Mario Sughi's Revolution, the Barricade

Opening 6pm – 8pm, Thursday 1st December 2011
The Copper House Gallery
off Synge Street, Dublin 8
The recent ‘Revolution’ Illustration at Fire Competition was the second disbursement of the Fire €150,000 Arts Fund. Following judging and determination of the ten finalists, The Copper House Gallery will be exhibiting the short-listed and winning illustrations. The overall winner and runners-up will be announced on the night of the exhibition launch.
The ten ‘Revolution’ finalists are Sharon Bruton, Derry Dillon, Jennifer Farley, and Illustrators Ireland members Brian Gallagher, Matthew Griffin, Kevin McSherry, Padhraig Nolan, Steve Simpson, Mario Sughi and Donough O’Malley.

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Congratulations to Illustrators Ireland member Chris Judge. His book, The Lonely Beast was awarded last night the Irish Children Book Award.
Also a mention to Illustrators Ireland member Steve McCarthy who was shortlisted for the same award.

Well done guys!

Last Saturday, deep in the bowels of Dublin’s Mansion House, the great, the good and the misbehaved, of the internet gathered round to celebrate the best of the Irish websites.

And it was no mean feat that Liam and Craig of The Comic Cast fame nabbed the gong for Best Independent Podcaster. Our very own scamps are now, officially, Ireland’s best podcast!

Congratulations lads!! Hugely deserved and fantastic recognition for all of the hard work.

The 32nd edition society for news design awards were announced earlier this week – IGI member David McClelland won an ‘Award of Excellence’ for his 9-page comic and cover for The Times “Election’10” supplement.

Working with The Times’ art director Alex Breuer, David illustrated a day-to-day account of the election story from Gordon Brown announcing a general election on 6th April 2010 to the results being announced on 7th May 2010.  You can view more images on David’s portfolio website.

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Olivier Kugler, a ‘documentary illustrator’ has won the V&A Illustration award in the UK. The 30-page illustrated journal tells the story of the illustrator’s trip with Massih, a truck driver Kugler met in Tehran and accompanied for a four-day journey carrying bottled water down to a small island in the Persian Gulf. Let’s all be documentary illustrators, sounds like great fun.

The Children’s Books Ireland Bisto Book of the Year Award were announced yesterday – with Chris Haughton winning the The Bisto Book of the Year Award and the The Eilís Dillon award for a first children’s book.

Don’t miss your chance to meet Chris, hear him talk about his work AND sign a few copies of A Bit Lost in Easons Bookstore, O’Connell Street this Thursday. Chris will be joined by picturebook guru David Melling, Niamh ‘the crocodile’ Sharkey and the lonliest illustrator we know, Chris Judge. (Tickets are free – so you have no excuse! Full details over at easons.ie and booking on 01-8583815)

And that’s not all – the honour award for illustration went to Andrew Whitson for his work on Mac Rí Éireann while the special judges award was picked up by Oliver Jeffers’ for the Heart and the Bottle.

Check out inismagazine.ie for full coverage of the awards.

This Monday (May 16) will see the announcement of the Bisto Book of the Year Award – with €10,000 for the winner, €3,000 for best first novel, €1,500 for Children’s Choice Award and prizes for the Judges choice awards – in other words the BIGGEST prize for a children’s writers and illustrators in Ireland. With so many illustrators on the list here’s hoping they pick up a gong or three!

• A Bit Lost – Chris Haughton
• Dancing in the Dark – Peter Prendergast
• Mac Rí Éireann – Caitríona Hastings and Andrew Whitson
• Prim Improper – Deirdre Sullivan
• Taking Flight – Sheena Wilkinson
• The Heart and The Bottle – Oliver Jeffers
• The Lunatic’s Curse – F E Higgins
• The Owl and The Pussycat illustrated – Kevin Waldron
• Tiny Little Fly illustrated – Kevin Waldron
• Up and Down – Oliver Jeffers

Check out my predictions – and Sarah Webb’s! The Bisto Book of the Year is presented annually to writers and illustrators who are born or resident in Ireland. For more about the award click here or visit childrensbooksireland.ie

IGI member Chris Haughton has another award for his collection this week. Congratulations Chris!

http://www.booktrustchildrensbooks.org.uk/show/feature/Home/Best-New-Illustrators-2011-winners

Illustrator Shaun Tan has won his first Oscar for best animated short at the Academy Awards in Hollywood. The Australian artist won for The Lost Thing, which was praised by critics but considered a longshot for the Academy Award. The 15-minute computer generated and hand-painted movie was only supposed to be a picture book. “Wow, this is quite surreal,” he said on stage. “Our film is about a creature that doesn’t get any attention so this is quite ironic.”

Here is a trailer for The Lost Thing…

Shaun is an incredibly talented childrens book illustrator as anyone who has marveled at The Arrival to name just one will testify.

He is also an extremely nice guy and I was very lucky to have met him 2 years ago during a special coffee morning in the Children’s Book Ireland office.

Creative Review’s second Illustration Annual is now open for entries. The selected work will appear in the July 2011 issue of the magazine. The deadline for work is March 10 and the fee is £40. More details here.