Of word and stitch Exhibition open

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

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

more tactile labyrinth making

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

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

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?

Art & Soul

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.

Happy Felting with Camphill Ballymoney Project

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!

Getting ready for a community arts event

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 making...

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.

CAN Summer Camp 2010

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.

Wexford Community Art

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.

Linked but not!

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.

Art NOT chocolate for Easter 2010!

Ballygarrett Art Studio is contiuing the 'Art not Chocolate for Easter!' campaign in 2010. Now in it's second 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 we have something to suit or to recommend.
4. Support your local artist.

What you can do;

· Instead of buying chocolate view and purchase a piece of Roisin Markham’s art work or commission work, gift vouchers 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’re an artist steal the idea and start your own campaign

Last year I started and shared this campaign with others 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 and there is always Facebook...

Art projects and Creativity in Context with Children

2010
January – March: After School Art Program for Junior and Senior Infants, Gorey Educate Together National School (GETNS)
February: The magic of Felt, exploring thread as part of the National Curriculum. Demonstration and workshops on making hand rolled felt with Sixth Class GETNS
2009
August: Murrintown Community Summer Camp: arts and craft activity with children aged 5 – 12. Six sessions designed to open up ideas and creativity towards expanding skills and communications. A broad variety of materials were used; clay, paper, paint, glue, crayons, pastels, cloth and fiber, buttons. Techniques included design, collage, group work, team work, individual, colour, reuse and second life for rubbish, make and wear.
July: Gorey Family Fun Day ; devised, project managed and participated in community arts element of the fun day in Gorey with Wexford County Council. A variety of arts experiences were offered; make and do; paper airplanes, felt making and traditional crafts; ‘That’s rubbish! but is it art?’, community circus. Read more.
Make and Do: wrote and illustrated website content for Mykidstime.ie, downloadable easy to follow make and do activity including instructions and illustrative graphics, ages 2 - 12.
Spring - Summer Programme Ballygarrett Art Studios. Weekly Children’s art classes; The art of construction with recycled materials, Choco-Tastic! Edible art and construction. The stay and create philosophy and why parents drove 20 miles plus for an art class.
2008
September - October: ‘Poet-tree’, School arts project, GETNS. Designed and created a tree in the new school library as a place to hang English projects and art work. Worked with 1st – 6th class, teachers and parents. The project work included concept, construction of tree, guided visualisation, decorating the tree in layers with images the pupils created about their ideas of what the tree could be for them, plus using a list of words that came from the visualisation. The words together, imagine and friendship were translated into different languages representing different cultures in the school. Using different typefaces and fabric textures the words were cut out and incorporated into the design of the tree.
April: ‘FISH’ School arts project based on using recycled aluminum cans and foil, Ballygarrett National School, County Wexford. Working with 180 pupils and staff to create fish made from recycled materials. The fish are hung from catgut suspended in air to form a shoal and a fish ball. They are free to move and also generate sound.
April: Being me. 'No table day', Senior and Junior Infants group GETNS. Workshop about being unique, being different being the same and being in a group, with art materials and movement.
March - February: School Community Multi-disciplined arts project, Gorey Educate Together National School (GETNS), County Wexford, street theatre entry for Gorey St. Patrick’s Day parade. Developed concept, co-ordinated and organised pupils, teachers, musician, parents and guardians for the overall wining entry of the parade. Theme ‘Grainne Mhaol’, incorporated music and art workshops for the development and production of street theatre, included musical instruments made from recycled materials.
Spring - Summer Programme Ballygarrett Art Studios. Introduction art materials. Basic techniques for making and creative construction with art and recycled materials, Weekly Children’s art classes in Clonevin School House, Ballygarrett.
2007
Autumn - Winter programme. Introduction to art materials and perspective, Weekly Children’s art classes. Ballygarrett art studios, Gorey, Co. Wexford.
October: ‘Planting a rainbow’ Gorey Educate Together National School. School project planting spring bulbs in the shape and colours of a rainbow. Project taught children how to plant bulbs, practical use of Maths, colours in the spectrum, basic horticulture, value of teamwork, provided a sense of inclusion and developed civic awareness.
March - February: Gorey Educate Together National School (GETNS), Wexford. St. Patrick’s Day parade entry, School Community project, first prize in group section.

2006 May: GETNS, Senior Class (Ages 8 - 12). Team and communication workshop based on creating group clay model, where verbal and written communications were not used.
2005 - 1997: Creative Visualisation, Art and Creative play, Communication and team building, Community Children and Adult workshops. Various locations in Dublin.
2000 July: Whitechurch Summer Camp, (Ages 14 – 17). Community Art Workshop with challenging teenagers. Dublin.

Art on behalf of the Irish Nepalese Education Trust

These four paintings and two prints will be exhibited at the
Distillery Building (the Law Library), 145 Church Street, Dublin
Opening 11th December, 6.30 - 8pm. Open to the public.
As part of my tithing commitment a percentage of the sales goes to the Irish Nepalese Education Trust.

1. Totem Wolf Watching, Oils and acrylic on deep canvas, unframed
2. Motivation ii, acrylic on paper, framed
3. Birches, Marlay Park Series, Limited Edition Print, framed. My contemporary take on screen printing; a digitally edited photograph printed on to Watercolour Paper.
4. Walnut Tree, Marlay Park Series, Limited Edition Print, framed. My contemporary take on screen printing; a digitally edited photograph printed on to Watercolour Paper.
5. Evoke iv, acrylic on paper, framed
6. Submerged, acrylic on paper framed

If you are interested in purchasing one and supporting the charity email me ballygarrettartstudio[at]gmail.com.
If you would like to make a donation to the charity please contact them directly details can be found on http://www.inetireland.ie/.