Monday, July 27, 2009

Gorey Family Play Day, 1st August 2009

The place to be is at the Town Park in Gorey on Saturday afternoon!

I've been amazed at the amount of people who do not seem to know where the town park is so here is the map.

Read more about the events that will be on here.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Women in Business informal network & social creative event

7.30pm -9.30pm Tuesday 18th August

Crash the artistic scene with Women in Business and entrepreneur's down time.
CREATIVE FUN with Ballygarrett Art Studio, GOREY area.

Sessions starts with deep relaxation then enjoy the creative path and immerse yourself in fun with lots of art materials.

Location dependant on numbers contact me for more details, book & pay; €25 for session also includes light refreshments.

read more about other networking opportunties here.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Working with Children

I was updating my Practice.ie profile and putting an photo up and it got me thinking I need to say a bit more about the type of work I have done with children and can do with children. Children and entrepreneur's have this really interesting link for me. I suppose they function on a level of creativity that is open and embracing, in the last two years a significant portion of my community arts practice has been based in working with both of these groups.

I have a broad perspective on my arts practice and follow with interest how communities and networks develop and in supporting the individuals creative process.

In children that can be so rewarding and heart breaking at the same time. The 'I'm no good at art' is very tough to hear from a six year old. So I like to provide really different learning opportunities for kids to open up a lateral approach towards creativity and the arts. I like to push boundaries on what art materials are and on what an 'artist' is and does. I suppose that is one reason why I normalise being an artist I want to make it accessible.

With children I have a particular interest in encouraging them to make things; through introducing basic 'make and do' I move them through exploring tradtional art materials and recycled materials to more complex construction. I also have an interest in traditional crafts and skills; felt making, knitting and stitching, gardening and education through outdoor environments. I create projects with and in schools plus group classes at the studio that explore some or all of these elements. From making a 3D intial, making robots with string and cardboard, to building and planting a school garden, to each child planting a spring bulb in a spiral, to planting rainbows, making trees for the library - to exploring communication and personal space through clay and the list goes on (as in more to post, more to follow on).

Another aspect of my work with children is based in their development and learning about groups and their personal space. Introducing playful exercises and creative journeys for children to explore artistically, personally and physically. This work includes workshops like ‘This is me’ about personal space suitable for Senior Infants up where the children explore a series of exercises like ‘take a line for a walk’, ‘this is my scribble’, ‘I am a seed’ to developing awareness about personal space and making a carpet in ‘this is me’. I mix movement, mime, yogic relaxation and grounding techniques, creative visualisation, colour, art materials, games and facilitation. The workshops are designed for children with mixed abilities and age groups. They can also be effective in dealing with issues around acceptance, special needs, bullying and staying safe.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Why Do People Buy Your Art?

An interesting and timely reminder of following up with people who buy your art. Plus making the most of that connection with a client and building on that information for future sales & opportunities. Not rocket science but effective.

Why Do People Buy Your Art?

Shared via AddThis

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Expanding the creative self?

I still struggle with how I work as an artist. I want to do so much; personal work, community arts, mentoring, workshops, education & interactive fun, exhibitions, creating opportunities for other artists, local area artists network - but I have to also cut my cloth both in terms of costs and time. I was going to write about how one can expand ourselves creatively but I cover that another day (its what a lot of workshops and mentoring covers I will be posting about shortly).
At the moment painting just does n't seem to cut it, although there has been a lot going on in my life and it is a way I usually process and enable other processes to expand. At the moment I am attached to the computer - it's the technology thing. I've been exploring social media sites and playing with Twitter. I love technology this was instilled in the early days after college when I worked in the localisation industry. An emerging industry in the early 90’s it was buzz-e in the same way Web 2.0 is today. So I have been exploring social media and looking for other artists who are using it as a platform for work.
I am very interested in the idea of 'collaboration' and have been thinking about trying a few experimental approaches. It is a work in progress in my head and as soon as I have a more defined structure I will progress my ideas into action.
I came across an amazing project and organisation this morning that uses twitter as a platform for an arts project, New Media Scotland. It adds an interesting twist to the arts, I love it!
Cut-Throat Bandits in the Paths of Fame. A re-engagement with the cultural and physical landscape of Edinburgh by imagining and enacting a geographical conversation with eight figures of the past.
New Media Scotland has a great approach partnering with artists, the term used in a broad expansive way and they work on "disseminate new ideas and reach new audiences" great combination. I'd love to hear about more of this type of work happening around the globe if you know of artists, communities, projects etc. please leave me a comment.

I applied for a bursary award two years ago to do a community area specific project based around land & time, mapping land usage and peoples passage through it. It was based on the idea that in rural or urban environments we trace patterns across time. I had this idea that I would find a visual representation for the patterns plus use it as a vehicle to explore historical links to land & local lore about an area. Among the things I suggested was using a variety different ways to capture data including social media. With my expanding knowledge of social media I think I might be ready to revisit that project and make it a better one.

What am I working on at the moment?
Gorey's Family Play Day a community arts event.

Also working on some new grounds for stitching and beading. This is where I use a photograph as a starting pint for a digital manipulation printing it on to fabric and then beading or stitching it. I want to have a series that I can exhibit next year. Must start looking for a good venue.
Some examples from previous expo.








And my Urn project is ongoing, so if you were invited to participate there is still time as I will be working on it during the summer. I'm really enjoying what people are sending back to me I love the way my friends have embraced the project I have about twenty sheets now. Thank you to all who are participating.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Gorey Family Play Day

Gorey Town Park 2 -5pm, Saturday 1st August 2009.
The one and only place to be on the bank holiday weekend. You can go to Wexford on the Sunday and the Tinahely agricultural show on the 3rd but the first of August belongs to Gorey and the excellent afternoon of activities planned for family fun in the town park.
A free family fun play day as part of the 150 years celebration of Gorey Town Council. Hosted by Wexford County Council it is a welcome addition to the summer schedule.

I have been working with the Arts Officer in Wexford CC, Rosaleen Molloy to plan some ARTS fun. It has been great fun to think about what different age groups might want and engage in.
I'll post the full list when I have it.
So far Ballygarrett Art Studio has organised or is directly involved in:
  • I live... here place a sticker on the map to show where you have come from for the day.
  • Community Circus performances plus play and learn
  • Jigsaw search and make
  • That’s rubbish – but can it be art? Transforming rubbish into something, exploring the afterlife of an object in reuse, recycle; coffee cups & plastic bottles into objects, aluminium cans into metal sculptures. Demonstration & make and do.
  • Flying things. Paper planes, kites (things to run around with)
  • Newspaper Flappers. Draw fish, decorate them and cut them out. Grab a newspaper and flap the fish in one of the Newspaper Flappers races.
  • Bui Bolg ‘Fox in the Bin’
  • Face painting
  • Knitting circle for some full on clackity clack show and teach session for all ages (if your a knitter come and join in bring what your working on and sit and knit with others)
  • Demonstrations of traditional crafts: Willow weaving, Spinning & weaving, Felt making, Pole-lathe turning

There will also be sports, traditional games, messy play, a DJ, climbing wall, skate boarding action, clown, puppet show and lots more...

See you there!

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