Small finds a journey into ink
Written, directed, edited and piano by David Begley
Filmed by David Begley and Hanneke van Ryswyk
4:30 minutes
© David Begley 2023
David Begley is a visual artist, writer, film maker, botanical ink and charcoal maker, and an arts educator. He works through drawing, painting, monotype, video, sound, and animation.
His monotype prints have been selected for exhibitions at the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, London, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, Contemporary Masters of Printmaking, Cork, and Oriel Mostyn, Wales.
David has received Arts Council and Artlinks awards for his visual art and creative writing. His animations have been screened in galleries and film festivals in Ireland, UK, USA, Greece, and France.
David's artworks can be found in the public collections of Contemporary Irish Art Society, Environmental Protection Agency, Filmhouse, Irish National Teachers Organisation, and Office of Public Works, and Wexford County Council.
David facilitates workshops for adults at Chester Beatty, Dublin, Mermaid arts centre, Wicklow, Irish National Heritage Park, Butler gallery, Kilkenny, Garter Lane arts centre, Waterford, and online with Plants and colour UK. He mentors professional visual artists, and contributed to Making Charcoal for Artists by Kate Boucher, published by The Crowood Press (2024).
In 2020 David was commissioned by Wexford County Council to create The Monk’s Garden, a visual art, heritage, and gardening project with St Edan’s National school, Ferns. Inspired by this work, David made his short documentary The Keepers highlighting the importance of art and gardening for children. The film has been screened at film festivals in Czech Republic, Greece, Ireland, UK, and US.
Immersed in ink making, David created a short film and series of paintings titled Small finds exhibited at St David’s Cathedral Refectory, Wales, and Wexford County Council in 2023.
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David lives with his wife, Hanneke van Ryswyk, and their two children on the Wexford coast, Ireland. David and Hanneke have established a vegetable garden at Curracloe NS, County Wexford. They facilitate Biodiversity walk and draw activities in Wexford schools.