My Story__________________
01. A COLOURFUL History
– child /young adult /experience
As an imaginative child, ‘artistic’ and ‘creative’ were words always used to describe me and no visitor dared to enter our house without a packet of crayons or a colouring book for its youngest resident! On leaving school it was a natural step, to go to Art College. It was there I thrived and found my signature style which opened the door to colour & design exploration.
My love of colour and furniture was further broadened throughout most of the 1990’s whilst working as a private decorative painter and freelance painter for the scenery for theatre industry in London. I discovered what all the galleries and museums had to offer. It was here that I began to carve a life of a working artist through renting my own studio, whilst working alongside other specialist painters & decorators in my field. The playing fields of the London decorative industry was a very exciting time. I learned everything about the use of water based paint finishes, techniques and working to deadlines.
02. The ever resourceful student
– young adult/student
I’ve lived in places I initially hated, but I always felt the urge to do it up to make me feel at home, even when it was a short term rental. It was that important to me.
Even as a student, I was to be found down at the old Coal Quay in Cork, buried under a mountain of junk or knee high in a skip. Every place I’ve ever lived in, I wanted to make it more desirable and I didn’t hang about.
Friends remember me always buying paint and fabrics, painting old rubbish furniture. There was always hope I guess. And most importantly colour.
03. Join the dots
Let me join up the dots of how I embarked on this journey…
How did I end up painting kitchens? I returned to Cork from London in 1999, I was walking by a kitchen furniture shop in Parnell place. There was painted furniture in the window. It was like a candy store to me. They supplied kitchens too. I walked in and got chatting to Monica to whom I am forever grateful. The following week I was painting my first kitchen.
A year later I ventured out on my own and registered my business, which was ‘Quay designs interiors’. With my fascination and passion for colour, I always enjoyed making bespoke colours .I opened up a painted furniture shop near Penrose wharf in 2012.
Over the next 7 years I up-cycled and sold furniture, art and interiors. I learned, loved, laughed and sometimes shed a tear. I painted a lot of kitchens off site belonging to customers. I loved the buzz of seeing my creations going to discerning customers. However, my location was not great and managing the shop and working off site was a constant challenge. I questioned, journaled and had endless conversations before I finally had the ‘aha moment’ that the most common question asked of me was: ‘What is that colour?’ I discovered colour was an enigma for most, which surprised me. So as a result, finally 22 years later, Colour with Clio has been launched. I need to go to my customers, not the other way around. Let me bring colour to you.