution. They provide shelter and homes. They may blossom and wither, always following the course of their natural design.
I created The Sacred Lives of Trees art collection to honour trees for their contribution to my wellbeing and to encourage more people to express the benefits they receive from trees. I've come to regard trees as individuals, each with a character of their own.
"Reminiscent of dancers, great warriors and benevolent souls, trees are evidence of how the unseen forces of Nature lend shape and character to our being."
Many of my tree paintings reside in homes in Ireland and beyond. There are a few remainng originals to choose from, along with a selection of open and limited edition prints to enliven your home or work space with colour and healing inspiration.
Visit the on-line gallery to select your favourite piece. If you have a query about your selection I’m here to help.
