Stories in Kilcullen's Spider Hotel
Of course, the children didn't know, so Dolores brought them out into the front hall of the Library — formerly the Boys School — and showed them the spiders living in a cupboard there.
It was all by way of introduction to her latest book, The Scary Spider, which has just been launched. And she had a wonderful big scary spider toy to show the children as she read from the book.
An artist based in Westmeath for some 40 years, Dolores only launched her first children's story with her own illustrations in 2009, If I Were a Bee. She self-published it, and it has been very successful, so she has been producing a new book every year since.
"I get my painting inspiration from my garden, when in summertime it is packed full of beautiful flowers," she says. And obviously, from the insects which also populate her garden at the same time. In addition to her books, her latest venture is the undertaking of a licensing career with Shannonbridge Ireland who have licensed a number of images to produce a full range of ceramics, now available in numerous outlets around the country.
Dolores has featured on Joe Duffy's Liveline programme about self published authors during Christmas week as well as on Midlands Radio 3, the station that serves the area where she lives and works. Her books have also been reviewed by Grainne Clear on RTE Jr.
Dolores has been the recipient of a Bursary at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Annamakerrig, Co Monaghan and she is a member of the Made in Westmeath Craft Group which encompasses artists and craftspeople working with jewellery, bog oak, bags, cards, knitting, and furniture.
