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Work

  • Pigment & Print

    Cyanotype print with layers of pigments extracted ,ground and mixed with gum arabic.The ochres were foraged on the cowal coastline,shore road,Innellan.

  • The Cairn on top of the hill

    Multi toned Cyanotype print on paper. Cyanotype uses two Iron based solutions that are brushed onto paper creating a light sensitive medium for printing.I have used my hand cut stencils and details from my photographs taken on walks up Beinn Ruadh, Inverchapel to formalise and print the composition.Using a combination of bleaching and toning during each exposure reveals several layers of colours from deep dark blues and tonal greys.

  • Seaward

    Multi layered print using cyanotype, hand cut stencils and natural inks.The inks were extracted from flower and vegetable pigments grown in my dye garden.

  • Sea Bones - Salt Water Lumens

    A lumen print of rock patterns and textures using hand cut stencils made from my photographs from the Cowal coastline in Argyll.The Lumen print was fixed in a solution of sea salt.

    Salt Water Lumens -a project supported by the Richard and Siobhan Coward Foundation for Analogue photography.

  • Salt Water Lumens - a collection of specimens

    Saltwater Lumens - my research into the alternative photographic process of Lumen printing with the chance interaction of sunlight, weather, the inherent physical and chemical qualities of specimens and the fixing of prints in sea salt water.

  • Vertical Landscape

    Vertical landscape is a wall hanging made from a series of cyanotype prints on bamboo paper, The hand coloured inks are from found and foraged sourced pigments of wild bilberry, himalayan honeysuckle berries,nettles and rusty nails.This work was exhibited at the Impact 12 Printmakers conference in Bristol 2022 curated by Sarah Strachan and Ayesha Zolghadr and Compass Exhibition,No Vacancy Gallery curated by Art Aviso.2023

    https://www.no-vacancy.com.au/past/2023/9/30/past-compass

Studio 

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ABOUT
Living in Innellan on the South Cowal peninsula I am surrounded by coastline and forestry,these ancient landscapes traced and tracked with shifting markers of past and present lives,are a generous source of inspiration.

As a multi-disciplined artist and workshop practioner I use a variety of materials, techniques and experimentation honed over the last twenty five years of learning,making and collaboarating.

My studio is home to my electric Kiln 'Betty' and Gunning printing press 'Gilda'. All my materials are etically sourced and I recycle my porcelain clay and sterling silver so there is no waste.

Currently I have four ongoing projects Seed - Plant - Share is my research into harvesting natural dye pigments from plants. (Thank you to Keep Scotland Beautiful, Scotland's Climate Festival Seed Funds grant to start me off on my dye garden journey.
From Fleece to Felt  is my exploration into using local raw fleece from sheep farmed in Glen Massan, Dunoon, with local natural dyes to create interior & wearable adornments and Salt Water Lumens is my exploration into Lumen alternative photography with natural saltwater fixer funded by The Richard and Siobhán Coward Foundation Award for Analogue photography. Wood Lithography also known as Mokolitho, a lithography technique using a wood matirix that encompasses my love of mark making and print,funded by Creative Scotland.

Professional Practice


Education:

Fine Art Degree (First Hons) Sculpture (stone ,ceramic, textiles & paper making ) at Crawford College of Art and Design, Cork, Ireland. 

Masters in Youth and Community University College Cork, Ireland.Incorporating arts practice with community engagement.

Selected Exhibitions & Collaborative Projects 2023 

Professional Art Tutor/Project Development: Project Ability, Third Floor 103,Trongate, Glasgow. 2004 – Present. Lead Tutor facilitating, developing and delivery of Visual art workshops in Printmaking, Ceramics and Mixed Media with adults and young people with learning disabilities and autism. https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/projects/our-100-portraits https://artetal.org/collections/mentorship02 https://www.project-ability.co.uk/blog/project-ability-was-in-prague-for-the-conquering-public-spaces-international-conference/

Professional Art Tutor, Living Well at the Library Arts Programme, Renfrewshire Libraries, OneRen. September 2022- December  2023 https://www.oneren.org/news/posts/ferguslie-residents-craft-new-ways-to-beat-isolation-in-their-local-library/

Benmore Botanic Garden, Argyll. Artist talk and community workshop on foraging, growing and extracting dye pigment from plants. March 2023

https://www.chartsargyllandisles.org/opportunities/taster-workshop-exploring-batik-with-natural-plant-dye/

  https://www.facebook.com/benmorebotanicgarden/posts/art-in-the-gardenmany-thanks-to-local-artist-valerie-oregan-birdhouse-studio-arg/3013090635384715/ https://www.the-soc.org.uk/content/about-us/exhibition-archives 

World Book Collaboration Project, University West of England, We remember inspired by writers Georges Perec and Joe Brainard. March 2023. https://youtu.be/cURx1fDHxTM Artist book exhibition Friday 21st April – Friday 30th June 2023 at Bower Ashton Library, UWE Bristol and in the Hong Kong Design Institute 30th July – 30th Sept 2023.

No Vacancy Gallery Melbourne, Australia - Compass Exhibition An exploration of place, space and belonging.3rd September 2023- 22 August . 

https://www.no-vacancy.com.au/

Southbank Printmakers,London, MiniPrint Exhibition - 3rd October -3rd December 2023  

https://www.southbankprintmakers.com/miniprint-s-r

Anxiety of Interdisciplinary 0.2 Art @ ARB 25th September 2023 - 25th September - 17th November 2023 https://www.anxietyofinterdisciplinarity.com/ 

https://arbart.crassh.cam.ac.uk/The%20anxiety%20of%20interdisciplinarity%202.0/

UpRight Gallery Edinburgh - Making Waves - Artist Book Exhibition - 2nd -23rd December 2023 https://www.uprightgallery.com/

SSA Society of Scottish artists 30x30 online exhibition of small works 18th November - 14th January 24

https://ssa.viewingrooms.com/viewing-room/20-30-x-30-online-edition-2023/


Exhibitions & Projects - 2022

Fronteer Gallery, Sheffield . Selected Group exhibition, The Environment 24th March -16th April 2022.

Marchmont House  Borders Art Fair 30x30 exhibition, SSA Spotlight Area at this year’s Borders Art Fair (25 – 27 March 2022) 

Bower Ashton Library , Bristol,13th April - 29th June at Bower Ashton Library. http://www.bookarts.uwe.ac.uk/wbn2022

Keep Scotland Beautiful -Scotland's Climate Festival -project to grow a dye garden to explore natural dyes and pigments to use in my practice and community workshops, harvest and share seeds. https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/scotlands-climate-festival/

LiTE-HAUS Galerie + Projektraum Exhibition, Berlin September 8th - 24th 2022 https://www.lite-haus.net/

The Garden of Loss and Triumph  Commelinstraat 308 1093 VD, Amsterdam The Netherlands 1st -18th September 2022.

HKDI Hong Kong Design Institute Library, China 20th June - 19th September 2022 Exhibition of collaborative Book art project Ghost in the Machine.

IMPACT 12: The Printmakers' Voice (21-25 September 2022) Selected Exhibition at Island Venue, Bridewell St, Bristol BS1 2QD https://www.anxietyofinterdisciplinarity.com/impact-12

Southbank Printmakers Mini Print Selected  Exhibition 4th October 2- 4 December 2022, Southbank Printmakers ,London.

Upright Gallery,Pattern Book Art Exhibition,Edinburgh. 26th November - 23rd December 2022. https://www.uprightgallery.com/now.html

SSA 130 Years.Selected Members Exhibition, The RSA, Edinburgh 17th December - 10th January 2022  https://www.s-s-a.org/annualexhibition2022

Exhibitions 2020/2022

Upright Gallery, Edinburgh. Selected Exhibition Nature Works 3rd December – 24th December 21 https://www.uprightgallery.com/nature-works.html

https://m.facebook.com/uprightgallery/videos/pattern-books-advent-calendar-day-fivevalerie-oreganintersectionnine-toned-cyano/797167668043660/

Lillie Gallery 6th -22nd December 21  https://artuk.org/visit/venues/lillie-art-gallery-6985

Auld Kirk Museum, East Dunbartonshire  Exhibition 30th October -22nd December 21  https://artuk.org/visit/venues/auld-kirk-museum-6983

No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne, Australia. The Garden of Loss and Triumph Exhibition 8th-14th November 21  https://www.artaviso.com/the-garden-landing-page/

The RSA, The Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh,30x30 Exhibition 1st November -23rd November 21  https://www.s-s-a.org/annualexhibition2021/

The Hall of Awa Japanese Handmade Paper (141 Kawahigashi, Yamakawa, Yoshinogawa City, Tokushima) Awagami Mini Print Exhibition 9th October -7th November 21 http://miniprint.awagami.jp/ENGLISH/exhibitions/index2021.html

Donald Watson Gallery, Waterston House, Edinburgh Selected exhibition Song lines 29th July – August 1st 21.  https://www.the-soc.org.uk/about-us/art-gallery

The Viewing Rooms, Online selected Exhibition, Society Scottish Artists 1-31st July 21  https://ssa.viewingrooms.com/viewing-room/10-instant/

Recycl-Age -Art Selected Exhibition, Granton Hub, Edinburgh 9-11th July 21  https://grantonhub.org/recycl-age-art-exhibition-9-11-july-2021/

Donald Watson Gallery, Edinburgh. 4th - 28th 2021 Song Lines, Exhibition of prints at Scottish Ornithological Club.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKMR6yTqjt5/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Lillie Gallery & Auld Kirk Museum - December 2020:  https://artuk.org/visit/venues/auld-kirk-museum-6983

Society of Scottish Artists SSA open call 30x30 Online Edition Exhibition 2020 - January 2021:. https://www.s-s-a.org/ssa-open-call-30-x-30-online-edition/

Seacourt International MiniPrint Biennial. 2020: Exhibition of original prints on paper 20x20cm. https://seacourt-ni.org.uk/international-mini-print-online-exhibition/

Art Aviso. 2020: Door to Door Project,A) International online exhibition. https://www.artaviso.com/

Court Yard Gallery,  2019 – June 2019 – 'Exchange' A curated group exhibition inspired by Lichen specimens.  Benmore Botanic Garden. www.britishlichensociety.org.uk


Selected Projects & Residencies 2019-22.

The Cowshed Gallery, Farmleigh, Dublin, Ireland. 15cm x 15cm artworks Pluid Project August 27th -5th September 21 https://visualartists.ie/events/pluid-the-national-comfort-blanket-the-cowshed-gallery-farmleigh-estate-2/

Tea by post  exchange of seed sharing and alternative practice, with Artists uk and Ireland. https://www.instagram.com/teabypost/

12o Collective, Collaboration and Exhibition with 12o Collective, 30 works in 30 days . 

 Artist in Residence with the National Library of Scotland. 2019- March 2020 – . https://www.nls.uk/ Making work in response to archive recordings from the Scottish Ornithological Club. Developing and facilitating a series of community workshops responding to key audio recordings. Curating the exhibition of work ‘Song Lines’ at the Court Yard Gallery, Benmore Botanic Garden. https://kelvinhall.org.uk/national-library-of-scotland   https://www.the-soc.org.uk/

Lichenology at Edinburgh Botanic Gardens, Science building. 31st – March 2020  ‘Small is Beautiful’ A curated group exhibition of Art work inspired by Lichenology at Edinburgh Botanic Gardens, Science building. https://www.rbge.org.uk/visit/royal-botanic-garden-edinburgh/

Benmore Botanic Garden-Public Talk and workshop . A talk and workshop on my recent residency experience at Benmore Botanic Garden and my research into the Cyanotype process. 2019

Benmore Botanic Garden  residency . 2018 -2019 – Self-directed residency at Benmore Botanic Garden. Researching Lichen and the Cyanotype https://www.rbge.org.uk/visit/benmore-botanic-garden/

Recent Awards 23/22/21/20

The Southbank Printmakers Prize ,Southbank Printmakers Mini print Exhibition ,Gabriel's Wharf,London. December 2022,

Creative Scotland Award  Individual Fund to research Wood Lithography June - 23

The Richard and Siobhán Coward Foundation Award for Analogue photography July 2022.

VACMA Award 2022  Visual Artist and Craft Maker Bursary. To research natural pigments site specific to Cowal, develop ink for printmaking and create a series of artists books. https://www.creativescotland.com/  https://www.chartsargyllandisles.org/

KEEP SCOTLAND BEAUTIFUL – Scotland's Climate Seed Funds- February 2022 Funding towards starting a dye garden for the research into natural dyeing, pigment extraction and seed sharing.

VAMCA Award Visual Art Creative Scotland & CHARTS Argyll & Isles 2021 Bursary Award. To explore and experiment with using solar etching plates using intaglio and relief printmaking techniques. Creative Scotland and Argyll & Isles.  https://www.chartsargyllandisles.org/

VAMCA Award: Visual Artist and Craft Maker Award 2020 Bursary Award. To explore and develop alternative photographic process with traditional printmaking skills and towards purchase of a Print press. https://www.creativescotland.com/

Hope Scott Trust Award July 2020  A grant to finance the purchase of an Intaglio Print Press

Memberships

SAU Scottish Artists Union Membership. https://www.artistsunion.scot/about

SSA Society of Scottish Artists https://www.s-s-a.org/

Art Aviso https://www.artaviso.com/

Charts Argyll and the Isles https://www.chartsargyllandisles.org/


Stockists

Juno Design Gallery 142 Argyll Street Dunoon PA23 7NA Scotland

Auld Kirk Museum Cowgate Kirkintilloch, Glasgow G66 1HN Scotland

Lillie Gallery Station Rd,Milngavie, Glasgow G62 8BZ Scotland

Dunoon Burgh Hall 195 Argyll street, Dunoon PA23 7DD Scotland


Publications/Extracts /Videos



Contact

  • The Birdhouse Studio ,Innellan, Argyll and Bute, UK