Businesses from Fingal had the opportunity to meet buyers from all over the world this week as part of the Local Enterprise Showcase at Showcase 2024 at the RDS in Dublin. There were over 100 Local Enterprise Office supported businesses from across the country present at the event with eight in attendance from Fingal.
Ola Wartak-Tolak with "Stories by Ola," Nicola Weldon with "Nicola Weldon Art," Clémence Prosen with "Clémence Prosen Art & Design," Rob Stears with "Rob Stears Illustrations," Gillian Smith with "Waylon & Flo," Maura O'Rourke with "O'Rourke Art & Design (Iconic Ireland)," Nicola McKenna with "Outsider Art," and Karen Wilson with "Karen Wilson Art were all exhibiting at the Local Enterprise Showcase, part of Showcase 2024, that saw over 4,000 buyers from retailers across the globe attend the three-day event in Dublin looking to secure new sales and partners for the year ahead. Upwards of €25 million in business was expected to have been transacted across the three-day event. Fingal also had further success at Showcase 2024 as Stories by Ola took home the Local Enterprise Office Award this year. Congratulations to Ola!
Clémence Prosen Art & Design
Clémence Prosen, a French-born artist now residing in Ireland, specializes in crafting tranquil oil paintings on canvas inspired by the breath-taking landscapes and seascapes of Ireland. Clemence seeks to create a sense of calm her paintings and designs. A range of unique homeware accessories are available to purchase from Clemence on her website including Candles, greeting cards and paintings representing each of the counties in Ireland. To learn more click here.
Karen Wilson Art
Karen Wilson is an Irish artist who operates from her studio in a restored watermill in Skerries. Karen’s studio setting serves as a unique source of inspiration for her work and she exhibits paintings and limited edition prints. Karen has taken her most popular paintings and developed a range of prints, mugs, coasters and placements. Karen is also an experienced art teacher having taught monthly colour cube classes and online painting courses over the years. To learn more click here.
Nicola Weldon Art
Situated in Ardgillan Castle, Balbriggan, Nicola Weldon is a botanical artist who captures the essence of flowers and crafts two-dimensional pieces with white clay. Her inspiration stems from the walled gardens and expansive grounds at Ardgillan, along with the nearby coastlines. Nicola has also recently introduced a new line of Homeware crafted from 100% Irish Linen to her offerings. Each item in this collection features prints of her original artwork and is proudly produced in Ireland. To learn more click here.
Stories by Ola
Ola Wartak-Tolak is the founder of Stories by Ola, a Fingal-based ceramics studio. Ola specialises in creating handcrafted stoneware products with a focus on sustainability. Every piece produced by Ola is meticulously handmade, capturing the textures, colours, and shapes found along the shorelines. Through her work, Ola encapsulates the imperfect beauty of nature, producing unique pieces that reflect the essence of the seaside. To learn more click here.
Rob Stears Illustrations
Rob Stears is a Dublin based artist and illustrator who has been illustrating full time since 2014 following a stint as stand-up comedian. Rob produces a range of greeting cards and prints which are stocked in shops around Ireland and online. Over the years, Rob has also worked on several advertising campaigns, illustrated for tv productions and have had books published. To learn more click here.
O'Rourke Art & Design (Iconic Ireland)
Maura O’Rourke is a self-taught artist from North County Dublin and is a founding member of the Ardgillan Art Workshop, which has now been running successfully for almost 20 years. Much of Maura’s paintings and work is heavily inspired by Irish landscapes as many of her paintings depict the beauty and rare landscapes of Ireland. Several of Maura’s collections are currently available to purchase throughout a number of shops in Ireland as well as online on her website. Maura has also expanded to international markets such as The US where exhibited her collections in the past. To learn more click here.
Waylon and Flo
Established in 2020 by mother of two Gillian Smith, Waylon and Flo are an ecommerce retailer who sell a range of children’s career themed pyjamas. Waylon and Flo’s pyjama collection has been developed with quality fabrics to ensure longevity and endurance. Currently Waylon and Flo sell a range of five different styles of pyjamas which include: Fire Chief, Doctor Blue, Doctor Pink, Police Officer and style Army Cadet. The pyjamas come in sizes 3-4 up to 9-10 and retail for €24.99 each. To learn more click here.
Nicola McKenna
Nicola McKenna is a Dublin based self taught visual artist who designs figurative and abstract art. Nicola works with reclaimed Canvas and papers to produce pieces of art that convey emotions and reflect everyday life. To learn more click here.
