Phyllis Mahon’s childhood was spent in rural County Tyrone and she later studied Painting and Printmaking in Belfast in the mid 1970’s. Since then she has worked as a professional artist and illustrator, first in Hackney, London and since the early 1990s she has been based in the beautiful Lincolnshire Wolds.
EDUCATION
Higher Diploma Printmaking
1976
B.A. Honours Degree Fine Art
Belfast College of Art
1971- 1975
ARTISTIC CAREER
Full Time Professional Artist
London / Lincolnshire, United Kingdom
1976 to present
Since 1976 onwards I have been fortunate to be able to fully commit to following my passion as a working professional artist, with a primary focus on painting, drawing and illustration.
Commissioned Illustration Work
Lincolnshire, United Kingdom
2007
Commissioned to illustrate a large range of 35 Gay Greetings and Christmas Cards in black and white, based on the style of my earlier linoprints.
Stone Carving Award
Lincolnshire, United Kingdom
2004
Having received an award from the Arts Council I was able to spend time learning the craft of stone carving.
Commissioned Illustration Work
Lincolnshire, United Kingdom
1993 to 1998
In 1993 I moved to Lincolnshire, United Kingdom and shortly after that, in 1995 I was commissioned to illustrate the New Aeon Tarot Set for Aura Soma, a Colour Therapy Company.
This eighteen month project comprised 200 images presented as 100 double sided cards.
Five years’ of steady work followed in which I illustrated various projects, wrote and illustrated the book “Goddesses, A Circle of Colour” containing 13 full plate images.
In this project the Zodiac was related to the Company Colour plan, astrology and goddesses from various cultures.
Wood Engravings & Linocuts
London
1988 to 1993
From 1988 I began working on tiny wood engravings and a series of very large, hand-printed linocuts.
Rouge Press (Art Group)
London
1986
In 1986 I was a member of the art group, Rouge Press, which consisted of eight East End female artists, together we produced a limited edition portfolio of lino-prints which was launched by Curwen Gallery, London, with a supporting exhibition, which toured the U.K.
ACME Studio Scheme
London
1978 to 1984
In 1979 I was accepted into ACME Artists’ Short-life Housing in Hackney. This scheme provided affordable studio space, as well as accommodation at a nominal rent so enabling young artists to dedicate time to creating and exhibiting. This was very important to my career as between 1978 & 1984, I had three children, so it enabled me to work from home.
Artist and Illustrator
London
1976 to 1993
Shortly after completing my studies I moved to London where I was awarded an Arts Council of Northern Ireland Bursary to set up a colour darkroom. After the subsequent photographic exhibition, selected images were used by the B.B.C. to illustrate the television series Chieftains: Images of Ireland and included at Irish Exhibition of Living Art, Dublin.
These London years were spent exhibiting extensively throughout the UK and Ireland and illustrating editorial, including the 1990 monthly Horoscope Page in Cosmopolitan Magazine, Tales from Europe, B.B.C. Publications and various publications for Heinemann Educational.
COLLECTIONS
Works are held in the following Public Collections
Works are held in Private collections in the following countries –