PLACEMAT SERIES

I produced this set of placemats during lockdown in part as a meditative exercise using boards from my studio and collaging images of animals, birds and aquatic life on the painted surfaces.

The size of the boards suggested table settings to me and as the ‘new normal’ becomes ‘the normal’ and forces us to embrace the domestic there is more focus on the aesthetic of our everyday environments.

Each board represents an animal species and pays tribute to their survival or their passing in this life on planet earth.

Below are random facts relating to each placemat referencing the nurturing and parenting practices of each species.

1. Irish Butterflies: No Irish butterfly species is listed as threatened on the IUCN global red list.
2. Flamingos & Friends: Both the male and the female flamingo feed their chicks with a     kind of crop milk. When mating, the female seahorse deposits                                    up to 1,500 eggs in the male's pouch.
3. Cephalopoda: Because these species do not provide parental care for their offspring, egg capsules can be injected with ink by the female in order to camouflage the embryos from predators.
4. Reptiles: It is estimated that in up to 20% of amphibian species, one or both adults                     play some role in the care of the young.
5. Extinct Birds: Extinction caused by development of lands for habitation, logging, animal and single-crop agriculture, and invasive plants.

6. Exotic Fish: The disappearance of species is due to overfishing, pollution, habitat loss, and climate change.