handmade in Ballygarrett Art Studio

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...

Snow labyrinth

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.

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.

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.

Fantastic Choco-tastic!

On Tuesday Ballgarrett Art Studio was host to kids for Choco-Tastic! Edible art and construction with chocolate and marzipan.

Thanks to the Mykidstime.ie website demand was so popular that I hosted two sessions. Ages 2 - 13 participated and the chocolate fun was great.

The children made nests for mini Easter eggs and then we had a fluffy chick to place on top of them. If was all about the senses; the smell of the chocolate, the feeling of the twigs, licking our fingers as we went, fun and edible.

The second activity was a bit different we used marzipan and coloured white fondant icing to making a chick, duck or animal shape out of marzipan, just like pottery but edible! The kids were not so impressed by the marzipan so this activity was more about making rather then eating.

We particularly liked the duck with boxing gloves (age 4)

and these dainty decorations on this chick (age 7).

The second group was a group of older girls and they really went for mixing it up with their marzipan creations.