Meet the artists
Sarah walsh glass art
Sarah Walsh graduated with a degree in Fine & Applied Art from the University of Ulster in 2008, having focused on performance and installation art. She began working with fused glass in 2012 when her father, Martin, bought a glass kiln. After that she began teaching herself how to create fused glass through experimentation and research, later attending glass workshops to develop her techniques and knowledge.
Her work focuses mainly on the textures and colours achievable in glass. Her colour palette often echoes the colours found in the Mourne surroundings and some of her most popular work depicts the Mourne scenery. Each piece of her fused glass work is handmade and completely unique
Martin Walsh Art
Martin started painting recreationally in 2012 when his wife enrolled him in an art class. He enjoyed it but since his retirement in 2017 his passion for painting has grown and he has developed his own style.
Inspired by his Newry & Mourne surroundings, Martin mostly paints local scenes and his depictions have earned him much recognition in the area. He is a regular at the local artisan markets and enjoys working on commissioned paintings
A Blissful Blend
Betty Rogers lives in Donaghadee and spends her days making organic skincare and bath products, using natural ingredients and essential oils.
She was inspired to create her own hand cream in response to her daughter’s sore, dry and chapped hands. With great results and her daughter’s hands repaired, she then set about developing a range of creams and balms that were not only kind to the skin but also soothe the soul with a careful mix of essential oils. Betty’s Calm Balm has become a firm favourite and she has acquired many devoted customers who swear by her “magic balms”
Ciaran Headley Pottery
Ciaran Headley is an artist living on the shores of Lough Neagh although he attended school in Newry as a young boy. Following his retirement from teaching in 2013 he attended a foundation art course and discovered his love for clay. His hobby became a small business when he set up his own studio, CH Pottery. Ciaran has developed his own style and now creates a range of functional homeware. His use of glazes has become instantly recognisable, his earthy tones inspired by the scenery that surrounds him
Grace Murdock Art
Grace is a local artist living in Burren, Northern Ireland. She works with art students at local schools, painting in her spare time. Most of her work is inspired by the animals she encounters during her walks in the Mourne area. Her paintings are colourful and contemporary, capturing the characters of the animals in a quirky and unique style. She has expanded her range to include a variety of homeware items including cushions, placemats, mugs and coasters.
John Haughian
John Haughian lives and works in Newry. He owns a shoe repair store in the city centre and is a skilled craftsman with leather but also enjoys painting in his spare time. Most of his paintings are done in Donegal and are inspired by the beautiful scenery there. His work has a minimalistic style, emphasising the colours and encapsulating the atmosphere of a place. He enjoys working with acrylics as well as watercolours and some of his original paintings can be found in galleries in Donegal
Lindy Makes
Lindy McMahon is a metal artist working from her studio in Newcastle. She is constantly inspired by the sights and sounds, flora and fauna of her Mourne surroundings. Her work often depicts animals that she has seen in Tollymore Forest, along the coast orin the grasses along the foothills of the Mourne Mountains. Lindy uses metal embossing, flame painting and polishing of various metals such as copper, aluminium and pewter to create her unique pieces of art
Lynda B Jewellery & Ceramics
Ceramicist Lynda Hassin creates in porcelain, working from her workshop in County Tyrone. After graduating from Cumbria Institute of the Arts in Carlisle with a BA (Hons) in Contemporary Applied Art, she returned home to Northern Ireland and set up Lynda B Jewellery & Ceramics. Lynda uses hand building techniques working with flat slabs of porcelain and formers to create her pieces, adding texture or hand drawing her designs onto the porcelain surface before shaping it. Texture has always been a feature in Lynda's work, often using lace to add imprints. Much of the inspiration for Lynda's work comes from personal memories, nostalgia and connections, a little quote she found inspiring, a little moment that captured her attention and imagination
Sarah Majury
Saintfield based artist Sarah Majury is the creative force behind three small businesses, having completed an Art degree in Belfast. Whether she is making prints under alias 'Sweat, Tears and the Sea', creating boozy watercolour illustrations as 'Rather Gindividual' or painting under her own name, the work she creates is always unique and beautiful. Her work is inspired by nature and her surroundings, her love of sea swimming and the coast.
Seamus Collins
Seamus is a semi-retired architect who has enjoyed painting recreationally for the past number of years. He mainly enjoys working with watercolour but occasionally uses acrylics or oils.
He enjoys working plein air when the weather allows, inspired by nature and the local scenery. Many of his paintings depict recognisable local scenes of Rostrevor and the Mournes.
Sean Smylie Art
Sean is a freelance artist living and working in Newry. Since his graduation with a Fine Art Degree from Aberystwyth University in Wales he has enjoyed working with several different types of media and in many different styles.
Not only is he extremely skilled at conventional drawing and painting, photography and sculpture, he also enjoys digital drawing, often creating 3D printed sculptures from his digital creations.
His latest printed canvases showcase some of his stylistic digital drawings of mimes and clowns which are striking, melancholic and beautiful.
Soheil Roohipour
Soheil Roohipour is a Persian artist living and working in Rostrevor who enjoys working with a variety of natural materials including willow and leather. He also enjoys learning new techniques and is currently studying a HND in Silversmithing in Newry.
He creates beautifully crafted leather bags, willow baskets and silver jewellery by hand, each piece completely unique. He also runs basket making classes, enjoys nature, yoga and walking in the beautiful Rostrevor area
Soy & Sisters
From curating the collections to creating the vessels, pouring the wax, assembling the box and placing the labels, each Soy & Sisters item is carefully considered and handcrafted in their home studio to ensure the highest quality.
They use only responsibly sourced, sustainable and renewable ingredients and work exclusively with plant-based soy wax and natural fragranced oils. Their Elements Collection is inspired by the Earth’s four elements and each vessel is handcrafted using a water based, non-toxic ecoresin
Thomas Powell Pottery
After 25 years of honing his skills on the potter’s wheel in Wales and Northern Ireland, Thomas established his own pottery near Gilford in 2013.
He has developed a range of contemporary, handmade tableware that is not only beautiful but functional. Each piece is decorated with a simple design and comes in a variety of mix and match colours. His work is a favourite amongst collectors and instantly recognisable due to his characteristic colour combos.
Watercolour Sky
Rachel Devlin is a Belfast based artist who creates beautiful illustrations based on nature, plants and animals. She is inspired by the colours and details everywhere and incorporates this into her unique drawings.
Her high-quality cards, stationery and gifts are handcrafted with care in her Belfast studio. She uses sustainably sourced artist papers, recycled envelopes with recyclable or compostable packaging.
Wild About Soaps
Averil is a trained horticulturalist who uses the power of plants to create her own beautiful, natural skincare products. She uses infusions of herbs, clays, seeds and petals combined with high quality essential oils to create products that are moisturising, healing and kind to your skin.
She is a member of the Guild of Craft Soap and Toiletry Makers and her products are free from parabens, SLES, SLS, artificial ingredients and fragrance oils
Hunter Paper Co.
Hunter Paper Co. is a stationery brand based in Northern Ireland. Hunter Paper combines the beautiful tactility of letterpress printing with a modern, minimal design aesthetic to deliver a range of high quality greetings cards and stationery.
Emma started her business back in 2014. Freshly graduated from University, this side project quickly grew into an award-winning brand, stocking shops around the UK, Europe and America
Ebb & Flow
Kim creates ceramic gifts that celebrate our wonderful coastline in Northern Ireland. Living in Bangor, Northern Ireland she is inspired by sea side life, family and nature. The colours she uses, along with her signature details and texture mean her handmade ceramics are recognisable and unique.