DESIGNS FOR MURAL TRAIL
Children’s illustrator Chris Judge delivered art workshops last Sunday as part of the creation of a mural trail on the promenade in Bray.
There was a workshop at Killruddery studiosin the morning, and one in Signal Arts Centre in the afternoon.
Freelance visual arts curator Donna Carroll approached Bray Municipal District about getting involved with a new project for Bray Promenade.
This project would add visually to the Bray seascape, create something specifically for children in the area, and give participants the chance to work with one of Ireland’s most engaging children’s authors - Chris Judge. The plan was simple, they would work with the children of Bray to create a new myth for the town, then Chris would turn that myth into a story without words.
He would then in turn create five images that could be installed as a wordless tale along Bray promenade by Triskill Designs, known for the Dart mosaics.
Bray Municipal District was keen to support the project, and organisers also felt that by getting other businesses in the town to support the project it would create more of a community feel to the outcome. ‘We have been lucky enough to be supported by Megazyme, Platform Pizza and Bray Credit Union, all Bray based businesses. After the workshops Chris will develop the story and draw up the images, then he and Triskill will install them in their locations. ‘We hope to have the mural trail in place around mid September,’ said Donna.
Chris Judge’s work is a mixture of illustration, painting and design.
In 2011 his first picture book, The Lonely Beast (Andersen Press), was published in Ireland, the UK, the US and across Europe and went on to win the Supersavers Irish Children’s Book of the Year 2011 in the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards and has been followed by two Beast sequels as well as other picture book projects including his TiN and wrote Brian Boru series which is illustrated by Mark Wickham. In 2014 he illustrated Roddy Doyle’s new children’s book Brilliant and and collaborated on a book for older children with comedian David O’Doherty called Danger is Everywhere!