Ballygarrett Art Studio

handmade in Ballygarrett Art Studio

2012-01-09T20:30:00.003Z

I started clearing my studio again today... as I came across things I tried to stay focused. Rubbish, recycling, books, shelves - fabric, wool ...Oh my favourite skein! + a tiny crochet hook.... ah I have to make something... one thing. So I sat and I crocheted this little sweet heart. You will find a different photo of it on Facebook.

Heart felt research. Roisin Markham 2012 ©

I love the fibre with its thin wool with loops on it and I love working with it it felts divinely too. as you can see from this image of a cowl I created in 2010.

Handmade with intent.
Roisin Markham 2010©

I make little hug tokens mostly out of felt but I'm exploring other materials...

making work in 2012 personal

2012-01-03T00:44:00.001Z

Semi natural habitat for a feather. Roisin Markham 2012

I've taken Christmas off did you notice the social media blackout? The only thing I've really done is doodled a bit. Did you take a good break over the festive season? How did it effect you?
When I put down the paint, the pencil, the textiles, snip the thread, turn off the computer and only pick up a camera to take happy snaps well what happens is I create some space for myself. When I give my brain stopping time from physically making work... I start to dream of work, I think about ideas in new ways, my associations are different and my musings more measured.
This holiday season I think I've had some insight around the theme of what is the texture of my map? a question I have been sitting with since the summer and meeting Con Conway. More on that in a while.
Themes of identity are an important component in my work. The elements start with oneself, to family, to community, clubs, associations and then into the landscape of geographical community and national identity, race, belief systems and before we know it themes of displaced diversity, economic migration and cultural contexts.

We are all different, we are all the same. Roisin Markham 2011

For a while now I have been wanting to make a project and arts residency around the theme of identity with people living and working in Gorey, Co. Wexford, it is the town near where I live. In the last two years I've been building relationships with people and groups in the area. I've been thinking about how to start? How and where to establish a project - where to make that space? ...space for people to question what it means to live, work or study in Gorey.
How do we relate to the people around us, the geographical location and what exactly is our cultural context?
Space, questions, time and people to explore, share and realise what is the texture of ourselves and cultural identity in North Wexford. I'm not necessarily talking about transformation. I think we have to have reality and acceptance and then see where that takes the conversation.

blow in, outsider. Roisin Markham 2011

My involvement with Bluedrum's think tank during the summer and the follow up in November lead me to think about a cultural compass. So in November during the session in Dublin I shared what I had been thinking about - how to bring the conversation back to a local level while maintaining a bigger cultural vista and being relevant? My thoughts of a cultural compass had pivot points around identity linked to four directions; rural, urban, national, local. This is specific primarily in an Irish context however our European context would be considered also. Research is forming around a project context and framework to explore the texture of our maps both socially, geographically and culturally.
I have a larger project in mind for this work., Gorey would be the Irish hub of the project. Initially I'd like to have two other pivotal sites in Europe and develop further research in other locations. The work may or may not be artist lead but always context lead. It would be very exciting to develop a unilaterally project working with other artists where we would pool resources research, methods and critically our work with others would inform the development of our arts practice and the further work of the project. Each of the artists would work in all three locations over a period of time. We would migrate, integrate, communicate and make space for new ways of work bringing different elements to each cultural location.
So this idea of outsider, insider that arose during the summer as a direct result of my mini installation in the studio it comes to mean more then just feeling it - I want to express it clearly.
I took a long walk on the beach New Year's day 2012; I came across all this stuff that I questioned "does this really belong on a beach?" Because the stuff is often found there, the stuff has developed a semi-natural or associated habitat with the beach. Feathers on the sand, fishing nets not in the sea, wood where no forest or trees are near by. They are blow-ins to the beach, swept up on the shore. There they remain until nature or someone changes something. It becomes the habitat, we accept it as is. It seemed very symbolic to me. So I do what I do with a camera not touching observing. Editing with the lens. The picture of the stones the reddy brown stone is from a red brick not natural to the area but shaped and curved by the sea and thrown up the beach with the rest of the stones. Notice the circular space near by.

...so the clarity I got in the last few days Con, the texture of my map... I've known for a while the work starts with me but now I now where to start.

2011 draws in

2011-12-15T12:57:00.001Z

my own work... what I have n't got near any of my own work
that altered book project
the stitch story
painting, writing, making
lino cutting and print making...
I've been too busy working on Create Better Space and seeing clients 1:1.

Painting

2011-11-29T12:33:00.001Z

back in the studio painting, processing... dross to get through before the good stuff flows.
Did I say I was painting anything good?
There is also some cutting up of paintings going on reminds me of when painting is too flat and also of this

little piece which I bloged about here.

What is this a picture of?

2011-11-21T14:30:00.000Z

Roisin Markham 2011

Just for fun I thought I would post this picture and ask you - what is it a picture of?
When I took the photograph which element was I really looking at? But which element do you see?

Of word and stitch Exhibition open

2011-10-22T12:19:00.001+01:00

Of word
and stitch

Roisin Markham, Artist
An exhibition of handmade textiles,
writing and mixed media
part of the Wexford Fringe
at the Irish National Heritage Park
till 6 November 2011.

by what do you set your compass? Roisin Markham 2011

I'll be there the next two Sundays 12 - 4pm. Plus other artist dialogue days to be announced. Looking forward to meeting you there.

Location: The Irish national Heritage Park is situated approximately 3 miles from Wexford Town off the Dublin (N11) Rosslare Road (N25). Eleven miles from Rosslare Europort.

Stitch bliss

2011-10-07T19:43:00.001+01:00

old/new work for 'of word and stitch' Wexford Fringe 2011

Driving through Lismore

2011-09-13T15:36:00.000+01:00

On the way to Cork last week I stopped in the village of Lismore. I was fascinated to hear Irish being spoken in the cafe. It is something rarely heard in Gorey. The other chat was about them wining a Tidy towns award.
I could not resist taking a few quick shots of this pub. I have many pictures like this of old pubs around Ireland. Looks like something from the last century.

Pub, Lismore, Ireland. 2011

left hand pub window display, Lismore 2011

Guinness Toucan lampshade, Lismore Pub, 2011

On the right hand-side of the pub the window display was simplier with a framed version of the song 'The maid of Lismore' taken from an old book. Notice the old whiskey jar to the left has Lismore engraved into it, love to know the story of its journey.

The maid of Lismore

Studio space clearing & clarity

2011-08-18T21:10:00.001+01:00

Bags of shells and bits of stick.

Well I've ended up there again clearing out my over cluttered studio. It starts with wanting to change furniture around, not being happy with how my space is being used and what portion is being used more. My desk for 1:1's coaching and creative exploration, my easel, my drawing board, the PC, the Mac has finally moved out given up that I will ever use Adobe suite again.
But the biggest issue is materials. They are really important in my work.
The boxes of paint, glues, fleece, fabric, wool, mark making tools of all shapes and sizes they get pulled out and shared, used, discarded made into something by someone else or by me.
After a while I just wanted it all organised easier to access.
Simpler ...so I am working on that.
Are you a collector?
Are you an artist?
Do you have boxes of things? how do you keep it all tidy? how do you keep it organised and under control? or do you and how do you square with that? How do the people who share your space square with that or do they?
I found a box of old camera negatives from college under my shelving system, do I keep them?

Okay so I’ve the studio half emptied and half tidied. I am woe-be-tied if I will reposition, sort, shelve anything that is not useful. I feel like I am editing my life which is no bad thing.
But I have found the oddest and cutest things here in my work space:

Book of 100 wishes, Roisin Markham. 2005.

A set of silver cutlery in a wooden box.

Dead flowers, feathers and skeins of yarn.

And still things to move around, books to find places and things space for things... and space for my work.

"Footprints in my heart"

2011-08-04T00:28:00.001+01:00

This was the title of a solo show I made in 2007. It was a pivotal moment for me as an artist
"the exhibition became a dynamic fulcrum that caused me to change how I approached my arts practice" from this blog posted SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2009.

Detail of felt used on exhibition invitations. 2007

I refer to it seldom now but the quote that the title of the show came from sits near my desk still, a fridge magnet delivered to me via M.I.L.K. products,

"Many people walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart." Eleanor Roosevelt

It resonates deeply with me and continues to link my work from past to present.
I mentioned the quote during a conversation with Rose Hughes, she loved it so I decided I'd write about it here. Actually that conversation generated lots of connections and links, clarity and ideas, see my facebook page for more about that.

Threaded stories commission. Roisin Markham 2011

The reason I mentioned the exhibition and quote was that the handmade felt used in "a stitch in time" I made in 2007 for that solo show. Amazingly I made that felt around themes of community, friendship and kinship and they were a last minute inclusion in a bag of material I was taking to the stitch workshop with St. Brigid's community group at the Family resource centre. Nearly everyone choose to work with the felt... and I love that layer of meaning is within the finished piece of work that now hangs in Waterford.
The reason I decided to blog about this is that the product is by a company called M.I.L.K. they have excellent photo and make great cards. If I see there cards I buy them. But trying to find them online has been difficult I wanted to post Rose a link because I really like their products.
But this is what I discovered and it's great M.I.L.K. means

Moments of Intimacy, Laughter and Kinship - (M.I.L.K.)

There is an unofficial Facebook page and then I found the site http://www.milkphotos.com it seems PQ Blackwell now owns M.I.L.K. publishing and licencing (a New Zealand-based publishing and licensing company specialising in originating illustrated books and associated licensed products worldwide.).

I think that adds something even more and I simply delight in that.

Over brimmed

2011-07-27T10:47:00.000+01:00

Over Brimmed. Roisin Markham 2005.

This morning I am laughing. The sun is shining into the studio and my brain is writing, creating solving for several community groups that have approached me to apply for the Wexford County Council funding deadline to work with community artists. The deadline is tomorrow.
Sometimes we need to say "I am empty - this is me, this is all there is" by staying with that and allowing the uncomfortable to just be so, by staying present all is as it is meant to be and we are held in all that we are or are not. Just in that moment.
By being empty we allow in flow to our lives. When we are full nothing else can be added.

creating for oneself; process and words

2011-07-26T13:34:00.001+01:00

Process, start somewhere. Roisin Markham

Sometimes I get in a muddle. My head gets jammed with thoughts, ideas all a clutter - aspirations, frustrations and unrealised ambition, in my mind and opinion. Then I get frustrated disillusioned and need to process. This often happens at busy times when my studio becomes a transitional space for working with others, materials go 'in and out' boxes stacked, lots of two-ing and frow-ing. It happens when things don't work out the way I thought they were going to and when that impacts on work or proposed projects.
It happens when I do not spend time making my own work and the snatched five minutes no longer satisfies. My brain, mental head space demands I make time to process and the best way I know how is creatively.
So yesterday I decided to paint. In fact what I decided was I would spend time in the studio alone, door closed, phone and computer off.
Painting did n't wash or at least not in the sophisticated ways I demand as a painter. Process woman just process if you have n't painted for weeks, months how can you expect to sit down and paint masterfully? It is like drawing you have to maintain a daily practice.
I normally start with writing as my in but the paint too long in its tubes still did not want to play or stretch across the paper or canvas.
Instead it was the words that poured out in a bile like process of anger, frustration and sadness. That was where my emotional state was yesterday afternoon. Strangely a pile of paper bags caught my eye. The words expressed onto them demanded to become a mini installation in my studio.
The photo is bad on purpose.

Mini installation in studio. Roisin Markham

By the time I had taped them all up what ever was going on was being teased out. Yes a particular experience did tip these feelings over the edge. I have often felt like an outsider and my personal experiences through life have re-enforced these feelings of never belonging.
Sometimes being a Mum to three boys & being married to a man emphasis this too - testosterone pha! But this was about where I live in rural isolation and how I work.
In saying that their is a positive edge to all this from this place of outside. I view things differently, I am unconventional being on the fringe allows me that place from which to work, invent, positively disrupt and in a bizarre turn of fate that is something I value. Yes I know contradictory and conflicted.
But on days when I feel off or the world does not sit quiet right it feels good to go with the anger and express it in health ways. Processing through creativity is a powerful form of expression. That everyone may have equal rights to access...

Today process continues... installation ii. Roisin Markham

Today the words are still there but they vie for a positive expression and meaning in my own life and work.

Words are words, expression gives meaning. Roisin Markham

EXCLUDE - INCLUDED

not part of - part of

remain outside - join in

rural - town

isolation - inclusion

A project to explore with others around these words would be interesting and I have spoken to some groups where this would be relevant recently. But for now I continue to use them as words to process what is going on - graphite and ink and paper. Where do these word go next? Paper planes? fabric sinking in the canal or under the sea. They are but words but their expression seems the best way to process my response to these feelings that fleet and flit and yet again become submerged.
Sifting through draft emails this morning I came across this lovely apt quote
"Sometimes stepping away from something brings a clarity you never knew you were missing."
I am clear that through expression I get clarity, life is not all roses. We all have to find our own meaning.

This blog post further clarifies things for me and in the process perhaps someone else may find solace.

None of us are alone may we find the support we need and the tools to equip us to express ourselves.

I remain positive, unconventional and an outsider I just feel differently about it today.

Thanks to Barbara Greene in NY, @emoticomma for her lovely words on twitter today and through saying 'hi' prompted me to enquire "so how do you keep you spirits up?"

So let me finish by asking "How do you find clarity? how do you process?"

a sense of creativity even for 5 minutes

2011-07-23T11:27:00.000+01:00

Templederry lane, Wexford. Roisin Markham 2011

This week I had a full on summer camp with the Cottage Autism Network. It is a great camp initially set up for siblings of children on the autism spectrum. Busy intense week both groups had mixed special needs; autism, asperger and siblings.
When I have a demanding schedule and get busy supporting others with their own creativity it can leave very little time for my own personal work and self expression. At times like this my creativity is fully engaged in helping others reach theirs and I love that kinda work. Seeing those happy faces engaged in drawing, painting, spraying and clay all week was very rewarding. Yesterday you could see their sense of achievement and self esteem swell as they showed their work to parents, aunts and other adults, fabulous to witness and be a part of. It was great.
But I need to respond daily to my personal expression and sometimes that might be just five minutes on a walk talking photos.
Last night after a great week of work I came home to check email got some not so great news, had an argument with my husband and had to go out an blow off steam. So I went down the lane we live on for a walk. The photo above was the first I took. Further on the lane I came across a group of curious cows. They restore some of my zen by just looking chewing the cud and being cows.

The meaning of life is "moo". Roisin Markham 2011

You can read more about the CAN sibling summer camp on the CreativeDynamix blog.
I'll be posting more photos on facebook too.
How do you find your moments of self expression? ...or do you?

and so back again...

2011-07-12T08:35:00.001+01:00

Holidays were spent without phone and internet an experience I thought would be much more difficult.
As a family we enjoyed discovering Morbihan Southern Brittany full of Gothic church spires, medieval towns we especially liked Josslin and Quimper, megalithic sites including the menhirs in carnac and its excellent Prehistoric Museum, contemporary art (see http://www.facebook.com/CreativeDynamix for links & comments).
Pontivy château's was interesting historically and creatively seeing it's connection with contemporary art. Josslin Château was as flamboyant in its interior as its Gothic exterior but the smell from its rose garden most sweet.

a rose as sweet, Josslin Château France 2011

Our boys 7,9 and 13 years all enjoyed the cultural mix this was rather a surprise for locally based in-laws.
Lots of pictures keep scrolling, enjoy.

The resistance museums were both excellent but we all voted for the smaller of the two as being most impressive with the wonderful Françoise whom started the collection of artefacts and stories at 15 years her personal connection to people made the experience all the more enthralling for our three boys and their cousins. I had never realised before how strong the identity of Brittany was and how this has impacted their contemporary history.

After just being in Knowth with Bluedrum I found the presence of menhirs, tumulus and dolmens as we travelled southern Brittany to be fascinating I fully intend to start dragging my boys around Ireland so they can appreciate the context of our own culture.

Wonderful patterned door in Quimper 2011

Hydrangeas were everywhere & in amazing colour range

I noticed this cute use of crochet over looking the bridge in Auray. The crochet reminded me of Irish Crochet in its fineness and lace like quality. I did manage to pick some up in a second hand clothes shop in Pontivy which I intend to incorporate into some of my hand made felt.

Auray, France 2011

I particularly like the writing in the dust and the quality of the doorway and reflection.

Auray toward the bridge, France 2011

An interesting collection of sculpture depicting music within the Breton culture.

Guemene sur Scoff

Near where we stayed this barn had amazing textures & contrast you will see more of this.

Starting points for discovery

2011-06-19T11:11:00.002+01:00

The threaded stories commission got me exploring ways to make letters out of stitch. No longer am I obsessed with getting text into my felt. Now I'm exploring stitching, crafting small letters in all sorts of ways crochet, needle felt, stitch and cut. I may bring this back to my felt in some way.

...not all Love ends on a blue note. Roisin Markham 2011

I was inspired to make this for a friend as I was finishing the commission she needs more love in her life and I thought these small crafted letters would help her find the texture of that in her life.

The 'L' was stitch into tuile and different threads stitched through. Then I cut the letter out leaving a ragged lacy effect around the edge.

The 'O' is crocheted a letter too small from the commission originally part of the letter loss. Kind of fitting in some ways love and loss.

The 'V' is the netting from a basket of fruit. That plastic diamond open weave. Stitched tightly it has a fantastic texture, rich colour and fluffy quality. It does not look like stitched plastic.

The 'E' is a cut out of blue material and stitched with blue and purple.
The letters are pin mounted onto handmade paper with petals and leaves in it. There is a double depth of foam board so the pins are held in place.
It was presented in a box made of tracing paper which gave it an ethereal quality.
This seems to have captured the imagination of my children who have asked me how I did it and are working on their own versions. It is curious to see how this commission facilitated stitch and a conversation about thread even in our home.
I can see myself exploring this idea a bit more, playing with words and textures. The scale of the letters is about 2cm. Have you ever made letters? What kind, size?
I have a whole thing about 3D letters and teach typography to children including a 3D letter model. I suppose this just takes it in a new exploration. Think I'd like to try moss graffiti next...

'a stitch in time', threaded Stories Commission

2011-06-10T12:36:00.001+01:00

The finished piece hangs in my studio this morning.
I've loved working with the community and staff around St.Brigid's Family Resource Centre their stories, memories, fragments, harsh realities and Waterford city's social history from 1984 - 2009.

woven stylised St. Brigids cross, Roisin Markham 2011

These threaded stories were collected from staff and the community that use St.Brigids it is positioned in front of a large montage of artefacts, documents, photographs, newsletters, newspaper articles, annual reports, strategic plans, etc. I ran workshops, interviews and there was an open invitation for people to send in their memories and stories. Staff were invited directly via a worksheet.
Their are two other pieces to go with this work. A poem and a future kit.
I'll be away working the weekend, it is nice to think of the work in my studio space settling over the weekend.
I'm presenting the threaded stories commission, 'a stitch in time' tonight at a Pecha Kucha in Glencree Peace and Reconciliation Centre at an event organised by Bluedrum.
Documentation of the work will be wrapped up and presented formally by the end of June.

What are you focused on?

2011-05-27T10:39:00.000+01:00

This week has been intense. Deadline week of the Threaded Stories Commission with St. Brigid's Family resource centre in Waterford. Plus hero husband away all week, 3 boys and moi by ourselves.
This morning after a run to get petrol, domestic food shop all before the school run I decided to go for a walk in the woods.
The last time I went walking in Courtown Woods it became a photo walk this morning I needed to move. So I set myself the strict task of no lolly gagging, staring at trees, fallen over forest debris or lush early summer growth. Focused twenty minutes of walking.
As I came to end of that brisk pace squirrels started hoping around the path ahead. Their life's mission is to find nuts. They are very focused on that.
What are you focused on?
It you look around you can find teaching anywhere.
It was lovely to get heart centred in the forest and do some yoga stretching too.

An evening walk in the woods

2011-05-16T10:07:00.000+01:00

Bluebells still in the woods. Roisin Markham 2011

After a chilled family weekend I took the time to go walk in the lower woods in Courtown. I had n't been there for a while. It is an unusual forest as you can hear the sea crash against the shoreline as you walk.
The is lots of new fern growth. After the hard week of cold windy weather a lot burn damage to young fresh growth on trees, lots of badly damaged alder leaves and some kill off. Lovely to see bluebells and ramsons still in the woods. Go quick if you want to catch them they will be gone over by next weekend.
it was after 8pm and was interesting to see the colour spectrum drop. Love the intensity of colour in this shot.

Evening time in Courtown Woods. Roisin Markham 2011

Nature always reclaims man made objects. In the cities and urban landscape you will find plants growing in unseeming places. Reclaiming the building and urban streets their way. I've always had an interest in how plants move. Nature is fascinating.
Is this technically more moss art? Have some good links to moss art on my facebook page.

Nature reclaims all. Roisin Markham 2011

This is an upside down car in the woods that you could easily miss. The dragon over looks it.

Some logos never fade. Roisin Markham 2011

These images are taken as is the only editing I did was reduce them in size.

The smell of a tea rose

2011-05-11T23:14:00.000+01:00

Between meetings and the opening of exhibition at Spiralli in Mallow Co. Cork last Friday I stole an hour for myself on some green grass amongst the ruins of Mallow castle.

Rain swept over and it seemed like it should have been warmer then it was.
What a treasure to have in Mallow town. This ruin is full of interest.

When you drive in there is a little follies that is intriguing. Completely hidden from the main house view because it is so covered in overgrown climbers. The photo does no justice to it.
To the right of the castle ruin at the back I disturbed some rabbits. Fun to watch them dart about.
I decided to walk down to where they had been playing and came across an amazing slab of rock face with this tree growing in it.
Nature is truly an amazing thing.

Although there is a massive private sign I noticed some people driving up to the main house. I asked one of the walkers was it okay to walk there I was assured it was. But I was tentative. I have been informed since that the County Council has since bought the House and castle and it is no longer private.
Just watch out for the goats that seem to be doing a terrific job of keeping the grass short. But do notice the huge horse chestnut trees they sit under magnificent species.

I walked towards the main house which is stunning and impressive. The gardens in their heyday must have been amazing. As I walked through the gate into the front courtyard I was stopped by the most amazing fragrance, a tea rose captivated me. This beautiful white flower.

the only thing stolen was this image

A wonderful white tea rose. I so wanted to steal one for my car but I could n't I felt it wrong to take a rose from this bush. So instead I stood their feeling slightly foolish lingering in the scent, wonderful.
Smell is an amazing thing it pulls us right back to particular moments in time and associations with fragrance.
I love roses.

Happy International Labyrinth Day.

2011-05-07T19:55:00.003+01:00

Process labyrinth.

Why I'm interested in labyrinths?
They are an ancient symbol, a motif of mysticism,
they represent pathways of discovery, destination, reflection.
I love their use in gardens design, heritage and monastic sites.
I love the potential of their use in land art, community art and playful engagement.
They represent journeying.
When you draw or make a labyrinth you work with negative and positive space, the walls and pathways.
When you walk a labyrinth you can use it as a mindful meditative walk.
I found labyrinths to be a powerful symbol to work with in my visual art and land based art projects.

Other posts on Labyrinths you might like to read or discover some of the imagery

July 2010
Labyrinth making... Land art
Labyrinths for your fingers!
September 2010
Labyrinths and process as my creative pathway,
what a relief,
October 2010
Labyrinths and your creative or mediative process,
Labyrinths and other forms of mazes
more tactile labrinth making,
December 2010
A winter solstice snow labyrinth Land art

Snow Labyrinth Land art

Altered book labyrinth. Roisin Markham 2010.

Finding moments

2011-05-03T23:47:00.000+01:00

On the way back from the seminar last week I had to stop and have some time to myself. Have a moment,
So I stopped somewhere I have driven by for 6 years. A small graveyard near Wells.
It was interesting to walk around the the old grave yard and poignant too. Dr Colm O'Connr had spoken about the moments between birth and death and the adversity. Here I was in a grave yard surrounded by tributes to dead people!

I was too tired to draw. Felt it not okay to lie down on the grass and stare at the blue sky. So I sat their and centred myself. Breathing. After a while I picked up the graphite pencil and started to write.

I need to find somewhere
to stop
to rest
St. John's church Kilcannon
the noisy traffic flow finally
stops
the bird song fills the air
melodic robbins and throbbing wood pigeons
as I sit in the sun and stare
I needed a moment...
how should I choose to spend it?
lie on the grass
on a graveyards fallow
I hear the pheasant
the traffic once again
speeding hurrying by
yet here in the graveyard
they are all dead
the daisy, the blue bell & forget-me-nots nod
the dandelion seeds paused
gentle grass sways
in early Spring time warmth
May is not here yet
I sit on the grass
exposed
stopped in my moment
enjoying the sun...
28 April 2011

Daily doodle plus

2011-04-22T11:59:00.001+01:00

Each day as I get into my studio for work I sit at my desk by the window and choose from an array of art materials. These days I've moved back towards a 6B and graphite pencil.
I keep a packet of A5 sturdy paper to draw and doodle on. But I have to come clean about the doodle I'm working on a deck of cards the idea is to have them to use when doing 1:1 sessions.
The first doodle my pencil hesitated, I had the sense of resistance lack of flow - not knowing... I centred myself and allowed myself to express freely what I was sensing.
I had n't intended to share this but after a twitter conversation with Leia Cantor @mscator I thought it might shed some light in the darkness for others. After all that is what the essence of the cards are about.

Daily doodle (i) 22 April 2011. Roisin Markham

I started writing this blog with the intention of sharing the image following. But it seemed that it would make more sense if you knew what preceded it. There was a second page that explored 'what is my art about for me'. If I had four hours to paint in the studio that is where you would find me today. But I don't it's a religious holiday in Ireland today my family is around and I have other things that require my attention.
I have this morning to work... so here it is the darkness

Daily doodle (iii) 22 April 2011

This is an anti version of my experiences in the last couple of weeks and my life in general, so don't be concerned. It is just a sense of feelings and was good to express them. Obviously it was pencil on white paper but as an illustration it is better reversed.
How freely do express yourself? is it an easy thing to do?

Daily doodle

2011-04-21T13:18:00.000+01:00

Daily Doodle, 20 April 2011. Roisin Markham

Doodle? do you? paint, colour, scribble, draw....
I remember being at a Monica Auch workshop some years ago she talked about keeping a weaving diary. Everyday she would go to her studio and weave a line just in the sense of the day. She suggested writers, artists, makers should keep a daily practice of doing their craft like a journal.
For the last while I have started drawing again as a daily practice. Yesterday painting was declared after this was written

journalling is often my in to painting. Roisin Markham

Do you have a daily creative practice?

Sunday, sunday

2011-04-18T10:26:00.000+01:00

Sunday. Roisin Markham

Art classes and Easter events at Ballygarrett Art Studio, Gorey

2011-04-10T09:11:00.001+01:00

Up and coming art classes at the studio near Gorey.

Art NOT chocolate for Easter 2011

2011-04-09T19:31:00.005+01:00

Art NOT chocolate for Easter 2010 Campaign Year 3

Roisin Markham, Ballygarrett Art Studio is continuing the 'Art not Chocolate for Easter!' campaign in 2011. Now in it's third year we suggest the following reasons why everyone should be supporting this campaign:

1. Art has no calories.
2. Art lasts much longer then flowers and out lasts some relationships, it adds something to memories...
3. Original art is affordable. Prices at Ballygarrett Art Studio start at €25 for small original paintings, prints and textiles, Whatever the budget or occasion a piece of art is the solution you will find something to suit and take away.
4. Support and patron me as an artist, purchase a piece of my creative work

5. Patron your local artist

What you can do;

Instead of buying chocolate view and purchase a piece of Roisin Markham’s art work other options include commission work, gift vouchers for art and creativity coaching are also available.

Forward this to all the people you know and ask them to forward it so that this campaign can gain support

If you are an artist steal the idea and start your own campaign

In 2009 I started and shared this campaign with others. 2010 saw me deliver the idea through social media and some galleries and creative craft spaces in Ireland. This year I hope this year to extend it's reach and get other artists and galleries to steal this idea, share it and garner support from their communities.

All I ask is that you share with me how you used the idea and how it went for you. Let me know how it goes at ballygarrettartstudio[at]gmail.com or tweet me @creativedynamix follow and support the campaign progress on Facebook.

Children's art classes, Gorey

2011-04-09T13:15:00.001+01:00

The after school art program in Gorey Educate Together National School drew to a close this week with a small exhibition of the children art. I was really please with how they went and especially with that age group junior and senior infants (ages five - six years). Along with teaching the children art I got to know them a little bit and watch the younger ones emerging creativity several of the senior infants already full own their creativity which is great to see. Typically I was too busy on the last day to take any photo's. But it was commented on that it was great to see all the work up on the walls and displayed for everyone to see. It was also nice to give parents feedback.

I've started to get phone calls and emails about art classes at the studio again. So I've decided that due to demand I will run classes in the studio again.
STARTING NEXT WEEK
Children’s weekly Art Classes
Wednesday 3.30 – 4.30pm
@ Ballygarrett Art Studio.
START: Wednesday 13 April running for 6 weeks.

Growing skills and building on ability in each class.

Classes are €12 per child per class, €60 for a block of six classes paid up front. The classes will run through the Easter holidays.

EASTER ART & CRAFT Exploration sessions @ Ballygarrett Art Studio also more information on Classes & 1:1.

Daily doodle

2011-04-06T17:26:00.000+01:00

I've started to draw as a daily morning practice... thanks to doodling and drawing becoming more important for some of the 1:1 sessions I am working on.

Daily doodle, 5 April 2011. Roisin Markham

Do you draw? do you doodle?

Gems from five and six year old's

2011-04-01T16:51:00.000+01:00

Sometimes I wonder if it would be enough to show up places with some paper, a couple of pencils, glue sticks and glitter. You know do a version of gorilla art but it would be gorilla glitterarty. Adults, children no matter the age they all gravitate towards it. So much so that normally when I produce glitter I set up a glitter station to try and contain it and conserve some of the waste. But I did n't on Thursday in the seventh of eight after schools art class in Gorey Educate Together National School. The children were so into the freedom of using it I did n't want to cramp their style. I only introduced the glitter last week.
The theme this week was decorating their names, how to make typefaces (try explaining what a typeface is to a five year old!) bubble writing was as far as we got. Love showing the two pencils & an elastic band trick plus three ways to draw different size name with a crayon. We explored small tiny lettering and letters to fill A3 pages. The large one I decorated it with patterns plus took the opportunity to cut it out introducing positive and negative shapes to the artists - I just did n't use that terminology with them.

Happy 'H' and decorated names + fairies, artist, aged 5.

How confident these letters are now, artist aged 5.

Fabulous 'F', artist aged 5.

If children in arts education environments rely so much on particular materials what happens when you remove them? or what happens when you offer an interesting array of diverse and different materials?

Curiously uniform in layout, artist aged 6.

Trying it all, artist aged 6.

Some of the class were not seduced by glitter or the variety of art materials on display. But look at the different colour background and the fact that the letters are cut out, fantastic.

So what this is my way, artist aged 5.

Next week is the last class I've promised to put on a little exhibition for the artists and their parents. Should be a nice way to finish off the term.
This week I've had several enquiries about art classes so I'm thinking of running them from the studio again. Easter holidays are coming along I'm considering offering a couple of sessions like Fantastic Choco-tastic. Might be fun to have a dedicated studio day to teaching again. Adults in the morning, children and youths in the afternoons. I've some consultancy work to schedule in and then I'll figure that out. Let me know if you or your children are interested.
Note: I do not publish photographs of children's faces in my classes, workshops or events. This is part of Ballygarrett Art Studio and Creative Dynamix Child Protection Policy which is available on request.

Is it worth a second look?

2011-03-29T10:49:00.001+01:00

Lessons about vision from an early morning walk and metaphors for life
As an artist I have come to accept that although people will copy what I do no one will make work exactly like I do, so I share and know that some of you will value my work and others will value the sharing of information. But at some stage I hope the two converge.
As an artist I continue to make work and strive to find a sustainable business model for my creative practice; increasing my sales of art, securing more commissions, devising projects and events. I hope if you enjoy or value my work you will find away to share that with those in your circle and consider purchasing some art work.

Cahore House Hotel, Wexford. Roisin Markham

This morning on my walk around Cahore Point a pheasant perched on some old tree trunks made me walk towards Cahore House Hotel. To which I normally glance and stroll on. There were a few things that struck me on this soft misty morning that was turning in to drizzle. A farmers gate free standing with no fence around it. The fence long since fallen over in the normally soggy ground that due to several weeks of fine weather I could walk over. What you don't sense in the picture are the rooks chatting, the sound of the sea in the background, the sound of wood pigeons. Yes I did think to take some video but felt it would not evoke exactly that and words would work.
The mist was doing a great job of dampening down all the colours. It was n't quiet dramatic but something else happened as I walked closer and viewed the scene from different angles.
But how does one turn an insipid washed out image into something worth looking at?
How do you respond to what is presented to you?
How do I translate and evoke what appears to hand in such a way to show you it is worth a second look?

Cahore House Hotel, Cahore Point, Wexford. Roisin Markham

I change the parameters in which I interact, interpret and communicate.
What do you do? is this approach useful in your work or life?

nothing is ever wasted

2011-03-23T08:38:00.002Z

a story a day proposal for healthcare art residency c. 2008 Roisin Markham.

Ideas, proposals, projects. They may seem to go away but they hover there in the fog of the mind mix. The time spent thinking, researching, defining ideas writing proposals that get rejected, that get put aside.
None are wasted. You shall see...

Glendalough, a labyrinth on St.Patrick's Day 2011 & forty shades of green

2011-03-18T10:52:00.001Z

Yesterday Ireland's national holiday we headed to Wicklow to an old favourite, Glendalough nestled in the Wicklow mountains an ancient monastic site that today still holds a certain soulful spiritual mystic quality that Ireland does so well.

Glendalough, Wicklow, Ireland. Roisin Markham

I grew up in County Wicklow and have memories of walks in Glendalough as a child. In my twenties I remembering cycling out to it as part of my maracycle training. Now I hanker after Glendalough usually in the Autumn where the trees take on the changing seasons like a coloured cloak. It is nice to visit at any time of the year. Spring has n't quite made it to this part of the garden of Ireland yet. One of my friends commented that it could have been November.
It was great to go for a day into the fresh air, for it not to rain and the sun to make its presence felt. I had n't been to Glendalough for ages, it's a great spot to meet Dublin based friends for a walk, picnic and reconnecting. But I had another reason I also wanted to go to see the labyrinth. Having only recently heard that one had been created there.

Labyrinth at Glendalough, Wicklow. Roisin Markham

I have to admit to being disappointed. It looks more significant in the photo then it was. It felt like a very unfinished piece of land art. I think I will return to have a closer look when the park is less busy and see if I can find out more about who is making it, why and is it finished...

Reefert Church, Glendalough, Wicklow. Roisin Markham

This is a selection of photographs I took around Reefert's Church it sits slightly elevated before the upper lake almost hidden in the trees. I think it dates from the 11th century. The green on the grass was a tufty fluffy green moss.
Which reminded me of some photographs I took of moss in the Dublin mountains circa 2004

Moss. Roisin Markham

and some subsequent design for print I worked on around these colours.
As you can see there is something interesting going on her for my psyche I am back to the green...
I'm sitting here laughing. I did n't consciously wear green yesterday. None of us had little tuffs of shamrock attached to our jackets.

Design available as a print. Roisin Markham

Wednesday evening I started thinking "well what does it mean to be Irish" and here is my blog post digressing into forty shades of green. Well that's okay too. I do have work available that is green and fabulous in the studio.

Alchemy, Of earth and soul. Roisin Markham
Acrylic on paper, 71 x 50cm. €900 framed.

Inland ii, 2005 – 2010. Roisin Markham
Acrylic on watercolour board,78 x 58cm. €1,100

Inland ii is part of a series painted around motherhood, fertility, more particularly the postpartum space where you know or decided not to have any more children. That sense of nurturing, acceptance, loss, gratitude that I felt for experiencing the mothering space physically within myself and within my life. This particular piece goes beyond that and asks questions around space we create to nurture ourselves, others.
It is currently on it's way to auction 50% of the proceeds will go to One in Four a charity I support. If I sell it I will donate 50% of the proceeds to this charity.
Contact me if you see something you like. Framed work can be shipped unframed, negotiated prices will include shipping. Purchasing plans can be agreed and I do have paypal. You can also call me on +353.86.1546163.

working with people, 1:1 sessions

2011-03-02T19:27:00.002Z

I've always enjoyed working with others and watching them take courageous steps towards reaching their own goals. My community arts practice revolves around creativity for boosting morale and self esteem, actually a lot of what I do in CreativeDynamix could be linked to that theme with a health side order of empowerment.

Recently I've had a steady stream of people coming to me for one to one sessions. You might have seen me refer to them as ...illuminating personal pathways. I love them! Yes people & the work. It functions at what ever level you need it to.

I often make work or doodle when people are in session we've been finding it usually adds a layer of meaning. This was a doodle I did for a client recently during a phone session as we were talking...

as we were talking
doodle from 1:1 phone session, Roisin Markham

The 1:1 illuminating personal pathway sessions combine active listening, grounding, running energy to clear and connect, intuitive response, creative making & sharing using art materials to translate and make tangible like prototyping. Sometimes sessions have been walk & talk, involved spontaneous dancing, laughing sometimes tears as things get realised and released and sometimes there is homework!

After school art program: primary colours

2011-02-28T19:36:00.001Z

The second of eight classes for Gorey Educate Together After Schools Art Program looks at how to mix colours. Children between the ages of five and six years don't want a formal approach they want something to prompt learning and curiosity. A colour wheel would just be the wrong approach.
Starting the class with a scribble session with two different coloured crayons and letting the children loosen up with a good scribble also introduced the idea of when colours layer over each other they change.
For the main part of the lesson I wanted them to explore primary colours, red, blue, yellow and how mixing them produced secondary colours, green, orange and purple.
So the three main colour were put out into clear plastic drinking cups and a brush placed in it. The children naturally gravitated towards their own age groups and shared paints. I cut white cartridge paper into A6 size (A4 cut evenly into four). Each of the children were given three sheets of A6 and one sheet of A3 white paper.
The instructions were take one small sheet and paint it completely with the first primary colour , then print the small sheet on to the big sheet. Take another small sheet and paint the next primary colour and the third primary colour until the children had painted three sheets and printed the three primary colours in layers.
An A3 sheet was used as both backing paper to paint on the left side and printing paper to print on the right side.
There are some very good examples I'll get some more photos of them. Of course being in the thick of the excitement I was focused on the children rather then documenting the work.

Love the texture on this painted, printed A6 sheet, artist 6 years.

It was great to see them explore colours through print making. The printing also hight lighted great textures.
I love that when you give children an idea or a task and once they grasp it if there is space for them they will take the idea and make it their own.
When I work with children I try to ensure that space is there for them to flourish, experiment, play, engage, test, watch others, learn, introduce the learning, test it further, admire the results.I think we all deserve space like that.
This proved to be an excellent way to get young children to explore mixing colours and I thought it useful to share. The first half of the lesson they learned the process and really looked at what they were doing, observing asking questions and exploring. Instead of the colours all ending up a mucky brown mix which can happen very quickly with this age group when mixing colours the layers kept vibrant and introduced variations of shades both on the prints and the printing page.
Look at these amazing rainbows painted first then the print taken off.

What do you see?

2011-02-18T17:59:00.000Z

I have been walking in the forest at Courtown Woods, Wexford on and off for the last two weeks partly for exercise and partly to be in nature. Holly and ivy abound. But this tree above is in a most interesting clearing. On the day it was taken the sea was howling. What can you see?

Holly, seeking traditions & associations

2011-02-09T11:30:00.000Z

Holly, Roisin Markham

I'm doing some research on Holly, otherwise know as Ilex aquifolium or in Irish An Cuileann. I have researched some of its uses and varieties and associated history. But I was wondering did you have any tales or folklore around holly? Would you like to share them?

Great post on http://www.gardenplansireland.com which I will quote
Our native holly plant has a strong association with Christmas on this isle, one which can be traced back as far as the time of the Celtic druids. These “wise men” regarded holly as the king of winter, its over-wintering evergreen leaves and bright red berries reaching the height of their glory on the winter solstice (December 21st).

After that time the druids other revered plant, the oak tree would displace the holly, then rise in power as its leafy coat became renewed by the oncoming spring.
You can click here to read more information on there site.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holly

Finding a bridge

2011-02-05T11:21:00.001Z

Bridge, Marlay Park Series 2007, Roisin Markham

I am posting this here as a point of departure and arrival. When we find ourselves stuck there is always a signpost even within the quagmire of being stuck.

The above image started as one of my photographs as part of the 'Footprints in my heart' exhibition. It was altered in Photoshop to give it a print process feel. My modern approach to screen printing or photo-plate etching with out the equipment, inking up process, toxic smells, registration frustrations and cleaning up. However if I had access to that equipment and process I reckon I would be making prints. I love prints and the print making process. But my studio space, computer skills and limited time in the studio produced this.

Writing about it now I see it opened the doorway to using the computer to edit what I wanted to express. Much in the same way the digital photography process removes the chemical processing and hands on printing it is my response to control over the images. The sophistication of technology means that I can take images and manipulate them further to give variations of creative expression. But is it processing and manipulation for the sake of it?
Photography has been made more accessible, democratised if you will. But as a photographer what does that mean for me if it is a basic form of visual communication. Is that why my response has been to process my images further? No, but it is a good question.
My response to process my images further is to add layers of meaning with out adding explanation. Post editing my work means I express further the context of the image for exhibition. In which it sits as a chapter of a story being told. An evolving example of this is my Legacy project.
But what of the images I take on a regular basis? Some of them would make fantastic prints in there own right. But can't everyone take great images to print and make their own for their walls? Should I be doing more with my photography?
What do you think?

Making work with intent

2011-02-01T20:03:00.000Z

The love vibration. Roisin Markham, Hand rolled felt scarf. 2010.

Recently I have started making work for others with paying particular vibrational intention in the creation, making and packaging of felt. So as valentines day approaches if you would like something special for the loved one or organise a gift from someone special in your life. Call me lets discuss your budget and see what I can make for you.

Do you mind map?

2011-01-22T09:14:00.001Z

Mind mapping is a fantastic technique I use when I want to get all my ideas out, vision forward and clear my brain so new ideas can come in. I am often fascinated that people are not aware of mind maps. It can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it, same goes for the teaching of it.
I'm a fan of paper rather then software when it comes to Mind mapping as will be demonstrated by the contrasting images below.

Roisin Markham, Mind map 2010

Roisin Markham, Mind Map Bursary Application

Do you know the technique? What do you use mind maps for?

Snow labyrinth

2011-01-14T18:04:00.000Z

As promised here are some more photos of the snow labyrinth I created on the winter solstice during the phenomenal snow in December 2010.

I'm on the look out for opportunities to make a permanent land based piece in Ireland. In a private garden, OPW site, with plants, gravel, flags, etc. Also quite like the idea of some temporary ones made with very alternative art materials.

Snow Labyrinth, Wexford 2010

Snow Labyrinth, December 2010

Snow Labyrinth at dusk

Original blog on my winter solstice snow labyrinth land art, mediative practice, the large sand labyrinth on Old Bawn Beach Cahore Co. Wexford, simplicity in a beach sand walking labyrinth, finger labyrinth 2D, idea for making a finger labyrinth.

Film like dreams

2011-01-13T19:27:00.000Z

Last night I had a dream which began like a film with me watching myself standing in a river facing up stream, the sense was as if resting after struggling up stream. I watched myself standing there and as I thought a bit. I was myself and I turned downstream.The energy of the river was much more intense but less consuming as I was 'going with the flow', then a boat appeared, I watched myself get in and floated off...

Life is full of textures

2011-01-12T01:55:00.000Z

A winter solstice snow labyrinth

2010-12-21T17:18:00.000Z

During the last snow Deirdre ní Dhubhghaill @2DGraphicDesign asked me was I going to make a snow labyrinth. It just did n't seem like something I wanted to do.
We have had 28cm - 44cm of snow depending on where you stand in the garden since 7.45am GMT. Before the sunset I was out with my youngest too trampling around the garden. The snow is powdery and fine. After the children went in I pottered around. At the front right of the house there is a space which was un touch and it seemed perfect to walk a winter solstice labyrinth and I did.

Solstice Snow Labyrinth Wexford 2010

My digital camera has finally died so I'm back to the camera phone so photos are not great but it will give you an idea of what it looks like.

There is more snow forecasted. Tomorrow I will build the walls higher and place little tea light candles along the path.

Although it would be lovely to go out and walk it later lighting it with candles. Saying good bye to the dark days and linking this year with next year on the 21st December 2010...
I will be posting more pictures on Facebook later so keep an eye there.

Why the 13th of December is an important date for me

2010-12-13T14:07:00.000Z

I was about to post a link on to Facebook about why today holds significance for me but felt it deserved a blog post. More personal then normal, then again my artwork is personal...
Today is my maternal grandmothers birthday, she died the summer before last . My Grannie Egan would have been 94 today, I miss her energy on the earth.
As an artist I paint those feeling or find ways to express, treasure and hold memories for myself and others. It gives meaning to experiences and helps me process my world. Others find solace in that also either through my work or through the work I do with them.
My grandmother grew very frail as she moved into her nineties, she became lighter on the earth and I knew her energy was lifting from it. I could not keep her here and she did not want to stay.

I painted this little piece to represent the fact that I knew she would be missing from the earth soon. I blocked out two 'doorways' with masking tape, wrote in the background and painted my hearts piece.
After the painting was dry I lifted the masking tape off revealing two white unpainted paces.
The second door was painted for my father who was very sick at the time but thankfully has now recovered.
I've used the image of the painting twice;
1. as an illustration for a blog post on Finding success through failure over on my business blog CreativeDynamix. Where I combined reversed text over the painting.
2. using the illustration I combined it with a map of Venice, text and typography printed it on to cotton and beaded it as part of my Of earth and soul exhibition at the Wexford Fringe 2010. Where it got a lot of attention and was sold. The text that was used with the typography to make a visually playful emphasis was a quote
"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."

Leo Buscaglia

...and you see thats is what happens. Life goes on - work and thoughts, pictures, images, crockery and wool merge and mold beyond grief and loss in to images and remembrance and holding the essence of those memories.
Today I remember my Grandmother with fondness.
I continue to hold her memories and treasure them and craft images to tell her story, our story. I weave the contents of our story in and out of my ideas around the Legacy Series that slowly takes shape into a future exhibition. Even now she inspires me to live my life to express myself and I find touchstones which inspire me in the everyday things that have found there way into my home and my studio since she died. They are not heirlooms or priceless things of great inheritance but fragments of a life lived, of a woman called Olive Egan she lives on in the memory of those who loved her.

My studio like my memory holds fragments of my grandmother; bags of wool, orange knitting pins boxes for knitting needles, knitting patterns and crochet instructions, bought or kept from magazines. The oldest one from 1940 others from 1950's right through to the mid 1980's.

Womans Weekly January 1954

I've been spending some time stripping out my studio and this morning I stopped to look through a large black refuse sack full of wool and patterns. It seemed apt.

#GGPP and Labyrinths connect

2010-12-10T08:41:00.000Z

If you've been following me on social media or reading my blogs you will know that Julie Ann Turner and I have a Global Gratitude Postcard Project #GGPP over on http://consciousshift.posterous.com/ and out there in the real world. People have been making postcards with intent and sending them in love and gratitude.
Julie Ann is an amazing woman and you can read more about her creative arc's and how she works on her website http://www.creatorsguide.com/. She also has a weekly radio program where she did interview me for the #GGPP project and yes if you have n't listened to the audio it gives you a good insight into the intentions behind the project and how Julie Ann and I got connected via Twitter. The itunes listing for ConciousShift Radio can be found here and there are fanstastic interviews that I have really enjoyed listening to.
My great discovery yesterday - and thank you Julie Ann - was SARK, Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy. Listen to the interview it is wonderful. I went to SARKs site and was really enjoying having a look around. SARK has just published an new book and she is standing in the middle of a fabulous labyrinth right beside the sea, go look http://www.sarkjournal.com/.
So I asked her where it was and Julie Ann, Lands End in San Francisco I found out. Yeah.
For gorgeous photos look here at this photographers website.

I have a brother in SF a visit has been on the cards for a few years.

Would n't one of these look great on Cahore Point...

So you see work is all connected in the end #GGPP connects to my obsessive labyrinth behavior and land art projects this year. I look forward to making more labyrinths in 2011. I'd like to make them with groups and some as permanent structures too.
Do you know of other labyrinths around the world I could visit? or where would be a good spot to build one.
July, August and October I blogged about labyrinths if your new to my blog do go and have a look. Or start with this beach labyrinth project which also has links to further information and local places to find labyrinths.

#twitterartexhibit Moss Library, Norway

2010-12-07T07:55:00.001Z

I think it all started with a tweet that I saw from David Sandum. 140 characters and that was it. Around the 21st of October you can read all about it here http://davidsandumart.posterous.com/call-for-artists-twitter-art-exhibit-in-moss.
For my part I had chatted via twitter with David once or twice, I liked his work and what i knew of him i liked and respected. So if he was going to organise a fundraiser to raise money for a local library in Norway by inviting artist all over the twitter-sphere to join in, well it would have been rude not to.
Postcards size was what he wanted and I do love postcards.
I was in but getting down to the brass tax of making the miniature work was more challenging. What to send? What to make that represented how I work and supported what David was trying to do.

I had just finished my successful Of earth and soul, exhibition and workshop sessions at the Wexford Fringe. I was on the creative curve that requires rest and re-cumulation of creative energy before another up cycle. So I was tired and trying to work less, walk more and play a little.
Eventually I started with a montage a map, an old girls magazine and a letter. I like the idea of the text "I told you I could do it!" as a central focus.
Montages are funny things sometimes they just need a muted layer of tracing paper and some script over them and they are perfect but this demanded that I painted with intent and send a representational piece of my style of work. So painting began and after that some stitching. The roads were re-highlighted to continue on and add definition with some beads.

My seven year old had great fun doodling on the news paper as I was stitching. If you look at the Of earth and soul exhibition you will find the painting Trust has a link to this piece.
The work was sent off to David in Norway as soon as it was dry. He noted that it arrived on November 7th.

Now it sits on a wall in a Norwegian Library. My postcard is easily spotted second from the top technology is amazing.

This is an image shared from the Moss Library Flickr images of the exhibit.

On twitter the chat continues about the exhibit @DavidSandumArt: The coolest thing about #twitterartexhibit are the computers next to wall. People go online/twitter and look up their favorite artists.

So congratulations to David for doing such a great job and being so inspiring.

Twenty countries X 260 artists joined through twitter to raise funds for children's books in Moss, Norway. I love this story of the power of twitter, social media, one mans idea and the courage of his convictions to just 'Do it'. I love it has raised his profile as an artist, activist, solver, fund raiser and man about art. I love that Moss Library will have a fund for children's books. I love the fact that 260 artists participated with a postcard. All he asked was would we join in and we responded.

Well Done David!

Walking labyrinth

2010-11-08T20:36:00.000Z

I went to the local beach today to see what damage had been done by the storm. The tide was out so far and had obviously come in very far last night. The beach looked like it had a good clean.
This week I've planned a land labyrinth at a local forest but might prove tricky with the weather and other commitments. Think leaves and mucky decay.
But today I needed a walk on the beach could n't resist walking a labyrinth path.

I did not bring my camera as I wanted the exercise not a photowalk! so the photos are n't great as they are taken with the mobile.

What the sea washed up

Where the horses turned I turned there too and headed back...

more tactile labyrinth making

2010-10-22T11:50:00.010+01:00

You can only teach by creating an urge to learn.

Victor Weisskopf

Knowing that the participants left the workshop yesterday curious to work more with labyrinths and willing themselves to find out more reassures me that the workshop worked!

Linking up some strands in finger labyrinths and the tactile work inspired by the buttons and painting being too flat I commissioned a local crafter to make the tactile finger labyrinth out of wood this flow of work continues into making a finger labyrinth which I started at the workshop yesterday. It is also an an altered book project.

I wanted to make a finger labyrinth and came up with a plan.

A few weeks ago I went hunting for a large second hand childrens board book, I knew roughly the size I wanted but I had some difficulty locating it. But found this at the Gorey indoor market second hand book stall (which by the way is a real treasure trove). It is roughly 29.5cm squared. it has a nice bumpy top and right hand border. Perfect but did n't really want to pay €4 for something I was going to cut up. So I did and it has been sitting patiently waiting in my studio to be transformed.
Yesterday during the labyrinth workshop I drew and cut out the shape - wall and path of a finger labyrinth - within the book.

Beginning altered book finger labyrinth. Roisin Markham

I am debating should I put velvet or sandpaper or some contrasting texture for the cut out wall?

My original idea was to glue the stencil of the labyrinth to the back page and paint it white. But as I continue to work on it the ideas evolve I love that. I shall be exploring, questioning, asking, sharing and looking for your opinions.

What do you think of it with tinfoil in the background? I like the idea of it as a template or a stencil. Where children can trace the shape on to paper with crayons. originally I was thinking of something more sophisticated and grown up but I kinda like this too. It is playful. I might introduce two pages one on either side for different textures.

The path is to be placed on another page

Wall cutout and path relief. Altered book project. Roisin Markham

The plan is to work on this project in the exhibition space 'of earth and soul' on the third floor at 96 South Wexford Main Street over the weekend. I look forward to your input and having playful fun with this one.

Labyrinths and other forms of mazes

2010-10-21T17:23:00.000+01:00

Thinking about my blog post yesterday and Rose Hughes comment about

"I also find it intriguing how a motif may capture us in our youth and continue to move and grow within ourselves throughout our lives"

I thought about all the other avenues and interests that I know now link into this area of interest: landscape mazes, potagers, parterres, garden design and the places I had to visit like Chateau de Villandry in the Loire Valley, the beech maze at Russborough House, the labyrinth below the fountain in the centre of Vigeland Sculpture Park in Oslo. The corn maze that I loved just outside Dublin in the 90's.
I feel like I have finally given myself permission to full engage with this motif. What was it Dorothea Lange said

Pick a theme and work it to exhaustion... the subject must be something you truly love or truly hate.

Here are some pictures of the completed labyrinth made during the workshop this morning. It now awaits interaction in the exhibition space at 96 South Main Street in Wexford. Come and explore.

Labyrinth in situ 'of earth and soul' expo 2010

I also started working on easy make finger labyrinth that I will blog about tomorrow. I'll take more shots of the detail of the Labyrinth at the weekend. Be interesting to see how people respond to it.

Labyrinths and your creative or mediative process

2010-10-20T14:17:00.002+01:00

Tomorrow I am looking forward to sharing some of my work on labyrinths at the workshop.
The shape has been dominating my work and its presence can be seen in my current exhibition online preview here.
At the opening of the exhibition a friend commented on the fact that as a teenager I was always drawing mazes and this is indeed true. I love that our connection and her knowledge of my creative work can see the link to the labyrinth and how far back it goes in my creative consciousness.

maze doodle circa 1985
Roisin Markham

As a teenager I was fascinated with Celtic knot work in both manuscripts and metal relief work reflected in such Irish treasures like the Book of Kells and Ardagh Chalice. Perhaps this is where my love of typography came from too.
After learning how to do celtic knot work I developed my own take on it for my portfolio for art college. It too evolved and became my doodle that I did idly everyday everywhere. A maze doodle that is linked to this labyrinth work even now.
Amazingly I did come across some examples of the doodle after being handed a crusty biscuit tin of old letters and photos. I love that I can share this with you so that you can see how old my link is to this topic.
For the workshop tomorrow I plan on teaching people how to draw labyrinths, and explore the idea of what it holds. I'll speak a little on what this work has brought me to insights into process, discovery and reflection on my journey living creatively every day.
Have you got an image or motif that you use, collect or it catches your curiosity?

Tactile art for 'earth and soul'

2010-10-13T21:56:00.002+01:00

You know at exhibitions there are often signs saying "Don't touch" I've long haboured a passion to make work that has a sign that says TOUCH, PLAY, Discover... an exhibition about full on engagement and tactile discovery for the sense of touch. I think that is why I originally learnt how to make felt I envisage large wall hangings of interactive art.
My exhibtion 'of earth and soul' is exactly where I am right now. But work has been evolving I'm exploring 3D. It has started with paper, photography and has moved as far as film but not quiet into 3D...
Although I have been saving a sheeps fleece to work on at the exhibition and make a felt tactile labyrinth to explore with hands.

Labyrinth path freehand drawing

For this exhibition I asked a local crafter John Kenny (you'll find him at the Coolgreaney farmers market the first Saturday of every month) who works in wood to explore and collaborate on making my designs.
I gave john the drawing and some photograph's along with a glass marble. The idea was that the blue line was to allow a third depth of a finger into the smoothness of the wood. A small glass marble to be able to roll around.
I am delighted with what John created, a carved shallow groove into sycamore wood. The piece is 31.5 x 28.5 x 2.5 cm and will be offered for play at my exhibition but will it be offered for sale? there is a question.

Finger Labyrinth

What is painting for you ?

2010-10-11T07:53:00.001+01:00

http://twitter.com/CreativeDynamix

Twitter is an amazing communication tool - it engages people in a complex web of communication activities interlocking relationship, building diverse communication structures, tribes and all in the simplest and most effective way of 140 characters.
Anyway on Friday last I started tweeting about the preview of my exhibition, its over on the CreativeDynamix blog.
What ya mean you have n't seen it yet?
GO straight away and look here, I'll wait till you come back...
Okay what did you think? Which one do you like most? Did you leave a comment, I'd love you to leave a comment... Do you comment on peoples blogs?
@RevezNexus retweeted my preview tweet and I asked him had he had a look this was the reply
@RevezNexus yep ...& quite like the paintings ..;-)
I thanked him for the the feedback and wished him a good weekend to which he responded
@CreativeDynamix you too creative soul..: what is painting for you?
Now that is a great question. I found myself returning to it all weekend...

PAINTING FOR ME IS

A pure form of self expression
a starting point for a conversation with you and others
When I start painting I just paint
I tell stories with colour and brush stroke
Often when I paint I go to a place between the earth and somewhere else, it is like a mediation - a big soul connection for me; I don't always end up in that place but when work is going well I lift a brush or open a tube of paint and I am there
I process things when I paint
I write and journal as a lead in to my painting so it is very much a layered process
Dynamic energetic
an important part of my positive mental health (my husband will tell you I'm a complete pain if I'm not painting I get full of angst and tetchy)
my way of making sense of my world

Where do you funnel your creative energy into? What is that choice for you?

Trusting that you do know

2010-10-03T12:03:00.000+01:00

I paint. I journal on the paper or canvas first. Then I paint. I seldom start with an idea of the outcome in my head. This takes courage. This takes detachment. As the painting evolves sometimes quickly I follow an inner sense of knowing and go with what seems to be right. Visually I know when something is right or not. Colour is critical in my abstract paintings, forms present themselves and are typically flowing.
Yesterday morning I finished a painting that I started years ago I'm trying to remember how long ago it was four or five years. I know this because it links to a series of paintings I made titled 'Inland' and one sold at a show I curated for Microsoft Ireland in July 2005. The painting reached a point I liked but was incomplete, it has lived on and off an easel in my studio. I always knew it had potential there was something about the simplicity of the washed background and the depth of the dark green shape. The blue used to go straight and directly to the center it was never right. A few years ago I was determined to finish it, it watch over my studio from my easel for months surveying what I did there. Gently mocking me for not being able to finish it. Until yesterday I never knew how to complete this painting.

inland ii, 2005 - 2010
78 x 55 cm on 360gm watercolour paper.

I had two paintings to finish last week for my up and coming exhibition 'of earth and soul'. I worked on other things for fear that in the process of painting them I would ruin them. Of course that's happened before. I knew I had to quieten myself so I could follow my authentic voice that brings me into my creative flow. Not always easy to get into or stay when so many things require your attention like running a business or being a Mum you run on others time tables. I'm not complaining its just something I constantly work with as part of my reality when making creative work.
I hardly ever paint with white, its just not something that comes up this is buttery creamy white complimenting an almost light green gray.
I'm looking forward to taking this work to the framers Monday morning. Some of today has been spent compiling all the information documenting, measuring, naming and getting ready to push this work out in to the world. Presenting it for sale, for viewing my piece is almost done.
The second painting is green and proving impossible to photograph! it's perplexing.

Pulling work together

2010-09-28T13:48:00.000+01:00

At the weekend I finalised three textiles that had been awaiting stitching and beading. I'm pleased with how they turned out. I dropped them to the framer yesterday.

what a relief

2010-09-24T01:08:00.005+01:00

Failed freeing the labyrinth from the paper

I'm loving the comments from my twitter tribe on last Sundays blog post Labyrinths and my creative process it contains my video about 'when painting is too flat'. On Thursday I queried its increasing popularity and wondered was it down to the fact it was a video. What do you think?
What I love about finding and rediscovering ways to express, document and explore my creativity is that I'm finally moving my work on, talking, communicating and engaging myself and you in the process. So thanks for reading, listening, watching and responding - lets have more of that.

On Monday as I still could not fill my paint brushes with paint. It was hard to stay with the not knowing. Normally dedicated studio time is over brimming it is unusually for me not to know what is next. A sign of growth perhaps. Standing in that not knowing was challenging - deadline looming etc. But I knew a shift was occurring.
I started my weeks work by folding a painting to make it stand by itself. This developed into montage and collage work. Taking a failed attempt of altering a book (above) to develop the labyrinth relief and freeing it from one sheet of paper.
The raised image in the bottom left corner printed onto tissue paper very nicely so I thought making a stamp seemed like the next step. I sat cutting out the labyrinth... The two shapes the same but different half way through I thought am I cutting out the wall or the path? and I stopped and started taking photos again.

Then the relief moved from a mobile to a sculptural device that I wanted to make stand it took me a while before I found something I was happy. I wanted the semi cut labyrinth to stand tall. I tried various things and settled on a piece of blue tack and or 'glue tack' as my youngest calls it. Deciding it was not important if the a clay modeling tool was seen. With that the object became a whirly gig. I was reminded of fair grounds and twirling skirts of my youth.

The background for the whirly gig and the images of the folded painting at the beginning of this post became a finished piece of work Thursday evening but not before a transfer of this was added. A photograph of an Allium I had given a graphic treatment to. It is one of my favourite Cristophii.
Yes this morning I had a Eureka moment and the painting flowed after more on soon

Art & Soul

2010-09-22T12:39:00.000+01:00

Of art and soul. I'm trying to remain focused on finishing work to take to the framers later in the week. i'm also trying not to hold on to tight to the outcomes of the work and allow them to flow.
But it is proving a challenge and I'm being rather too good at finding distractions. I think it stems from the fact I have two paintings I am worried I shall ruin but they are unfinished to my eye. Therefore brush and paint and water shall apply.
Details of my up and coming exhibition
'of earth and soul'
2010 Fringe Wexford Festival Opera
16 October - 31st October 2010.
’of earth and soul’ an exhibition of textiles and paintings by Wexford based artist Roisin Markham (me) with participative workshops and social interludes.

Venue: Bride Street Gallery
(Colman Doyles Shop is converting to a gallery space during the Fringe)Dates & Opening Times:
Monday – Saturday 9.30am – 6.00pm;
Sunday & Bank holiday 2 – 5.30pm

Thursday 14 October 9.30 – 11.30am: Innovation for success. Women in Business Network Event Co-hosted with Wexford County Enterprise Board. Booking with Wexford County Enterprise Board, more information to follow and booking will be here shortly.

Tuesday 19 October 3 – 5pm: Social media mashup for businesses @Wexford Fringe; Blog, twitter, facebook, linkedin and any other social media platform realtime meet up. This is a Free event but you need to book your placehere or on CreativeDynamix Facebook page in the event section.

Thursday 21 October 10.00am – 12.30pm Labyrinth Workshop. Creativity with a purposeful pathway: draw, trace, make and share labyrinth making in a collaborative workshop. €35 all materials included.

Brown bag lunch workshops start at 1.10 and are 40 minutes of active learning, participation and fun during your lunchtime. €10 a session. Bring your lunch and come along to any of the sessions or all three.

Tuesday 26 October Solution generation, creative problem solving for your lunchtime’

Wednesday 27 October Mind mapping learn and road test a creative thinking technique.

Friday 29 October Introduction to creative visualisationrelaxation and guided visualisation plus access to art materials

Event booking with CreativeDynamix call Roisin on 086.1546163 or find us on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/CreativeDynamix.

it is not totally what I want to create in this moment

2010-09-21T14:11:00.000+01:00

Deciding what to do next with a looming deadline for the framers should be clear and straight forward but it's not.
Painting, collage, text and photography are starting to collide. There has always been a meeting point for different elements of my work in my brain but I have never found a happy conclusion to my experiments on paper. If I keep it all on the computer yes I've had successful outcomes like in the legacy series or in the 'Footprint in my heart' exhibition. But I want to push it further I'm not fully content with leaving it all on the computer and getting a digital print it is not totally what I want to create in this moment.
Solving my own transference of images, photography, text... making printing stamps, layering images before and after I paint them. Giving myself enough time to complete the experiments and the process of my work is critical for visually excellent work. I am my own biggest critic. It does not make it past my studio desk unless I am satisfied with it and oh boy! you should see that criteria.
The transfer medium that arrived in the studio yesterday is not quiet what I had in mind. When you follow the instructions you are left with a plastic see through image. If you paint the medium on the image and place it immediately on a painting, burnish it before it drys you are left with white paper residue.

Labyrinths and process as my creative pathway

2010-09-19T21:20:00.000+01:00

The labyrinth dictates its own pace. It domineers my doodles and insists it is featured center and left of work. Since creating the labyrinth on the beach during the summer I am fascinated how it emerges into my work. The Labyrinth for your finger tips followed, I love those images like sketches for bigger work.

Then I got back to my paintings and they became constructions in paper.

Painting was not enough. The shapes demand to be lifted of the paper. They want to stand proud of the surface.

This series of images best describes, records and informs me and my creative practice for future work.

When painting is too flat... from Roisin Markham on Vimeo.

This manipulation is requesting wood. "Make me in wood" it demands aloud.
Bowed in a curvaceous form that allows the labyrinth to be freed from the flat. Freeing the curves to be visually challenging and technically questionable.

Concept for a painting

2010-08-24T09:33:00.000+01:00

During yesterdays studio session I took an A4 sheet of card marked and cut it to start working on a concept for a painting. As I mentioned in yesterdays blog the protrusions are to be painted.

Concept for a painting from Roisin Markham on Vimeo.

I've pasted the process piece on my studio window the sun streams through it this morning. The shadow play with the cut outs are impressive. I like the clean simplicity of the shapes and protrusions. However it is right while I think that this is visually interesting it is not everything I had in mind. My brain needs time to process the initial idea with my first response and bring the two more in line. Perhaps they won't get inline, ah yes the creative process and my designer brain, I look forward to see where this idea goes and how it evolves.
Studio time will be precious for the rest of the week, perhaps Thursday.
The blackbird singing on the recording is also from a morning sometime ago.

Work in progress to concept process

2010-08-23T20:16:00.000+01:00

This painting has been on and off my easel since May. In June I posted that it was nearly finished and finally I think it is. I found it difficult to settle back into painting it on Friday morning last but want to get it to the framer for an up and coming exhibition (more information on that soon).

I used to spend four to six hours painting a picture in one sitting - I don't now. Paintings are started and stopped at different stages, leaving them to process a bit, coming back to the paintings and sometime not.

This painting feels significant and has a similar quality to Evoke although as you will see it has evolved somewhat.

I battled with it not painting very much but trying to see where the blues should be, where they flowed. At some stage I felt like I was going around in circles and the blues were muddled with out a good balance. I'll post a better photo of it when my camera is back in action later this week. I'm happy with it now the blues swirl and sing. To my eye the painting is balanced. I will let it dry varnish it and then have another look at it. The perfectionist in me gasps when I say "I am happy with it", my genius tells it to get over it's self!

Oh I love when those two pieces of my personality sidestep each other and I can get on.

Last week I made several pieces of felt some for gifts others just to try out ideas that had been floating around. Perhaps because of that process of making things and moving through ideas others have started to come to the fore.

This was a process piece I painted to warm up this morning before I started painting on the larger piece above. For some reason I quite like to cut these process paintings up and weave them. It looks quiet effective here.

But this is not the finished piece; I like the idea that this bows of a background. So I am going to explore affixing this woven piece to a background and possibly painting it again. I have used this woven technique before but more for processing rather then for making finished work. I did n't think it was related to the next piece but as I go to write about it I see they are linked.

The images that follow next are a concept in transition for a painting. This idea came into my brain someday last week but it's not right yet...

Again it is something to do with the protrusions being painted and sticking out - but they need to be coated in paint. This is linked in some visual way to 'Life' a very textured piece of felt made in 2007 for the 'Footprints in my heart...' exhibition. The center area was knitted and then felted into the background. Leaving the top fluffy and standing proud of the background.

This is why I love photography, the ability to photograph something from different angles and make it look different, unique, etc. I have made a little movie but am having difficulty uploading it to Vimeo and hence attaching it to my blog. I've been getting re-connected to all those great skills of movie making I learnt in college. It is over the time to go out and play with my kids so the other images will have to wait until tomorrow except this one.

Happy Felting with Camphill Ballymoney Project

2010-08-16T17:50:00.000+01:00

Felt making seems to be where it is at right now for the last two weeks I seem to be teaching, demonstrating and selling hand rolled felt, which is all good. I spent some of last week working with Camphill Ballymoney community teaching them to make felt.

I've discovered that an early win in felt making keeps interest and with mixed abilities and age groups that is important.

Monday morning we started off by making felt ropes, bracelets and balls. After making a soapy solution from soap flake and setting out bowls of hot and cold water. I started the group off by getting the group acquainted with fleece, felting terms and what we would be doing. We started with getting the amount of fleece right establishing wrist lengths by wrapping the fleece around each of our wrists. Shaping the circle getting the connection of fibers right for a continuous circle. Soaping the fleece and squashing it in a circular rotation. Then moving to rolling it one hand through the circle the other on the outside and moving in backwards and forwards rolling the soapy fleece into felt all the way round the bracelet. Nice solid circles of felt were formed a into circular shapes that after they were rinsed and dried could be decorated with needle felting, beads or stitch work. The idea for some of the ropes was to cut them into small pieces and use alternating with beads to make a necklace.

We spent some time discussing how felt making can be altered and adapted to people with special needs. I think that it is a wonderful tactile craft that can be adapted the challenge is to understand how the individual with special needs comes to the craft and how their abilities can be brought forward so they get the most out of the experience. Felt making can be described in four elements the design and layout of the work, the fleece or materials used, the felting process and the finished item. It is our interaction with the fiber; friction that cases felting. Soap is used to aid the process along with hot and cold water, tumble dyers, microwaves and in some cases sanders!

When working with autistic children earlier this summer I realised that a coarser shorter fiber fleece then merino can make a good rolled bracelet with out using soap. Good for situations when you don't have access to water or participants might have tactile sensitivities.

On Tuesday I wanted the group to learn how to make a piece of flat hand rolled felt. So we started with a traditional approach to layout and playing with surface design.

Everyone was amazed at the fact that after soaping the fleece and pressing down ones hands the felting process is evident. They were not so impressed by the amount of rolling involved. The whole group produced very individual pieces.

We were felting outside in warm sunshine and we had to constantly make sure the fleece was not drying out. A wonderful complaint to have in Ireland!

On Wednesday I challenged the group to make light cobweb felt. Another group of five mixed ages arrive in to great excitement to join the workshop. This made things complicated and more fun. I got the younger members of the group to teach the new members to make ropes and bracelets. After all is n't that the way they say you solidify learning?

Teaching is the highest form of understanding. Aristotle

We had come indoors for felt making so the room was lay out was altered to accommodate more people and have two tables of different activities.

Thursday I was in Dublin busy with other work. But knew I had given enough instruction to let the group continue on. When I arrived in on Friday morning I discovered this group had laid out a piece of felt about 2.5 foot by 5 foot. Talk about feeling up for a challenge! Their second or third piece of felt was to make something this big collectively.

And what a lovely piece of work it is. When I queried their adventurous approach I was told "you taught us so well, we felt able to take on this challenge", ha! here are some detailed pictures

As this was being felted and fulled, I showed one of the community some techniques for making scarves. We ended up having a discussion on the different quality of sheep fleece. Where I got lost in the detail of fibers; Black Hebridean, Bouchion du cher, Wensleydale, Jacob, Castlemilk Moorit, Soay, Leister... I realised I know far to much about sheep.

Exploring scarf layouts

We also explored the idea of making scarves using the felted ropes that residents can create and adding them as a basic design to make something further...

I look forward to great things coming from the felt workshop at Camphill Ballymoney Project. They sell their crafted wares at the Gorey Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.

More felt making workshops at the studio tomorrow and then I really need to get back into my studio and make some of my own work!

Art in the open air at Coolgreany Market

2010-08-08T11:09:00.000+01:00

I was invited to show work at the Coolgreany Market yesterday, not my usual location for showing my creative work but I thought what the hell! It was a big contrast to business meetings the day before in Dublin. I really enjoyed the atmosphere it is a lovely community market; everything is done on a donation basis to a local charity. Stalls are offered at no charge if you sell your welcome to make a donation. Coffee and tea are offered with complimentary home baking and a big donation box on the table. So everyone hangs out and stands around chatting. Loved it! Well done to all at the Grain store that run the market the first Saturday of every month, the next one is the fourth of September I've penciled it in.

The poultry lady looked like she was giving free birds away, the amount of people all ages walking out with cardboard boxes of all shapes and sizes. The boxes had holes poked into them and wobbled very uncharacteristically.

I loved the Old Rectory's designs and hand printed products all made in County Wicklow. The Tinahely Show t-towel was just lovely. Their products have that lovely wood cut screen print feel off them although the design work is party done on a computer.

It was great to catch up with Rachel Kennedy and see her lovely pottery, looking forward to seeing more of her work.

I was really impressed with the quality of food on offer. Especially a local woman Ciara and her first outing of delicious jellies and salad dressings. Very professional presentation and and I can see this product being stocked in nice deli's here, abroad and on tables wherever good food is being enjoyed.

Gorey Family Play Day and access to arts

2010-08-03T12:17:00.000+01:00

Car packed and all items on my list checked I set off into Gorey and picked up a few last things; plastic cups and paper plates for painting, a ream of good value A4 paper for making paper planes and some pom-poms which were great value in the €2 shop, 3 packs for €2.
I was delighted that I had time to go to the new civic square and see the Gorey Market House Craft and Design Festival Showcase and AIB Photojournalism Exhibition. A great start to showcasing world class quality craft in Gorey. Notable piece for me were Becky Knights Stone Swimming Costume, Terry Dunnes Wexford Tide, Louis Mulcahys Cockerels, Ceadogán Rugs and Roísín de Buitléirs Yarn Blue Glass. That is not to say I did n't like the other pieces Evelyn Grants Cabbage Teapots were charming, Peadar Lambs stained glass intense and Diarmuids Murphys Smaoineamh Study desk fluid and superbly crafted. The success of work is for me is how engaged I am in looking at it, if it prompts me to look closer or go back a second time, if the piece of work stays with with me and has piqued my interest, whether mind wonders back to a piece, the quality of the thought and making. I also have strict assessment of work that after I have looked at the work and enjoyed it that looks a bit like

would live with a piece in my home or studio,
purchase it for a corporate client,
include it or the artist maker in a show I curate

or not. Well done to Gorey Town Council for bringing such good quality work to the area, I hope this is the start of a new tradition.

We had a change of venue from the new civic square to the Gorey Community School three days before the event which was a shame. However there was a spot of rain on the day so the indoor venue worked fine - it is one of the challenges for holding outdoor events in Ireland as you really can never be guaranteed of the weather. So this is the hall shortly after I arrived

and this is the event in full swing

I mentioned some of the activities in my last blog post so I started the set up with putting the easiest ones in place first.

Both of these activities are to based around building and raising awareness of community for people living in Gorey and its environs. They also create spatial and visual awareness of the area and its geographical context.

The next thing to do was construct the cooper pipe 3D cube, the frame for building our Underwater Scene the center piece of community arts section at the Gorey Play day. One of the guys (thanks Clinton!) at the Enterprise and Community Department of Wexford County Council had made the frame.

Funky Junk Area. This consisted of 40 or so cleaned bottles from the recycling Center in Wexford; the contents of my art kit from the studio which includes tissue and crepe paper, coloured card, bubble wrap, matchsticks and lollypop sticks, pipe clearners, pom-poms, glitter, rolls of metallic pattered ribbon, rolls of wool, swatches of material and anything you can possibly think of that you could use inventively or traditionally to decorate something!

Painting area HQ

Artist Collette Mulready whom I asked to come and facilitate the painting section. She did a great job. Last year she came and did fantastic face painting. The painting and crayon area had it's very own gallery space.

Unfortunately lots of the artists forgot to come back and take their work home.

We also had a designated Glitter Station. For those of you who have worked with children (and adults) you will have experienced the fascination with glitter, plus the cost, waste and tidy up of glitter so in an attempt to contain glitter mania

The idea was that if all the glitter was sprinkled in the boxes provided we could reuse the excess sprinkles and it worked.

I did some felt making, fleece hand rolled to felt with soapy water. The idea was to show children how to make bracelets out of fleece but to use them as bubbles in the Underwater Scene. None of the items made it to the intended destination but hey you gotta go with the flow and the important thing was a group of children and adults got introduced to felt making, had some hands on experience and enjoyed it. I love the way childrens curiosity brings them to a table to watch an activity, once you smile at them and ask them if they want to join in they respond and engage with enthusiasm. It is so important at events like this to be encouraging, engaging, inviting and super nice to children and whom ever is with them. How you greet a child could be significant to how they experience the art materials. In my experience ensuring access to arts materials for all is a lot to how the access happens and how open the invitation is.

Thanks to all the facilitators and volunteers that came worked really hard making sure the kids had a good arts based experience. I love that several of them commented that they "got just as much fun out of it as the children did".
Sherry Nugent of Irish Quilting Magazine came with her six and eight year olds to showcase quilting postcards they were busy and did a great job.

Thanks also to the chess club that came and played chess for the afternoon I saw some serious games going on with adults and children, great to see.

Getting ready for a community arts event

2010-07-30T23:47:00.000+01:00

Plans are made, drawn up and change at the last minute. Fluid adaptation and yogi breathing are recommended. I will say no more.
Thought it would be fun to share some photos of todays prep for tomorrow's family fun play day at the Gorey Market House Festival. We are building on Ballygarrett Art Studio's involvement and the development inaugural festival last year. CreativeDynamix was coming into inception right about now last year.
The venue for Gorey's Family Play Day has change to the Community School, 2 - 5pm tomorrow. The Community School is at the end of Esmonde Street moving away from the main street in behind the car park where the organic/farmers market is held.

I live here
Large laminated maps are stuck on the wall. one of the town of Gorey and one of the electoral area and people are invited find where they live on the maps, or are staying and to place a sticker. This worked really well last year. The idea behind it is to build identity and to make a connection to the geographical area and social communities.

Funky Junk
Right now its just junk. The guys in the recycling center are starting to get to know me now. I'm the person that goes their and takes recycling away. Just wait till I start up cycling clothes! Anyway these cleaned bottles will be cut and folded and decorated into jellyfish and what ever else the kids come up with.

I was going to photograph the lists I make. but I'll leave them to your imagination. There have been phone calls, text messages and emails to confirm volunteers, facilitators (the crew) and find new ones!

It is important to be prepared and have a plan but not to get hung up on it and have a certain amount of flow. After all it is going to be fun! Is n't it?

Labyrinth's for your fingers!

2010-07-26T22:55:00.001+01:00

The experience of making a large labyrinth on the beach was quite physical. I have started to make small works using drawing and thinking about labyrinths. my studio is in danger of being over taken.
I think at my exhibition space during the Fringe at Wexford Festival Opera I will run a workshop exploring the purposeful pathway of creativity and the metaphor of labyrinths. I'm having so much fun with the shapes and expressing the basic labyrinth.

My six year old arrived in to my studio announcing I was making finger labyrinths just like the one on the beach. He was very taken with this image

It is made with oil pastels and charcoal. A particularly messy tactile affair to create and gives a great effect and texture. I go back to the technique during process work. I had taken a container of buttons out and picked out some white ones laying them on the charcoal path. My youngest got very excited and wanted to help. For some reason I rejected all but the palest of buttons allowing some flat 'shine-ies'. This was the result which my eight year old also found to be fascinating. Both boys spent over thirty minutes tracing their fingers over the buttons and discussing it. So now I am working on several process pieces involving maps, text, labyrinths, collage, pastels, tracing paper, tissue paper... pva and paint will follow. Something interactive perhaps too.

Labyrinth making...

2010-07-23T21:10:00.001+01:00

Today was labyrinth making day on Old Bawn Beach, near the studio and south of Cahore Point in Wexford.

I have long been a fan of mazes and Labyrinth. In my teenage years I doodled mazes, decorated and painted them. When I studied art therapy I discovered mandala's and read about the symbolism and healing process in making them. I came to understanding that labyrinths also had these qualities but never remember reading about them. In the last year I discovered Status Hat and their Labyrinth project (CURRICULUM AND INSTALLATION/EXHIBITION DEVELOPMENT). In the last few weeks I have loved reading Jim Buchanan's book 'Labyrinths for the spirit'. His book inspired today.

Why make a labyrinth? Partly to see how easy it would be to make one, curiosity, testing the idea, partly personal interest.

The idea was to have a day away from work and the typical mayhem around raising three boys. What I took to the beach: 3 boys, a picnic, a rake, a trowel, two bamboo sticks, red material for a ribbon, fishing rod, football, suncream, towels and swim gear. It was made clear to them that we were going to the beach in the morning and spending the full day there. I mentioned the plan to a few who I thought would apreciate the idea of making a labyrinth and put the word out on facebook and twitter also.

Starting with raking lines

I originally had a plan to make the labyrinth up the beach but the sand was too dry and a lot of raking would have been required. Two friends and their families were on hand to join in. So I started by showing how to draw a small labyrinths down by the waters edge. Then some discussion about where and how big and I started. A big cross raked in the sand with the dots in four corners of the square, then the methodical drawing and linking of the straight with the dots to form the simplest of labyrinth shapes. I had some questions about the pathways and the wall. We settled on the idea that the walls could be rills where the incoming tide could flood and some notion that our collective children would dig them. After a short time it became clear that single walls were best. Walking the labyrinth the mouth was at the waters edge, it was lovely to walk down towards the sea and the center was just that central and a bit cosy.

There was plenty of chatting and catching up. People walking by on the beach were curious and asked us about what we were doing. It was lovely to share the idea and see their response. Even a local seal kept an eye on us for a while. In the next photo you can see the line of mussel shells three year old Harry started. It formed a lovely decorative edge.

I had brought a large garden leaf rake which was lovely to use and left a good pattern on the sand. We all took turns in using it and building the walls. The wind was not so strong and yet the walls diminished. I found raking the path to the walls wonderfully relaxing and mindfully bliss. I can see how a zen garden would be relaxing. Friends and associates difted on to the beach and drifted away again. It was lovely to have such a relaxed day that ebbed and flowed.

The children ran around the labyrinth and over the walls. The adults did walk it but it was hard to have the quiet solitude to walk the labyrinth in a mediative practice on the beach. Partly because our kids were around, running around having great fun playing together! Hey that's really important too.

I look forward to making the next one for the moment I am in a happy glow of having spent all day in the fresh air beside the sea building a giant adult sandcastle and sharing the experience with others.

I'd love to find away to use this in my arts practice perhaps with a group of people, as a team experience or a soulful creative way to share a collective experience.

Along this journey I have discovered the Labyrinth Society a great website where I found out there is a World Labyrinth Day and that people train to become facilitators of labyrinth walking and making. There has been some very interesting research done on labyrinths, the most frequently researched topics are the effects of interacting with a labyrinth on stress and on relaxation. Who knew?

Local places to visit with mazes include Dunbrody Abbey Wexford, Greenan Maze and Museum Wicklow this also has a Solstice Labyrinth, Russborough House West Wicklow has a very nice beech maze small but perfect.

From the hordes of Ballygarrett Art Studio 2

2010-07-20T16:42:00.000+01:00

From season to season
Change series
Handmade paper, acrylic, oil pastels on paper.

Landscape
Acrylic on card.

Centered self
Change series
Acrylic on paper.

This work was made in the last few years, it is unframed so will ship well in a tube anywhere making it very cost effective. They are all approx 70cm x 100cm, although the first image is larger. Contact me directly on twitter, facebook or email me at creativedynamix.1 at gmail dot com if you would like more information or are interested to purchase.

What a great recommendation!

2010-07-19T02:24:00.000+01:00

Roisin has shared her talents with us on many occasions over the past five years. Her approach is community orientated. Activities are inherently collaborative and inclusive. Roisin’s work is diverse, vibrant and engaging. She plays on the natural curiosity of participants, and helps children and adults realise fulfilling creative achievements.

Raymond Swan, Principal, Gorey Educate Together National School

CAN Summer Camp 2010

2010-07-06T17:32:00.000+01:00

It is such a privilege to work with children. Have a look below at some of the great work going on this week at the Cottage Autism Network Summer camp, so glad they invited me to work with them. Looking through magazines was the start of the older group noticing typefaces.

Then they started to make some images and their name through collage by cutting out letters and shapes.Some of the children were very inventive. They designed a large initial from their name on A3 paper and we've been spending time making them 3D. When they are dry we shall be decorating them and each individual will have a mini sculpture of one of their initials.

The junior classes were working with funky junk today we had a great session making under water sea creatures. We were having so much fun I forgot to take some photos (that often happens).

One of the boys drew this fantastic monster that we are making a 3D version of...

Tomorrow felt making is planned for the younger group and aluminum can construction will be the order of the day for the older group but not before some fun and games in the yard.

Web applications

2010-07-02T13:29:00.000+01:00

I love word clouds but I fear I will never use Wordle.net again I have discovered http://www.tagxedo.com/
move your mouse or cursor icon over the text and see what happens. I love it!
Check out their gallery it has images like this...

I'm not sure I can wait to find a way to use text in an image like this... stitched and beaded on a textile? printed in an etching?
I've already used it on my http://creativedynamic.blogspot.com to visualise the exercises that were done by the American Women’s Club Professional Network group during our conversation on creativity last month look.
What have applications you discovered on the web that you like?

Painting nearly finished

2010-06-25T00:23:00.000+01:00

I don't know if I'll blog a painting work in progress again. Does it stunt the flow? Is it an interesting thing for people to see the development of the painting?
Anyway this is what the painting looks like now not a great photo of it. But I still wanted to show the development. I had plans to finish it today but weirdness ensued and I never got to the brushes. Tomorrow I know I need to paint to help process somethings that are going on. So what I will be working on and know I need to do

central area needs to brought out - forward
the top left hand corner the green needs to be developed
I like the size of the central blue area but the right handside needs a bit of work
the bottom green is developing nicely and I like the tonal range and lyering of colours in the bottom left corner
the overall composition feels like it is working anf the colour toning and blending is finally coming together

I'm looking forward to working on this painting and movng it towards conclusion.

Other work in progresses

2010-06-13T11:46:00.000+01:00

I've been meaning to scan and post some work to show you the development of some textile work in progress.

As some of you know I also make handmade textiles. Besides felt making I design my own grounds for stitch and beading. I developed this process in 2007 for expressing some work in my "Foot prints in my heart..." exhibition, you can read more about the lead up to this work here. This style of work and the imagery I use is developing all the time it is much more a design based process then my painting work, as in the Legacy Series where images are being photography on purpose layered, altered and merged with text, line and colour. The final images or montage stand as they are with a full stop.. or they themselves become signposts to develop and push.

The expression jumps and while the technology moves in and out of my brain and the images it enables me to bring together meaning and a confluence of thought.
Sometimes the starting point is my journaling behind my paintings, an inspirational quote or a photographic image. Why do I put them through this process? Ah well... that is my gold. I know why.
So here is the one that I carry around in an A4 box "stitch work in progress *FLAT*" a keep it with a small plastic box with threads needles and beads. So if I find myself with 10 or 20 minutes sitting somewhere I can take it out and continue it. It is also a good way to be in family space hanging out while kids are doing their own thing like home work, drawing, playing games or watching the TV, wonder how many I will get done during the world cup?
The digital fabric ground I am currently stitching started from a series of photographs based on a wonderful Thistle that had grown and dried out in our garden. A giant thing beautiful when living and wonderful food for the birds when it dried out. Along with being an amazing visual prickly thing traditionally these type of thistles would have been used to tease out the sheep fleece for carding which is one of the processes for preparing wool for felt making. More linked up thoughts to show you how the things I am interested in connect to each other through my arts practice and my life.

So this is the piece that I am working on...
I do have another box of printed out images that are waiting patiently to be stitched some with text, some as textile pieces to nuno felt with fleece and others well they are there waiting to be developed further.

Painting in progress this week [2]

2010-06-08T23:46:00.000+01:00

I posted some visuals on this painting in May, it is still a work in progress and mocks me gently from my drawing board as I type this. Thought you might like to see it's continuing progress and get a closer look at the details. The large image is not the correct colour reproduction. The orange details of the top image reflects the tonal range well of the oranges.

as I've said a work in progress...

Wexford Community Art

2010-05-25T01:20:00.000+01:00

I am delighted to be on the panel of Wexford County Councils Community Artists part of the CWCAN (County Wexford Community Arts Network). 18 artists and I am one of 8 visual artists listed. My experiential work is n't alsways based in visual arts but there ya go.

I've a new flyer that talks about Creativity in Your Context (you can read, download, share and print the .PDF here).
I'm really enjoying talking to community groups and looking forward to seeing where their (your) needs take the conversation. Collaboration - ideas - projects - growth fuel ideas flow!
Looking forward to getting to know the other artists on the panel also.

How I paint...

2010-05-14T19:07:00.001+01:00

Paintings frequently start by writing on the paper or canvas; poems, thoughts, stories, ideas then the paint flows. The words transgress to colour, regularly without traditional form.

“I paint instinctively, with passion and raw emotion. Often the writing is lost or hidden to the progression of the painting and the expression of the works theme or story. The paintings always have a depth and meaning to them, they are my way of telling stories…I use colour the way others use words”

The colours and title allude to the meaning, the energy of the brush stroke tell the works story. The colours’ vibrancy swells from the work and embraces the viewer often evoking a connection that draws the viewer back repeatedly to a painting.

Painting in progress this week

2010-05-13T11:33:00.000+01:00

Work in progress; this is what I am painting this week
started like this

yesterday it looked like this

and today it looks like this...

Linked but not!

2010-04-30T08:15:00.001+01:00

This week I spent two days in Dublin participating in a workshop that was a mixture of research, inquiry, review and it was thought provoking. I'll blog more about that over on my http://Creativedynamic.blogspot.com when it filters a bit more. Here I wanted to talk about the two exhibitions that I saw.
I recently came across a quote via twitter that stated "making unusual connections is the basis of creativity" Ellen Galinsky. I think that is true.
The first exhibition I saw on Tuesday evening was at the Science Gallery a rocking 'museum', funky space where science, art and technology converge to inform, present, educate, raise interest and more. The HYPERBOLIC CROCHET CORAL REEF exhibition is fascinating. Along with the fact it is a traditional craft form, it's application to a science and sustainability setting plus the community aspect of the project is exactly the kind of work I get. If you live in Dublin you have got to go see this exhibition. I love the 'second life for rubbish' aspect to the project also where the toxic reef has non organic and less then traditional materials of plastic used.
"A major element of the Crochet Coral Reef Project is its ‘plastic component’ which responds to this crisis. Where the yarn-based Reefs serve as a handicraftplastic sand. In the northern invocation of the living beauty of actual reefs, so the “Toxic Reef” is a wildly proliferating agglomeration of yarn and plastic trash. It is the ‘evil’ 21st century twin to the classical finesse of the yarn Reefs. To put this into temporal terms, we might say that where the yarn Reefs represent the past, and the exquisite creations of nature, the plastic looks to the future and to the destructive tendencies of humanity."
Good exhibition to take children to also.
The second exhibition I went to see was Gary Coyle RHA, At Sea. I remember the first time I saw Gary Coyles work and instantly like it. The exhibition close on Saturday but if you can make the effort to see it do. I would live happily with any of the 'lovely water' series. Even the ones where the sea was obviously not lovely. i purchased the book from the exhibition and as I took the train home found my self reading his words about the project and the train moved by the location that they were taken. I know the area well as I lived there at some point. His drawings were interesting and the use of the drawn frame around the charcoal ones added something significant. But they do not reach that place of the photography. The swimming diaries have a documentary and anthropological aspect to them.
The link between the two projects is the sea but the mediums and ambitions of both exhibitions and projects are very far apart. The exhibition also linked to the training I attended metaphors or the sea and blue ocean spaces, underwater, some talked about 'tapestries' and strands.
It is more to do with the link I made to this work in my head and the dialogue between the training and the visual and social reference points. I'm rushing to get out the door. Perhaps more on this later.

...why am I not making work like this?

2010-04-26T20:02:00.000+01:00

Last week I wrote two proposals for projects. Hence the reason I did n't get to blog the Greystones Art Group demo and the School live willow structure. Information to follow on both of those.
I've had a few ideas floating around my head for over a year and have not either had the time or felt really clear to verbalise aspects of a proposal or make the work. I refer to both personal and project work. Writing proposals is an interesting process (I just don't recommend two in one week). I always learn something more about the way I work or become clearer on some aspect of my arts practice.

Last week amid budgets and schedules I managed to get real clarity on two pieces of work. Of course the sketchbook I initially drew them in is lined but I think this evokes a certain edginess to them.
I had these ideas in my head and finally I could start getting them onto paper. Does that happen to you ideas that lurk in the ether? As if waiting for the right time to be downloaded. I have been keeping these ideas to present for project work they occupy a different space I don't know why. But up until now I have been waiting to make this work. On Friday after I submitted the second proposal. I asked myself "why are not making work like this? why are you only proposing to make this work? why are you waiting to make this work?"
The leaf motif is a shape that has appeared in a few paintings when I painted on the theme of change. It is a good representation of change.

It even appears in my Legacy series and features strongly in the subset ‘memories are made of these’.

I think that the doodle for image with the leaf is suited to be done on the mac in photoshop and printed on to some fine art paper showing the delicate shading and toning in computer graphics. It also makes me hark back to the days of etching and screen printing. So I suspect a series suitable for colour plate etchings will be developed also and a plan to spend some time in a print studio with a tutor. But it is asking to be painted first (…here we go again my creative genius is back and demanding how work should be done, do I argue? I have learnt to get out of the way otherwise disaster ensues). So I have started to make that work. The background has been painted for the leaf motif image,

a gird is lightly drawn and some spiral text handwritten. it is sitting on the studio floor drying. The image might not be great as my digital camera is giving me guff and this is taken with my camera phone.

So the problem now is that it is a lovely evening and I want to go hangout with my family but my genius demands that I stay here and paint... sometimes my genius wins and sometimes not.

...the progression of work

2010-04-09T20:03:00.001+01:00

I had great stitching plans for being in the studio this morning, my plan had included some sample stitching, development of collage based images for a mixed media series along with a quilting and painting sampler. I really wanted to move things along so I decided to start the studio day with something completely different and cleared a bit of table space for the sewing machine... perplexing to say the least. I could not get my sewing machine to work. I had leant it to a neighbour sometime ago and have not used it since! Could I figure it out - yes if I spent some time on it but with time moving on I decided to refocus, twitted the three items on the left and then got on with something else. I went back to some of the collages I had started on the mac in photoshop. I love the progression of an image.

I worked on a montage last week it is part of the 'Legacy series' and is linked to underneath my grandmothers table and memories are made of these. I printed it on to cotton with the idea to stitch it. It was quiet flat. I left it alone for a few days to mull over.

Now I can see that the leaf motif needs to be printed, stitched and embellished separately and then layer on top of the print. It would look well printed on heavy watercolour paper with the leaf stitched on. I’m also considering making the background out of ultramarine silk nuno felted with orange – yellow felt with surface detail of silk tops. But I think… background printed on to cotton a metallic thread stitch of the quote in the lower left corner and the embellished leaf motif stitched on. What do you think?

The leaf and its autumn colouring I wanted to explore more...

I'm happy with this one and it prints out well. I plan to stitch and bead sparsely.
So although I did not get what I had planned to do done I did have a good creative day at the studio; printed out images for stitching, laid out a rough draft for a collage, posted a new image Correspondance on Redbubble, listened to some podcasts and had some creative headspace to mull over doing, being and progressing some visual work. Fantastic... now its time for a walk and the weekend. Love Fridays.
Oh and the quote that is featured you might enjoy it
"When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and your discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.” Patanjali

Up-skilling week 4: Machine embroidery

2010-04-08T01:23:00.001+01:00

Well this was my up-skill for this week. I have a piece planned and it is a matter of assembling all the bits and testing the idea out. But the added part is some research. Gathering my thoughts, revisiting books I have and trying to discover new angles of inspiration.
So let me be clear Machine Embroidery is a term I use to describe contemporary embroidery that uses a sewing machines to stitch. Sometimes refered to as painting with thread.
Contemporary Embroidery textile artists whose work I like, have seen up close and personal, enjoyed and made a lasting impression on me:
Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn but that is until I really explore and discover others. You can view their work here, I think my favourite book is 'Stitch Magic' they also wrote a series of A4 booklets published via double trouble enterprises that I own and recommend. I've seen their work up close and personal and it is even more impressive.
Louise Baldwin; contemporary stitch, interesting grounds include antique material, paper packaging and handmade paper. Here is a good example of Lousie's work that I like titled 'for indoor use only'. When I saw here work last year in Dublin I commented to her it had an 'almost irreverent feel to it'.

I'm interested in how much further fibre and stitch can take an image, design, emotion and extend it visually. Up until now I have not considered myself a real stitcher, I do use hand stitching to embellish fabric surface including beading. I think that is why I like felt making. But I do like the idea of a sewing machine with software that you digitally programme and let it away to stitch... that opens up new possibilities, new layers, new work. Textile art is sometimes refered to as fibre art.
Resources online:
http://www.textilearts.net/
http://www.62group.org.uk/

So tell me
Who are your favourite contemporary textile artists? Do you follow any blogs that you would reccomend? Have you suggestions for textile artists I should look at? Who are your favourites? I am interested in new discoveries who do you follow on twitter you'd recommend? What magazines to you enjoy reading on the topic of textile or fibre artists?