Hi, I’m Steph.

Ever since I was a child, my interests, hobbies and creative pursuits were diverse and plentiful - (tennis, tin whistle, Irish dancing, drawing, clay making, poem writing, painting, piano, guitar, drama, running, nature walks, flower pressing, jewellery making, badge making!...).

Discovering the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron in my twenties has been pivotal in keeping me in touch with my inner child which is so linked to my creativity - and in encouraging me to live a creative and colourful life. My creative practice is my spiritual practice.

Studying organic horticulture in 2016, expanded my awareness of nature, wild nature and living in tune with the seasons. And also how healthy nature is when there is biodiversity in it. I believe that the same applies to me - diversity in how I work is healthy for me - and makes me feel alive.

Doing my yoga teacher training in 2018 was a dream come true. I had wanted to do it for over five years and I am glad that I waited until I was living in Clare and had a solid grounding in myself to start it. It was a wonderful experience and now I have a skill that I use so regularly - both for my personal practice for grounding and centering - and for sharing through weekly yoga classes.

It took me a while to get here though! For many years I felt like I was forcing myself to work in a way that looked good on the outside but didn’t feel good or aligned inside. After graduating from NCAD in 2008, I started out my career living in Dublin, and working in a very fast-paced and digital way - which really didn’t suit my true nature. I continued to work solely at a computer for a few more years as a freelance graphic designer…

Until in 2013, when I took a career break from digital design work, started working in hospitality and then moved to Melbourne in early 2014. This was a hugely liberating and inspiring time. I returned to creative practices that I loved as a child and began again making art for art’s sake. I started writing a blog, documenting my journey of exploration and inspiration. And I worked in lots of creative cafes which broadened and enriched my interest in food and cooking.

So since then, I have gradually developed a much more tangible, intentional and varied way of working - a cross-pollination of practices that include drawing, painting, jewellery making (Punch + Fable), poetry writing, journalling, cooking (Rituals of Plate), teaching yoga (Make Space Yoga) and facilitating retreats and creative workshops.

And I now live in the Irish countryside, in county Limerick, with my partner Liam and my son Remy where we grow food and flowers, enjoy the nature that surrounds us, make time to create and enjoy a slower pace of life.

I am committed to continuing to pursue a creative path, leading me to openings, expansion, aliveness - and to where I am meant to be. My intention as an artist is to stay present in my body, and trust in the mystery of the creative process - inspiring a sense of aliveness and connection - in both myself and those that connect with me and my work.

As a visual artist, my style is often bold and colourful, and imbued with meaning through symbolic references to both objects and colour, which are often drawn from memories. I find inspiration in collected objects, travel, nature, the body, childhood memories, food, motherhood and most recently, my family ancestry.

l've started thinking of my 'studio' as four locations now: the art/design studio upstairs in our loft, the yoga studio, the kitchen and the garden. I need to spend time in all these spaces for my creative process to flow and to feel grounded and inspired.

See more about Punch and Fable here.

See more about food and Rituals of Plate here.

See more Make Space Yoga here.