When Lavelle Art Gallery (LAG), one of Ireland's finest and most prestigious galleries in the west of Ireland, approached me in 2014, they brought an ambitious vision: reimagine their brand while honouring three decades of artistic legacy.

Founded by Eoin Lavelle in 1988 as a summer pursuit, LAG had evolved into something remarkable. Now run by husband and wife team Deborah Watkins and Eoin's son Gavin Lavelle—himself an acclaimed Irish artist—the gallery had built a longstanding reputation for promoting fine art paintings of the highest quality found on the island of Ireland.

What started as a seasonal venture had grown into a year-round destination featuring local and international artists, but the brand identity hadn't kept pace with this evolution.

Debbie and Gavin's vision was both ambitious and delicate: thread the needle between maintaining the gallery's historical authenticity as a serious art institution while bringing a more whimsical and inviting personality to the brand.

The physical context added another layer of complexity. Located in the heart of a busy town and surrounded by other buildings, the gallery needed to stand out for all the right reasons while respecting its neighbours and locational constraints.

Maintaining the gallery's long-established brand colours, Debbie and Gavin gave me creative freedom to explore concepts spanning the entire experience—from the building's exterior and interior spaces to logo mark, typeface selection, and marketing collateral both online and in print.

The breakthrough moment came during one of our regular meetings. We were always accompanied by Snowy, their little family dog who spent more time in the gallery than at home. Inspiration struck: why not feature Snowy in the logo? He was a regular, friendly face at the gallery, and this would bring the exact lightheartedness we were seeking while celebrating the family-run nature of the business.

It didn't take much convincing once everyone saw the early concepts. Snowy was officially immortalized as part of LAG's identity.

The months-long design process began with conceptual work alongside Debbie, refining the brand's personality until we felt the creative direction was exactly right. Then came the real craft—transforming the building itself.

Working with local painters, carpenters, sign-makers, and sign-writers, we brought the mocked-up concepts to life on the gallery's exterior and throughout the interior spaces. This collaborative approach with skilled craftspeople ensured every detail felt authentic and purposeful.

The transformation culminated in a launch night that perfectly captured the new brand spirit. Friends and artists of the gallery gathered to experience the new look, with Snowy receiving well-deserved pats, selfies, and treats for being such a good sport about his newfound fame.

Everyone was delighted with the result—a brand that successfully balanced serious artistic credibility with genuine warmth and accessibility.

This project exemplifies why I'm passionate about helping small businesses: seeing the fruits of collaborative labour create real, substantial impact. The LAG rebrand proved that evolution and tradition can coexist beautifully when approached with respect, creativity, and authentic storytelling.

By honouring the gallery's three-decade legacy while embracing the personality that makes it special—including their four-legged mascot—we created an identity that serves both the serious art world and the welcoming community space LAG had always been at heart.