Raquel Pablos Exhibition, Inspirational in the circular economy

Raquel Pablos is a Fingal Artist with an inspiring story

Skerries Mills Watermill Café is exhibiting the works of Raquel Pablos, whose current works are a stunning example of sustainability. The pieces on show are carefully created using disposed-of Coffee Pods or Capsules. Raquel began using the used pods from her kitchen to make jewellery, before embarking on an artistic journey like no other.
Raquel had previously used shells to create beautiful images and began experimenting with coffee pods just a few years ago. She was aware that some arts and crafts designers crush coffee pods and then work with them, however, Raquel slices the pods and treats each piece as unique, finding different parts of the pod more receptive to certain colours or uses, because of this, one small pod can find it’s way into two or three different works.

Green in many colours

The sustainable works of art are hand-painted and take their inspiration from a variety of sources, including nature, landscapes and fairytales. Raquel has found inspiration at the Hill of Tara. The abstract pieces are strikingly colourful, it is wonderful to view these knowing the materials they have been created with, and breathtaking to look at them while being aware they have come from scrapes. The pods are quite fragile, and Raquel discovered that combining her skills with resin delivers the magical end product, as she coats the artwork with a resin gloss. However, all of her secrets are not known and there is a mystery to her talent. Her latest piece is an animal image and she intends to undertake more of these.

Recycling Upcycling and pretty as a picture

While Raquel has used up to 100 metallic coffee pods in a single artwork, she finds it takes around 70 pods for her standard-size piece. As people learn of her skill and the materials she is using, many have been thrilled to pass on their pods and be certain of their household waste being re-purposed. At first, Raquel used coffee pods from close friends and neighbours, although having now used around 5000 pods, her son’s classmates and their parents have joined with donations.

Early Works

Raquel has enjoyed producing creative pieces for 40 years, as a small child she began with clay sculptures. Raquel took up painting at age 12 and found her way to enrolling in an Art School in Madrid. She later took a course in resin, and while working as a nursing assistant, she began selling some artworks at occasional markets. Over the past year, Raquel has worked full-time on her art. She will now enjoy two exhibits before the close of 2024. She has been chosen as one of the exhibitors for the Cork City Council Made by Hand exhibition, taking place in the LHQ Gallery, Cork, running on December 22nd and 23rd. One or two of her pieces will show.

A full exhibition showing 20 of Raquel’s works will be held at Skerries Mills Watermill Café from Monday the 11th to Sunday the 24th of November. Open every day 10 am – 5 pm.

Still a long way to go

Follow Raquel ‘rablos art studio’ on socials and watch this unique concept grow.

Skerries Mills would like to thank Raquel, her passion and exquisite colours are brightening up our November, we would also like to congratulate her on her achievements to date.