What are you focused on?

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

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

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.

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

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