Mini Mural Trail

Elida Maiques / Samuel Arnold Keane - Urban Orchard

Using warm friendly colours, playing with scale, igniting the natural curiosity that exists in all children. This mural is of a single plantain leaf, whcih you can find growing along the rivers edge (just opposite the mural), among other places. 


One of filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky's playful 'rules of art' is that of multiplication. We have multiplied the size an ordinary leaf or seaweed frond, scaling it up. This particular game of sizes appeals to children, who switching between a physical world of changing sizes. Tables, chairs, toilets, trucks, doors are built for adults, some pockets of the world are built for children (in Montessori and school).

The simplicity of the drawing is sought; so children (& everybody too) are able to replicate our drawings, to produce their own version with other plants. We want them to run their fingers on the writing, bending their head as they follow the words around the drawing. For young children to stand next to our drawings and say, look, 'I am a giant bug!’.

Artist Information:

Samuel Arnold Keane and Elida Maiques frequently facilitate workshops with children from early years all the way to 18 years old. They have worked with children of up to 93 years old.

Jessica Doyle - Urban Orchard

I created a mosaic of the Irish shore crab also known as a golly in Wicklow Town,

Fishing this little crustacean has been a childhood memory for the majority of those that grew up in this coastal town, including my own. The crab has been part of the traditional yearly regatta that started in September, 1878.

The  inspiration for the mosaic is  the act of  fishing  the  green shore crab  as  for me it is a  representation of  the  community spirit in Wicklow town, the  connection  between people and nature, memories with loved ones and the constant cycle of time.

I have created the golly in a hanging position, which is a common sight when they are too busy eating bait to noticethat  they have been caught. This gave me the opportunity to create a mosaic from the viewpoint of the underside of the crab, where its true beauty can be appreciated.

I hope the work is enjoyed and  enables  viewers  passing by to be reminded of our connection to nature and each other.

Artist Information:

Jessica Doyle, is a multidisciplinary artist based in Wicklow town. Jessica is in her third year completing a BA in Art at the institute of Art, Design and Film, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. Inspired by traditional and contemporary artworks using juxtapositions that reflect both the past and the present, her artwork focuses on themes of history, embodiment and technology primarily using oil paint. She is currently exploring different techniques of mosaic, one of the oldest art forms, creating intricate pieces using a wide range of materials.

Laura O’Hagan - Bachelor’s Walk

This beautiful old wall in Wicklow has many stories to tell I’m sure, and as it’s connected to the sea by the river flowing past I thought I would honour it by creating something related to sea journeys.

Up close, and at first glance you will find porcelain flowers. These floural forms can also be viewed as lichen, and the beautiful symbotic relationship between alge and fungi. I chose this material as it works with the walls textures and colours, and as they - the wall and the porcelain - are both delicate and strong.

The title of this artwork is reflected in the placement of each flower or lichen, and represents something more permanent - the constellations.

I chose three constellations that I felt suited the shapes and various spaces I found in the wall, and for their relationship to the sea. First is Virgo - as it crosses the equator of constellations. The second is the sea goat representing Capricorn. The third is Pieces with its pair of fish.

My dad was a radio officer at sea and used to tell us stories of how the stars guide sailors and other creatures, as well as making them feel a sence of belonging. The stars were great company in a dark night on a wide open sea- sort of like being in a cozy tent.

I hope Constellations inspire children to explore the stars and how sailors use them for navigation. I also hope it encourages children and adults alike to slow down a little, and take a moment to observe the delicate details within this beautiful enviornment, where the river flows to the sea…

Artist Information:

Laura is an artist whose work encompasses both architectural ceramics and sculptural forms. Best known for her mosaic installations, she works mainly to commission, ranging from large scale public projects to smaller domestic and exhibition pieces. Aesthetically, her work is both expressive and respectful of its surroundings, using colour and the lack of colour, afraid of neither scale nor fragmentation.

Curtis Hylton - Bridge Street Books

It has been my goal to connect people with nature through the means of murals for some time. Connection to nature should be a everyday occurrence, and it is never too early or late to teach children or adults to appreciate and engage with the outdoors.

By merging both fauna and flora to create an interesting blend of life I hope to spark interest to the viewer.

Artist Information:

Curtis is a muralist based in the UK. Skilled in the art of creating large scale murals using spray paint with his trademark work incorporating a fusion of nature wiht wildlife can be seen across the UK, Europe and further afield internationally.

Terry Lawless - The Bridge Tavern

Who is the captain? In reading and researching about Halpin, we can find information about his career and his service. His achievements in public life are recorded, but who was the person behind the captain? Most of the images of him are formal, in his naval dress coat, or sitting for his formal painting. But what was he like as a person? His smiling eyes suggest there was a humorous and gentle side to him, and this is what I was inspired by.

I wanted to show the person who built Tinakilly house, who was interested in nature and had large gardens and trees planted there. I wanted to show the person who has become part of the fabric of the town and how he has been immersed into the life of Wicklow Town.

In this painting I wanted to show another side to the captain, an imaginative side a fun and humorous aspect. To show the boy who was an adventurer, who went to sea and grew up aboard ships. The person who loved nature and his gardens. To show how the captain has become of the landscape of Wicklow, the town the coast and the sea.

In this image I merge the captain into the sky, the land and the sea. I introduce sea thrift, the flowers native to the cliffs and coastline of Wicklow, with their lime green foliage and bright pink flowers and sprout them through his beard. His beard takes on the colour and form and rolling shapes of the hilly cliffs south of the town. His hair is swept back like in the photos we see, but flows in the wind, suggesting a carefree and adventurous side to the captain. I use bright colours and lines to move away from the formal images we know and to introduce a sense of lightness, fun and humour to the image of the Captain.

I hope it makes you curious.


Artist Information:

Terry lives with his family and dogs and in Wicklow Town. He works as a full-time educator in Bray where has has been teaching art for a long time. He graduated from Art college many years ago and spent time working as a graphic artist, he printed t-shirts and has worked as a commercial sign maker.

Sophia Vigne Welsh - The Coffee Shop

For The Coffee Shop wall I have painted an abstract landscape inspired by the maritime history of Wicklow town and my childhood memories of growing up around different areas of Co. Wicklow. 

Artist Information:

Sophia was born in Co. Wicklow, Ireland and currently resides in London where she is completing her MA in Painting at The Royal College of Art. Vigne Welsh’s vibrant abstract paintings are playful and exploratory. Her improvisational approach reveals a deep understanding of colour and space developed through a compulsive way of looking and making visual connections. She challenges the limits of mark making and materials to investigate the physical and emotional experience of her environment. As well as her studio practice Vigne Welsh also paints large scale murals. 

Her work has been exhibited internationally and is held in numerous private collections. In 2022 she completed the Turps Bananas Correspondence Course, an internationally renowned painting programme

David McGlynn - Market STreet

Composed of a standing, bronze figure of a young girl wearing a green, winter coat and hat. She is facing a small dog that is sitting in front of her. She is holding a piece of food out in her right hand and offering it to the small dog.

This piece was inspired by the relationships with people and their pets. It's the simple interactions and communications that interest me. The sculpture focuses on the connection and communication between the girl and her small dog oblivious to the world around them they share a moment together.

The placement of the sculpture high on top of a wall pillar has created an element of surprise that can make an impact on a person's mind and normal daily routines. I believe the work can enable people to use more of their imagination as they wonder about its meaning and purpose.

Artist Information:

David is professional Irish Artist living in Enniskerry county wicklow .He graduated from NCAD in 1993 with a BA in Fine Art Sculpture and studied Foundry engineering and bronze casting in Belfast.His work in Bronze uses an innovative and dynamic approach involving observation and improvisation. Inspiration for his sculptures include themes of Music, Flight and the magic of childhood imagination and they often display a poetic and humorous quality .His work is part of Public and Private collections in Ireland , Europe and the USA.

Samuel Arnold Keane - Wicklow Gaol

The butterfly is a representation of freedom.

The idea of the mural painted on a door is metaphorical. The opening of doors - opening of boundaries, allowing people in and out freely. The Wicklow gaol has deep history with inmates being kept there during the famine and ahead of being expelled to other colonised lands. It is perhaps also an opportunity on the passerby to reflect on the importance of freedom in a healthy and child friendly way via the butterfly wing.

There is also the idea that in opening the door, the full butterfly could come to life- similar to how we painted them in school on one side of the paper - to then fold over and create a mirror image of the wing - and therefore symmetrical butterfly.

This mural focused on the detail of a butterfly wing. In the pattern of the wings depicts some of the plants and flowers the butterfly nests and feasts on. The idea of feasting and food, particilarly in the context of the Wicklow Gaol also echoes the time of the famine, where many poor and starving people tried to get into Jail so they might get ‘a good meal’.

Artist Information:

Sam is a forager, illustrator, musician… merging various art forms to tell the stories of the seaweeds, coasts and streets he gathers, wades and walks… At the essence of his creative practice is a passion for the natural world and to share this with others through song, performance, image and word.

Hester Heuff - Kilmantin Hill

Three stoneware tiles, approximately 8x8cm. Each handmade stoneware tile is incised with a drawing, coloured and glazed to cone 6. These 3 tiles are individually attached to a stone wall, marking the edge of a town green space. 

These 3 little ‘Free Birds’ are friends with the birds you will also find on Quarantine Hill. Can you find the connections between these two mini murals (Free Birds here on Kilmantin Hill, and Birdscape1 on Quarintine Hill).

* Which birds are friends we wonder?

* What expressions can you find on their faces?

Do you think they have names?


Can you imagine what their personalities is like?

Or what their voices (bird song) sound like?

* If you were to draw some birds from Wicklow what might they look like?


Would you draw a real bird or an imaginary bird?


Is it a teeny tiny bird like the Free Birds and their friends, or a big bird like the seaguls or our local resident heron?

Artist Information:

Originally from the Netherlands Hester Heuff is a practicing visual artist who works independently from her studio in Dublin. She came to Ireland in the early 70’s and worked as an aquatic ecologist.

Natural processes are an integral part of her art practice, relating to all manner of changes in the world. Since the 90’s she has specialized in ceramics, ranging from abstract to representational and utilitarian, but also uses other media such as batik, painting, photography and video. A playful and intuitive approach is central to her work.

Laura O’Hagan - castle street

The gable end wall of what was once an old boat house seemed a fitting place for a mosaic - a wave of water carrying a Naomhóg.

The movement from the shadows of a nearby tree spread across the wall intertwining and unraveling as the light constantly changed, reminded me of the surface of the sea and the circle on the wall (now a square) looked like the moon.

Further along the wall is a memorial garden, which got me thinking of a friend I met called Danny Sheehy: a very special Kerry Poet and sailor who along with Liam Holden, an artist from Kilkenny, built a currach - Naomh Gobnait. They rowed across the seas to Spain doing a Camino na Sáilte which was beautifully documented by Dónal O Ceílleachair. 

Danny had said to me that the Naomhóig na Tinte rode the waves like a feather on the sea and would be almost impossible to capsize. Sometimes they would catch the tide by moonlight and the magical Meirneáil (phosphorescence) coated the surface of the sea. 

For me this piece is in memory of my friend Danny Sheehan (poet) who with Liam Holden (Wicklow artist) and other friends built this boat and rowed across the seas, from Ireland to Wales to France and then Spain on a great Camino.

The feather shapes are reflected here in the boat, while the circles and teardrops hint at the water and the méirneáil. The little Naomhóg floats on the water with no sailors now and the dark blue mosaic shows the depth of the sea. 

The big blue wave of mosaic has a funny outer shape which looks like a big cartoon character paddling across the wall. It could be a bird or a fish, possibly wearing flippers ? Like looking at a cloud you can use your imagination to decide what shape you think it is and draw some floating images to create your own mosaic.

The mosaic itself is made up of cut pieces of porcelain tiles which were previously hand painted and glazed in my studio.

Artist Information:

Laura is an artist whose work encompasses both architectural ceramics and sculptural forms. Best known for her mosaic installations, she works mainly to commission, ranging from large scale public projects to smaller domestic and exhibition pieces. Aesthetically, her work is both expressive and respectful of its surroundings, using colour and the lack of colour, afraid of neither scale nor fragmentation.

Hester Heuff - Castle Street

Individual handmade tiles are press moulded using 4 different types of earthenware or stoneware clays, decorated with blue, green, yellow or black colours or left undecorated and then fired to cone 2 or 6. And then assembled into a mosaic.

The site for this piece is a beauty spot, a low council wall overlooking the river, the harbour and the sea, along the edge of a much used footpath. The colours in this mural reflect the coastal landscape and natural surroundings. The 3 main figurative elements of each tile fit closely into each other, symbolising the closely knit interconnectedness of the natural world. Moreover this is further emphasised by the unique location of the work.

* There are 3 differnt animals represented in this mini mural. Can you see what they are?

* How many tiles are there? Do you notice the repeating pattern that is created by how the tiles have been installed?

Artist Information:

Originally from the Netherlands Hester Heuff is a practicing visual artist who works independently from her studio in Dublin. She came to Ireland in the early 70’s and worked as an aquatic ecologist.

Natural processes are an integral part of her art practice, relating to all manner of changes in the world. Since the 90’s she has specialized in ceramics, ranging from abstract to representational and utilitarian, but also uses other media such as batik, painting, photography and video. A playful and intuitive approach is central to her work.

Hester Heuff - Quarantine Hill

Individual handmade tiles are incised with drawings, stained, glazed and then fired to cone 6 before being assembled into a mosaic.

The site for this piece is a blocked-up window in the side wall of Hopkis Hardware which used to be involved in drying grain. In the past the fuel needed for this process was delivered through this window into the yard beyond. From this site the harbour with its ships and the hills of Wicklow can be seen.

These 3 elements inspired the design of the mosaic. The bird theme was choosen to loosely relate to the local biodiversity, nowadays sadly recognised to be negatively effected by the use of carbon based fuels.

Birds are represented through ‘child-like’ drawings, each with their own unique character. Echoes of the surrounding landscape are also incised and sketched into the final piece. Both real and imaginary the elements in this piece are deliberately playful - sparking our imagination, igniting curiosity, and hopfully bring a smile to the faces of observers passing by.

* Within this mini mural there is an ‘odd’ bird, positioned in a differnet orientation. Who can discover this bird, and what is it about do you think?

* Also did you know that three little birds have flown up to Kilmaintin Hill. These ‘Free birds’ are friends with the birds you find here in this Birdscape. One or two of them even look alike. Can you find their friends we wonder?

Artist Information:

Originally from the Netherlands Hester Heuff is a practicing visual artist who works independently from her studio in Dublin. She came to Ireland in the early 70’s and worked as an aquatic ecologist.

Natural processes are an integral part of her art practice, relating to all manner of changes in the world. Since the 90’s she has specialized in ceramics, ranging from abstract to representational and utilitarian, but also uses other media such as batik, painting, photography and video. A playful and intuitive approach is central to her work.