Over brimmed

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.

Holly, seeking traditions & associations

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

Life is full of textures

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.

Trusting that you do know

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

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

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

Concept for a painting

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

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.

Labyrinth's for your fingers!

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.

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.

Other work in progresses

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.

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

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.