Featuring cows, sheep, donkeys and native wildlife, each piece carries Kelly’s signature blend of warmth, wit and finely observed character, as the artist said the new range of mini-framed prints and greeting cards draws its inspiration from the “fields, coastlines and farmyards of Wicklow and beyond, celebrating the humour, personality and heritage of the Irish landscape”.
The launch comes at a particularly proud moment for Kelly, who recently received the prestigious Gold Award at GRADAIM Gnó na hÉireann 2025, an initiative of Glór na nGael that recognises excellence in Irish‑language business across the country.
As one of 160 enterprises honoured nationally, her achievement highlights both her artistic merit and her ongoing commitment to Irish culture. Each artwork in the new collection is thoughtfully paired with a traditional Irish proverb, deepening the connection between image, language and place.
“The animals and landscapes around me have always carried their own humour, wisdom and wildness,” Kelly said at the launch at Kilquade Arboretum, on Friday, February 20.
“With this collection, I wanted to honour that spirit, pairing each artwork with an Irish proverb that feels rooted in who we are. Launching Born Wild and Born Mucky at Arboretum Kilquade, fresh from receiving a Gold Award at GRADAIM Gnó na hÉireann, feels like a celebration of both place and language.”
The launch forms part of Arboretum’s wider ‘Homegrown campaign’, a celebration of Irish growers, makers and producers across plants, food, wellness, gifting and fashion.
Kelly Hood pictured in Kilcoole, County Wicklow, with a piece from her new ‘Born Mucky’ collection. Photo: Bryan Meade
The family‑owned lifestyle and garden centre – with outlets in Carlow and Urban Green, Dublin 1—has spent more than 40 years championing Irish craftsmanship. Kelly’s collection is a natural fit for the initiative, reflecting Arboretum’s commitment to community and showcasing the best of Irish creativity.
Kelly’s rise within Ireland’s contemporary art scene has been steady and well‑earned. Originally from Dingle and now based in Kilcoole, she creates, prints and ships her distinctive animal portraits worldwide. In addition to her recent Irish‑language accolade, she has received an Irish Enterprise Award for Best Animal Wall Art Retail Business 2023 and a Lux Life Best Animal Art Portraiture Award 2023.
Minister Simon Harris with artist Kelly Hood, at her 2023 exhibition in Bray’s Signal Arts Centre. Photo: Leigh Anderson.
Her work has also attracted political and public recognition, and has been endorsed by none other than the Tánaiste, Simon Harris, from the neighbouring Wicklow seaside town of Greystones.
In 2023, Mr Harris opened Kelly’s Cows in the Hood exhibition at the Signal Arts Centre in Bray, praising the artist as a “brilliant and award‑winning” local creative whose work “enriches Wicklow’s cultural life”.
The exhibition in Bray was praised for having captured Kelly’s long‑standing fascination with cows, which she said was first sparked in Dingle in 2008, when a cow named Paddy became her unexpected muse.
“They were not just a herd of cattle; they were individuals with unique and completely charming personalities,” she said previously.
The full Born Wild and Born Mucky collection is now available exclusively at Arboretum Kilquade.