Author: kokokaren

  • What’s so great about large floor shades?

    “Even a single lamp dispels the deepest darkness.”

    Mahatma Gandhi
    Sunflower
    Gerbera

    Hand painted silk duplex shade with fringe.

    Hand made duplex shades come with a spider fitting for ceiling fitting or shade carrier to sit on a base.

    The shades in theses photographs are 45cm diameter height 38cm (not including fringe) but I can hand make them in many different sizes.

    Duplex shade fitting
    Shade carrier for lamp bases
    Spider fitting for handing shades

    The past year I have had so much fun designing and making all sorts of floor shades. Small, tall, print, silk, tapered, cone, drum, fringed and not.

    The statement that you can make with a good shade on a basic lamp base is so great and brings much functional comfort to a room on a cold winters night. I have a shade on an old wooden base in the corner of my living room and an arc floor lamp which I have a matching slim drum shade on which I can swing over me at nights so I can work underneath sewing and felting .

    Hedgerow cone silk floor shade
    Hedgerow silk drum shade
    Hedgerow silk drum shade
    Hedgerow silk drum shade
    Hand painted silk drum
    Bamboo print drum shade
    Velvet print drum shade
    Hand painted silk cone shade with fringe
    Silk and foil Shorebirds drum shade with copper inside
    Silk and foil Shorebirds drum shade with copper inside
    Hare print shade
    Hare print shade with fringe

    You can commission your own floor shade or buy from my current collection online for National and International delivery or visit my Ramelton studio which is open to the public.

  • Studio workshop sessions 2023

    Studio workshop sessions 2023

    2023 will see me welcoming students wishing to learn “serti” silk painting into my studio in County Donegal for private bespoke courses for 1 to 8 persons.

    Duration of half day, 1 or 2 days tailored for your group needs or you can join a group class for a beginners or a project workshop for those with some experience of silk painting.

    A project full day workshop you will complete a large piece of work, such as designing and painting a silk lampshade, silk scarf or wall hanging.

    You will share my equipment, space and beautiful one acre garden, including the new addition to our family our wildlife pond which gives me so much inspiration based outside the beautiful village of Ramelton, Co Donegal.

    A beginners half day workshop (3 hours) starts with a demonstration and then a series of exercises which I have developed to allow students to quickly learn the technical aspects of “serti” silk painting using silk paints which are heat fixed.

    After a coffee break (served with home baked goodies) I encourage students to make their own painting where I will guide you to make a template or work free hand depending on which technique you prefer. The silk paintings can be wall mounted, made into a small lantern or window hanger etc.

    These shades were painted during a one day session in a private home with experienced artists, steamed and constructed by me.

    Project silk workshop one day (6 hours including 30mins for lunch) – This course is designed for those who have some experience of silk painting, ideal for those who have done my beginners class or have participated in one of my community based workshops.

    We will start with some warm up exercises, out-ling and painting small pieces and then move onto designing our project piece which can be a lampshade, silk scarf or wall hanging. You will be able to use professional acid dyes which I will steam fix the silk and send the completed pieces onto you once they have been finished.

    These workshops are designed to run consecutively to allow one day doing the beginners and the next day taking part in a project workshop.

    Drawing out design on “Project workshop”
    Painting in beginners workshop
    Lanterns made at beginners workshop

    I can adapt the courses for groups, I also teach workshops in community settings and private homes, please get in touch for more info karen@kokodesigns.ie

    Silk painting during beginners workshop

    The wildlife pond

    You can secure a group booking through the website for a date of your choosing which is fully refundable up to a 14 days before your course if you cannot attend due to illness, Covid related issues etc.

    If you want to join in a scheduled class please book through the website. this is refundable 14 days prior to the course date if you cannot attend due to illness, family circumstances etc. If you would like to do a beginners workshop followed by a project workshop these run over the same weekend.

    https://kokodesigns.ie/shop2/49-workshops

    Dates are available for April 2023, June 2023, July 2023, September 2023 , October 2023 both weekend and weekdays for group studio bookings.

    If you would like to give the gift of a workshop, vouchers will be sent to you to give to your recipients.

  • Textile Workshops 2022

    Textile Workshops 2022

    Since the Pandemic I have not been holding workshops in my Donegal studio but have been out and about in the community.

    In January 2022 I had the privilege of been offered an artist in residence post for the Arts Council of Ireland. My residency is based in a National school in Donegal. This is the biggest project I have ever undertaken with a school.

    The brief is for us to produce textile art wall hangings to take pride of place in the the new school which is almost complete. This is a whole school project of 450 children where all the pupils have been consulted and chosen the story they want to tell in the hangings.

    They are silk painting, wet felting and needle felting and the chosen theme is “Our Natural World”. All the children felt a great connection to their environment and especially Drumboe Woods which backs onto the current school.

    The children and teaching team are incredibly committed to the project and it is a joyful experience to be sharing my skills which such fab young artists.

    Later this year I have silk painting lampshades, lanterns, wall art and silk scarves booked for community groups and sessions booked for private parties. along with several school projects.

    If you would like me to visit you and facilitate a silk or felt workshop either at your school, community group, corporate event or private booking please get in touch for a quote karen@kokodesigns.ie

     

  • Shorelines collection

    Shorelines collection

    This April saw the launch of my new collection for the home “Shorelines”. The collection comprises of 3 designs hand painted on silk and made into original lighting pieces, ceiling shades, silk cushions, table runner/bed shawl and an upcycled room screen. Photographed on location in the lovely Rathmullan Cottages, Co Donegal.

    Silk table runner and ceiling shade

    My designs were inspired by my love of the shoreline in County Donegal and the tranquillity and peace spending time by the sea brings over and over again. I head to the beach when I’m happy, sad, when I have a headache, when I want to think. Whether I am on my own , with family and when I have visitors. it never ceases to bring me joy and comfort. With this collection I wanted to bring a little of this into the home.

    Silk bed shawl, cushions and table shades

    New for this collection is using  copper on the inside of the ceiling shades giving a warmth and glow to the hand painted silk shades. This is complimented with copper detailing on the silk painting.

    Seashells: A walk on the shoreline often results in a pocketful of sea shells to bring home as a reminder, this is a design painted from my personal collection of shells collected over the years. Mauves, browns, beige, creams with a teal sea.

    Seashell silk metallic ceiling shade

    Seagrass: Up in the sand dunes the variety of the grasses never ceases to amaze. This design is outlined in black on a blue and cream background with purple and brown detailing.

    Jellyfish silk cushions

    Jellyfish: summer 2017, County Donegal’s shoreline was inundated with Jellyfish. Visualising them swimming in the sea struck my imagination and this design came from months of sketching and experimentation. Teals and blue with pink and purple, cream detailing.

    Jellyfish silk tiered light

    The silk tiered ceiling lights are available in 2 or 3 tiers of different sizes and they were a best seller in 2017 and they are one continual silk painting made into different tiers of the shade and are great in hallways and  landings.

    Seagrass metallic silk ceiling shade

    The silk table lights can be ordered as round or oval all on hand made wooden base. They are a great centre piece of can warm up a corner of a room.

    Seagrass medium silk table light

    The hand painted silk cushions are backed with velvet and filled with duck down for a little luxury. They are available in 50x50cm squares or oblongs 40x60cm.

    Rathmullan Cottages

    The collection is available in the Donegal Designer Makers collective in Ardara, County Donegal and on line at www.kokodesigns.ie

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Working on silk commissions

    Working on silk commissions

    As a maker one of the best feelings is to work on a bespoke commission, it involves taking two separate people’s ideas and combining them into a single hand painted piece which you are both happy with. It can be time consuming or really fast and sometimes just “clicks into place”.

    As all my silk is hand painted by me in my studio it means I can do one off pieces and every piece of mine will be slightly different. I can match to people’s interiors and make something really bespoke.  I also make a massive range of shades in all shapes and sizes.

     

    “Country cream ” silk tiered light

     

    In this article I’ll go through the commissioning process and show you some of the most recent finished pieces.

    Thanks to all my customers for providing feedback and photographs.

    The conversation

    This either takes place over the phone, through e-mail or via face book messenger or in person at my studio or at shows, some of my retailers will also take orders for some of my simpler commissions . We decide what you want, the size, style, designs that you like and colours that you would like to be incorporated. This is helped by pages of previous commissions on my website. 

     

    “Dusky hedgerow” silk coolie shade

    This recent commission came by e-mail from a fellow designer maker who wished to give a gift incorporating a design for friends of hers living abroad, An Irish woman married to a Lebanese man. The commission was short notice and after a few sketches and working on a colour palate I came up with the following design

     

    Irish Oak and Lebanese Cedar table light

    Sketches and colour planning

    Painting the silk on a wooden frame

    Close up of the painting made into a silk table light

    The samples

    I had to e-mail photographs due to the fast turnaround and we both agreed on the design.  This was a commission that just clicked into place, from the minute I started to paint I just knew it was right.

    In this example to make hand painted silk curtain panels for a wardrobe I provided several silk samples through the post and kept a reference photograph and the customers decided on the Design they liked the most, in the end they choose 2, one they used for the curtain and one for complimentary bedside cabinet and ceiling shades. Along with the samples comes the quote and time frame.  

    All makers will tell you a time frame when you are creating can be a very fluid concept but I do try and keep customers in the loop of what’s going on with regular updates on my progress.

    Silk samples

    Curtain panels and silk ceiling shade

    Heron silk curtain panels

     

    Flexibility

    One of the joys of being a micro business in the creative sector in putting my creativity to be as flexible as possible in undertaking commissions but not moving away from my style or the ethos of my work. As with any painter I paint in my own style and there are things I cannot or am not comfortable doing. As I get more experience I know which commissions to turn down and those I know will work on  but I also strive to problem solve.

    Fuchsia shade and a driftwood base

    Last summer I made silk shades for a fellow maker based in Tasmania, due to the prohibitive costs of shipping we agreed to flat pack the shades and he made them up himself. Yesterday he let me know they had all sold on his fabulous drift wood bases, a great collaboration.

    Similar but different

    Most of my commissions are tweaking one of my existing 24 designs (and counting ) and slightly tweaking with the colours of the painting palate the impact this can have on the design never ceases to amaze me.

    Orange with grey background

    Orange light with rust background

     

    If you would like to commission a piece of hand painted silk for your home please contact me and let’s get creating.

  • Looking back – A Country Garden Collection

    Looking back – A Country Garden Collection

    As I am about to launch my new “Shoreline collection” I thought I’d look back at this time last year when Shaun Egan and myself were at the lovely “Frewin House” in Ramelton, Co Donegal doing my first ever location shoot of my interiors collection “A Country Garden”.

    Guests of Regina and Thomas Coyle: who patiently allowed us to move furniture around and style their beautiful rooms and even provided afternoon tea in bone china cups and saucers. I made my first table runners for the collection which can also be used at the end of the bed and along with a local carpenter in the village of Ramelton made an ash and hand painted silk room screen. Hand painted silk cushions sat proud on the lovely furniture of Frewin House and my silk shades sat on the bedside tables next to the beautiful wooden bedframe.

    My signature hand painted silk floor light nestled on the stairs next to a gorgeous stained glass window. Previously my floor lights had been photographed while they were in an exhibition in the theatre in Letterkenny and they were purchased by the theatre and continue to be lit for evening performances but it was nice to see them in a home setting.

    I’ve been silk painting for over 20 years and the range of products I have made has changed throughout that time but in 2017 I decided that designing, hand painting silk and making pieces for the home was what I really wanted to do for the next few years at least. It has meant hard decisions had to be taken, profitable product lines discontinued, leaving unsuitable and much loved retail outlets, disappointing loyal return customers looking to commission fashion pieces and a big financial investment in entering the market place of interior design.

    These decisions culminated in attending my first interiors show in May 2017 in the RDS Dublin.   What a shock to be in competition with international interior companies with whole set up teams, stylists and marketing consultants, a far cry from my usual craft fairs, where the designer makers are as talented at stand set up as they are at making and we turn our hands to everything. This was highlighted to me as my long suffering mum and myself slogged to paint our stand with a pot of emulsion and two paint brushes in our stockinged feet, much to the amusement of our fellow stand holders, who directed teams to do the work for them.

    The home interiors customers were a surprise to me as well, a craft buyer in my experience is looking for something unique and authentic, the story of the maker is very important to them and the provenance of the piece. The customers I met at “House” were very influenced by media and trends they saw in magazines or on TV, at first I was taken aback when they showed me photos on their phones of their houses and asked me to decide on what would suit certain rooms and furniture, I couldn’t believe that they would value my opinion. I felt a little daunted by the whole experience but have carried on and now don’t miss a blink when I envisage how my pieces will sit in a customers home.

     I took my collection home and launched it in Amelia’s in Letterkenny, where it went down a hit and sold well.  You can still order the collection on line and parts of it will pop up in various retail outlets and used by interior designers  across Ireland and the UK but now for this year and in a couple of weeks my new collection is launched, the photoshoot has been done and it’s so very different that I’m very excited to see the reaction it gets, those who follow my studio day to day on Instagram will know already that a lot of Jelly fish are involved, but none were harmed in the process.

  • The importance of Mother’s Day

    The importance of Mother’s Day

    As a mother myself I know how important Mother’s day is to my three boys, they always want to buy me something and really all I want is for them to behave themselves, pick socks up and put them in the laundry basket, say “Thank you” to people, without having to be reminded, not constantly mither me to go on the Play station, but no miracles here. In lieu of these things a nice handmade gift suits me down to the ground.

    These greetings cards are made from hand painted silk and each one is unique and special.

    I recently lost my own mother so this is a problematic time of year for me and Mother’s day was really a big thing for her, no  “oh don’t waste your money a card will do” from my Mum she liked the whole shebang and now I’m grateful I didn’t disappoint.

    A hand painted silk scarf is a forever present to be taken out and worn again and again. They come gift boxed and are full luxury.

    If you are not going to see your Mother I’ll wrap it for you, put in a silk card write in your special message and post it to her for free in Ireland and the UK. 

    This lamp is made from an old gin bottle and the silk shade is painted with the botanicals used to make gin, it’s all wired up and ready to go.

    So no excuses even if it’s a card don’t forget us mammies and hopefully you do already pick up your own socks and say “Thank you” so you are practically perfect.

  • The retail heroes of Irish Craft and Design

    The retail heroes of Irish Craft and Design

    Many of my craft making colleagues often moan and complain about selling wholesale, too high a mark up, late payments etc etc. In this article I’d like to celebrate some of my main stockists as I feel they are heroes of all retailers.

    Why would you decide to sell Irish Craft, makers can be unreliable, deadlines can be a mere abstract concept to a maker. Lots of makers work on their own, so life’s mishaps mean that our long suffering retailers patiently wait on their orders. It would be far easier and more profitable to buy nice trinkets, mass produced overseas and settle with a healthy profit margin. Wouldn’t it?

    One of my oldest stockists is the Bessemer 2 Gallery in Sheffield and their ethos is to

    “ bring you the best of new Artists & Designers from the local area as well as selected Makers from around the country. We are committed to quality; sourcing only the finest hand crafted pieces”

    I feel privileged that I am one of their Makers, I’ve never been to visit and all communication is done via e-mail. Monthly without fail they lodge my sales into my account, liaise with customers on my behalf and take orders for me.

    Closer to home for me is An Bonan Bui which is a cafe & bistro located in Rathmullan, Co. Donegal. Which also sells lovely crafts and host cultural and historical exhibitions on the second floor, they also serve damn fine coffee which makes deliveries a delight.

    Daisie Stone in Dalkey, Co Dublin is run by mother and daughter and who stock Irish designed & handmade craft. They love bright colours, loud fabrics & pretty up cycling and as someone who had never shied away from using colour in my work , it fits right in.

    A more recent stockist for me is Caffreys Gallery in Ballina, Co Mayo which is a family run business

    Gillian Dwyer runs the Anchor Arts Craft Gallery which can be found on the Cliff Rd Ardmore Co. Waterford (024)87740, the location looks idyllic and I can’t wait to visit.

    Sometimes makers decide to open a retail outlet and my work is stocked in for example

    Carlingford Design house  which is run by the designer maker goldsmith Garrett Mallon.

    “Carlingford Design House has also allowed me to showcase the work of over 40 other Irish designer makers from a range of disciplines. Many of these makers are friends and colleagues and we are delighted to bring their work to a new audience”

    The Quay Gallery in Westport is a fusion of fine art and craft established by Susan Basler, Victoria Foutz, and Suzie Sullivan, these ladies are so inspirational in their own practice and they have such a great eye for quality and individuality.

    The Cat and the Moon was established by jewellery designer Martina Hamilton in 1989. The shop is named after an evocative 1924 play and poem by W. B. Yeats whose great works are synonymous with the Sligo region of Ireland.

    Originally the shop was a showcase outlet for Martina’s own multi-award winning jewellery but it quickly became one of the country’s leading retailers of bespoke Irish craft.

    McNutts is located in the seaside village of Downings, on Donegal’s Wild Atlantic Way, McNutt of Donegal have been producing some of the world’s finest weaves for over 60 years.In their shop you will discover an impressive collection of woven products as well as hand picked crafts made in Ireland.

    One of my favourite retailers is Amelia’s Irish Design and Crafts in Letterkenny, Co Donegal run by Frances Spears. I met Frances years back when she had her Antique shop and was expanding into Irish Craft. Over the years her support and expertise have been invaluable to me in designing new products and giving me honest feedback from her customers who she knows so well. Her new Craft Gallery has made such an impact in revitalising the main street in Letterkenny and is a mecca for art and craft lovers both local and tourists alike.

    The Designerie is an innovative, arts and crafts social enterprise established by Causeway Enterprise Agency in 2015. Based in Bushmills selling exclusive and hand-crafted home & giftware

    Space CRAFT, a Retail Gallery which opened in 2007 is a non-profit taking social economy enterprise owned & managed by the Artist/Designer/Makers of the Craft & Design Collective.

    Space CRAFT opened in June 2007 and is designed to be a focal point for the commissioning, exhibition, promotion and sale of local Craft, Applied Art & Design.

    And finally our very own Donegal Designer Makers, in Ardara, County Donegal which is run as a non –profit taking collective for local Donegal based makers, which re-opens on the 15th March for the year 2018.

    So thanks to my stockists and all those who take the harder but more worthwhile path and are retail heroes. If you would like to stock Kokodesigns please contact me for my current trade brochure and pricelist

     

  • Night lights

    Night lights

    If anyone knows my work you’ll know I have a growing unhealthy preoccupation with lighting, for the last 25 years I have been painting on silk but now I have found my true passion designing, silk painting and making lighting pieces.
    Currently my studio (otherwise known as fancy wooden shed!) in County Donegal , Ireland is full to bursting with ceiling shades, table shades, table lights, floor lights, tiered lights, cluster lights in both my hand painted silk and prints ready for my stockists and customers to collect.

    My print version of my designs are digitally printed on bamboo in Donegal. I chose bamboo, although it is a very expensive option because it holds the colours of my paintings and is also a very sustainable fabric, it reminds me of silk without those little silk worms having too work so hard and is a 100% natural fabric.
    I’ve been thinking about developing a range for children and these printed night lights are the first part of this new product range. My night lights are made from my paintings printed on bamboo fabric. The lights are 25cm in diameter and approx. and 28cm high. They have a diffuser on the top to prevent bulb glare. They come on a tri pod metal base .The night lights are suitable for young and old.


    My ”balloon design” is taken from a silk painting with memories of a holiday to France we had a couple of years ago, when the beautiful blue sky was filled with hundreds of colourful hot air balloon flying above us. I was a s excited as the children and it was such a magical sight.
    “The Owl design” was inspired by a relative who visited Donegal last summer, it was a joy to get to know her and be tour guide around our lovely County when I realised we share so many things in common, one of them our love of owls. On the other side of the shade is a magnificent hare standing to attention.


    “Daisy design” is feminine but not in the traditional pink way. The design is orange and yellow daisies on a teal background.
    “Train” a very cheerful design of a train and carriages travelling around the light. Colourful carriages on a night time background.


    These night lights come in a lovely wooden presentation box making them great for New Baby, Christening, and birthday gifts.

  • Silk painting workshops

    Silk painting workshops

    It’s the time of year when I begin to think about the summer and I have planned a  weekend silk panting workshops in my studio in Ramelton, Co Donegal.

    My studio based workshops are very popular and tailor made to the ability level of the participants. I have professional artists and absolute beginners doing my courses and due to the very small number of people on the workshop everyone can have an experience they will remember for years.

     

    My daughters and I had a wonderful time at your Silk Painting Workshop recently. From your patience explaining the technique, to your advice and help in salvaging any creative mishaps!!!! You encouraged us to let our imaginations run wild, and inspired us to draw and paint beautiful prints that hang pride of place in our home and that we will cherish forever. It was such a happy, fun filled and therapeutic experience that we are looking forward to returning to your studio again soon.

    Best wishes,

    Fondest Regards,

    Bernie, Brodie & Mirren.xxx

     

    Set in the beautiful environment of my acre garden ( which is relatively wild and very inspirational for flora and fauna) you will arrive at 10.30am and have a brief introduction along with morning coffee, we will try out the basic techniques of serti silk painting and after a lunch served in my kitchen or in the garden weather permitting  we will move onto planning a take home finished piece of work ,the day ends at 4.30pm but you are very welcome to stay working in the studio after this time.

    My garden which is fairly wild and gives me lots of inspiration

     On day 2 we start and complete a finished piece of work, no one has ever left my studio without a finished piece and if it needs to go into my industrial steamer I will post the finished piece onto you. You may decide to make a lampshade, paint a silk scarf or do a piece of wall art with a maximum of 5 participants you can be guaranteed intensive one to one tuition to ensure you work at your own pace but do finish a project. There is nothing worse than coming away from a workshop with an unfinished piece with all the good intentions to get it done and then life gets in the way and it sits in a drawer for ever more.

     

     

     A totally absorbing and very creative experience – Karen is organised relaxed and fun in her approach and she has a way of bringing out skills you may not even know you had. It’s a lovely setting and I can’t wait to go back with some friends. I love my lamp – it looks amazing’

    Leslie O’Connor Turner

    Many people travel from far and wide and even from abroad for the workshops and I can recommend lovely accommodation near or in Ramelton which is a lovely vibrant village on the Northern part of the Wild Atlantic Way.

    The price of a weekend workshop is €140 per person and  includes materials to make a silk scarf, piece of wall art or a lampshade . A light lunch and refreshments are also included, please mention any dietary or special requirements on booking and we will do our best to facilitate them.

    Dates for 2019  available to book now

    Also you can join us for “Crafternoon tea” be greeted with a glass of prosecco, have an indulgent afternoon tea and an introduction to silk painting ( minimum 4 people, max 8. Allow 3 hours and the cost is €30 per person)

    I can also travel to your school, community group and day centre  to facilitate a workshop in the following areas

    • Making a silk lantern- 3 hours tuition (maximum 12 participants)
    • Painting and making a silk lampshade  – 7 hours tuition (maximum 8 participants)
    • Mixed textile skills including needle felting, wet felting, weaving, embroidery and silk painting with an individual course built around participants abilities and needs.

    I have recent experience working in National Schools, Secondary schools on the Junior Visual Arts Strands and the Applied Leaving Cert and also in therapeutic settings and with individuals who are vulnerable or have disabilities.

    Please contact me for a quote karen@kokodesigns.ie