Meet Gill

Today I met a printmaker, Gill from Jill & Gill.  Though the power of social media and just all around good people saying “I am totally introducing you to this person,” I was able to meet Gill.  She had heard about how I was accepting challenges for #AroundIrelandOnAPushie and thought it might be a fun thing to give silk screening a go…

In true, Tara fashion, I couldn’t refuse this offer!  We spent a few hours pottering around.  Gill taught me the in’s and out’s about screen printing and I even got to pull a bit of paint across the screen!

But this experience meant a lot more to me than just screen printing.  This is why I like doing these challenges – so, let me start out by saying.. when I first came up with the idea of ‘challenges’ I wanted to just have really cool experiences – but, at the same time, I didn’t know that, I’d get a peek into someone else’s world.These challenges have given me the opportunity to have a little look into the window of their life and see what it is really like.  It’s given me the chance to just have a good chat about pretty much anything.  Like, this adventure isn’t about going to places and seeing things – this is more about experiencing, first hand, how people live and hanging out with Gill was just a little taste of what’s to come.

Sure Gill and I made some beautiful prints but she let me into her world that day…. we discussed really important hot topics affecting Ireland right now and how it means a lot for her to be apart of it.  And I got to see, first hand, how she’s making a difference to help Ireland the best way she knows how (..and, later that night, I actually saw a lot of t-shirts she hand printed being worn around Dublin!)Spending the day with Gill was truly inspiring.  I’m really looking forward to more magical moments over the next few weeks just like I had with Gill. So, thanks for the chats, and thanks for the fun artwork.