About the Piece:
Award-winning artist and illustrator Steve Simpson is back in the Damn Fine Print studio for a beautiful new tribute to James Joyce and the pubs of Dublin.

A graphic designer with a magical eye for colour and whimsical fun that's known around the world, Simpson has turned his attention closer to home for this limited edition screenprint of one of Joyce's most famous quotes.

Like ourselves, he's a man in love with the many amazing pubs of Dublin and this glorious illustration takes on Leopold Bloom's musings in Ulysses and transfers them to print with a raised-pint nod to some of the fine boozers he might be avoiding along the way.

Describing the project, Simpson tells us: "Ulysses isn’t a book I can say I’ve managed to finish and like many, I’ll probably never get beyond the first dozen pages. It was this realisation that led me to the Abbey Theatre last year to see Dermot Bolger’s brilliant adaptation.

"I’d always liked the quote ‘Good puzzle would be to cross Dublin without passing a pub' but hearing it from Leopold Bloom himself made it resonate so much more. It was during the play I first decided to bring this quote to life.

"As an artist, much of the planning on a project is done before I even pick up a pencil. This may well have involved multiple visit to these famous literary pubs of Dublin for research and inspiration purposes.

"I don’t believe Bloom ever had the intention of actually attempting this puzzle, however, it’s certainly worth contemplating while propping up the bar in any of these fine establishments."

About the Artist:
For 30 years Steve Simpson has been applying his multi-disciplinary skills to creative projects for a diverse range of clients right across the globe. Steve's innovative, award winning approach to graphic design, typography and illustration is built on fresh thinking, traditional skills and dose of fun. Steve lives on the east coast of Ireland where a good sense of humour is essential.