Revisiting old images with new devices!

I just published an image on my new blog [project]- it is a visual blog meaning well have you seen it yet? This it what it looks like - link at the end of the blog. Oh go have a look and come back...

Its kind of a transition blog while I get my head around designing and setting up a website. Yes. Everything has to be able to be found in one place, I've got to make sales easier! For 2014 I want things to be simpler, I've gone back to my roots creative visualisation that's what really going on over at http://roisinmarkham.wordpress.com .
 But the reason I'm blogging about the project here is that the image I took and posted today is one of the first images I used as a social media avatar over five years ago! It really struck me as I posted it - full circle but with a better quality device... I'm smiling my shadow along the beach!
But it led me on a wander through some of my published online spaces the poem link to 2009 and to this link about loss, love and a smile Of Earth and Soul work.
I've a new quote I'm thinking of making work around.

And here it is

The altered book, notebook gets doodled in regularly. I experiment with writing, charcoal, paint, oil pastels and pencil. Mixing mediums toying with words.

Tonight instead of tossing and turning or stupid TV I decided an hour in the studio. 

I got lost in the sensuous blue pastel with pure white emphasising, merging to hues of blues. 

The circular shape resonates & almost hovers off the page.

A very satisfying hour or two in the studio.

Who knows tomorrow I may paint...

A sense of urgency

Roisin Markham © 2013

I get to the end of the week, now.
I feel an urgency to be in my studio.
But I don't get there
Making things, painting, drawing. I'm sitting here now writing when I should be gone to bed. An early morning alarm call at 5.30am.
But I am not making. I am not painting. I don't get there its been going on for a few weeks now.

I have started one new project It's out there being published. Not here or over at http://creativedynamic.blogspot.com. No. the project is simple, personal and I'm not sharing it directly just yet.
So I still think I am not making or producing anything yet I am. Its not commercial, its just my daily dip into a specific theme.
I'm also feeling my hands are restless they want to be stitching or felting or beading...

I've started dreaming colours again.
It won't be long now...

Fallow fields

It's Autumn the hedgerows have started be dipped in colourful hues of browns, oranges and umber. Berries and haws drip after plenty of summer sun. Deep purples and reds. Autumn reaps the rewards of a bountiful summer. The air get colder and the wind picks up again.

Fallow, my work has been small token like. I have been absorbing. Watching. Like the way one would crop rotate in a small holding or as in the practice of western farmers to leave land fallow to let it grow wild and recover, restore, rejuvenate before planting, growing and cultivating again.

Size matters!

Roisin Markham work sold August 2013

Towards the end of August there was great excitement in the studio. A visitor to the GasLamp Gallery in Gorey had seen my work and wanted to purchase two paintings and commission four more! Fab and Wow!
On going up to talk to Chris, the framer and a real knowledgeable guy in the business of selling art, the 'potential buyer' wanted SIX of my paintings for an alcove in his house. But they had to be a particular size.
There is a curiosity I maintain about how people buy art: will it fit, will it match my colour scheme, is it an investment? do I love it?

Roisin Markham work sold August 2013

In the studio I reviewed what lurked, framed work and unframed finished work and work that was unfinished with potential. I selected eight pieces returning to the gallery the following day, Chris and I discussed a selection of six and mounting them in the correct size for the buyer to view. A few nervous days ensued as I waited for news. Nothing is ever sold until the money is in your bank.
The work looked good, and the buyer selected six from the unframed pieces. They were the right size.
I'm glad the original two he picked were not cut down to size this would have be a disaster for one of the paintings. This all comes down to listening to what the customer wants and not being over precious about work made. That's a tightrope and artist walks if they want to sell work. For me it is important to sell.
I am delighted that a new patron now owns six pieces of my work.
That's happened before where someone buys several pieces. My painting work is colourful, energetic and has presence. It is not everyone cup of tea, patrons describe being drawn to it. So hopefully more people who like art colourful, energetic and with presence will be drawn to it and I look forward to selling more, Yay!

It's finished! or is it?

Chris at Gaslamp gallery and  in 'Gorey
measuring one of four pieces I have in Artfest

Do you make creative work? For yourself or for others? Just to make work or to sell it commercially?
When do you consider your creative work is finished?

SOLD and a great story

Where do you start telling a great story? I'm smiling as I write I've been very busy with client work and its taken me a few days to get to blog and share this great story that happened Saturday night.
Our local Tidy Towns organised an art exhibition in the local pub, the Schooner. A cheese and wine reception as a fund raiser with "9 local artists in one venue. Many well renowned artists such as Eithne Ryan, Roisin Markham,Myra O' Loughlin Sarah Horgan and Lucy Lawlor as well as first time exhibitors Aileen Ryan,Clare Martin,Amy Roche and Cait McCarthy. This promises to be a great social occasion, Please give these artist your support and raise funds for the Tidy Towns."
Bernie had called me I think as far back as August to ask me would I put something in, although knowing my own exhibition would be on in The National Irish Heritage Park as part of the Wexford Fringe. I readily agreed thinking it would be a great opportunity to put up some local work and the possibilities of getting some photography printed and framed.

The time went by very quickly and low and behold I'd to drop pieces up to the pub Saturday afternoon and hang the work. I had some debate about what to bring I had not hung everything in Wexford by choice. No photographs printed or framed but some work of old. I had decided to bring the largest piece I had and some smaller pieces to demonstrate affordability and scope of my work. The big piece was just nice to show locally not many have seen it a 96 x 70 cm framed piece of work first exhibited two years ago at the Wexford Fringe in an exhibition titled 'Of Earth and Soul', slide 2.

I choose to hang 2 other medium size pieces they looked better on the pub walls. I let go of the idea of selling anything it was morae about showing work and being social. Most other artists had small work. Eithne Ryan's pastel local landscapes were impeccable as always, terrible news that she had to cancel her Fringe Solo Show due to an injury and I hope she makes a speedy recovery. 

Saturday night came and I felt a little awkward standing in the pub until some friends arrived. But before they did I struck up conversations with strangers asking them what work they liked, had they spoken to the artist and told them, encouraging them to give feedback. I don't know if they knew I was one of the artists it was as much about getting general feedback and encouraging engagement with the creator of a piece of work.

It was interesting as a few weeks ago on twitter I had some discussions with people asking them how they responded to art and the artist at exhibitions. Most implied they never think to speak with the artist... 

I've learned at my exhibitions to listen to how people respond to my work. My general experience is that the audience is not interested in hearing or understanding how or why a piece was made they want to tell me what it reminded them of or how they connected emotionally to it, some feeling, memory or emotion. Hey, I think its great people make an emotional connection to my work after all I make work to sell and I love to hear how people connect to my art work no matter if they buy it or not. Once a piece of work is hung on a wall and people are invited to view it I want to engage, listen and connect. It is one of the ways I communicate and my desperate attempt to self express what I can't share in words.

The pub is small and it was great to see the local faces that came to support the fundraiser and see the art. Thanks to Paulette for coming out from Gorey and great to catch up with Suzanne too.
As I was chatting and getting into my social stride a man tipped me on the back and asked me 'did you make that?' looking at largest piece on the walls...

 'The only thing certain is this...' Roisin Markham
Mixed Media

I smiled at this quiet spoken gent with a glass of wine in his hand "Yes, I did". He seemed utterly fascinated by it. The conversation dims in memory but he mentioned he'd 'never seen any thing like it before' and he started to ask me about the piece of work. 

My philosophy on people is treat everyone with respect, you never know who you are talking too.

The conversation continued he knew something of art. He spoke about two artists work he owned one an international name I recognised. His questions were different some how he was interested to know how I made it and what it meant to me. Very unusual. As I spoke about how I painted the background with water colour, layered up hand made paper, painted and worked oil pastel over the work and used silver metalic crayon to pick out textures and layers - he listened intently. It did me the world of good to talk about this piece of work and it reminded me I make original art. I know how I could I have forgotten?

 He mentioned the title and that on the exhibition listed it read

Roisin Markham

The only thing certain is this...          €1,000
He mentioned there had been some comments about the price from another local whom I did not know. This lead to conversations about where we lived and I established he was a local farmer from Kilmuckridge just south about 5km.
"I would n't pay €1,000 for it I'd pay €500"
"I'll make you a smaller one" instantly imagining one half the size
"No, that one would look good in my hall. It would look good in anyones hall"
He looked at the piece of work constantly as we had our sideways conversation. I had no idea we were in a negotiation I just thought we were chatting. I spoke about how I used to make a living from selling work and how the market had changed. He spoke about taking some animals to the mart and having to take them home again after them not selling. I compared it to exhibiting work for sale - put em up take them down acknowledging that they were not technically the same but similar.
I said to him 'You know if someone handed me €700 for that painting right now I'd be happy with that'
he looked at me as if he'd been hit by lightening "I'll give you that". Now it was my turn to be hit by lightening "really?" I know the look of surprise radiated through my face, I could have been knocked down by a feather.
"Will you drop it over to me in the morning?"
"Will you have cash to pay me?"
"Not cash but a cheque"
"Will it bounce?" it was out of mouth before I could stop it!
"It may but you'll know where I live" he smiled
"If it does we can swap it for a cow" I laughed "shall we shake on it"
I agreed to drop it over to him the following morning as I was on my way to Wexford.
The following morning as we stood in his hall I could see that he loved the painting he held the top of the frame and stared into the layers of colour and he was lost in his own thoughts. He asked me about other work, I mentioned my exhibition as part of the Wexford Fringe on till November the 4th. He also showed me his small but impeccable collection of works. He breeds horses too. A patron with money!
It does look good in his hall, he was right.
I'm delighted. Without this local opportunity to put up work in the pub I would have never meet this art loving farmer, my newest patron and fan of my work. Amazing I have exhibited that piece of work in Mallow and Wexford and here we are a mile and half up the road in the local pub and its sold!
I was delighted to be able to tell the Tidy Town crew and of course the news spread about the pub like wild fire, don't think anyone could believe it!

Painting for me is never just about painting.

exploring the dross, process painting © 2012
Roisin Markham

...right now its about everything.

 A few years ago I used to be able to go into the studio and pick up a paint brush and paint for 20 minutes and stop. Then again at that time where I painted was in the garden shed between the washing machine and the motorbike. Around that time two people started poking and prodding at my process - is that all you paint? is that all there is? They were people I trusted an artist friend and one of my sisters. They made me question what I was doing they made me search for more but in that search have I lost my connection to the purity of just being able to paint?
My process was deep and thoughtful the painting flowed because I was in the flow. My work was selling well.
Now painting is never just about going into the studio and painting - do I meet a deadline? what about working on that project? what about cleaning the house, playing with my kids, driving them of somewhere, what about, what about ... everything else but painting! and then I had fallen out of the habit of painting yes I was still being creative making textiles, working on community based arts projects but I was n't painting.
Painting begins like a yearning deep in my soul. 
I dream about it talk about it and gather my cells together to convince myself to open the paint tubes and dip my brush in water. The brushes in my studio have been dry too long. Now as I attempt to start to reconnect with my painting I have to clear a space, my studio is full of ideas works in progress and other abandoned.
So now full committed to making the time and mental space to paint I decide on paper, what weight? what size what texture? I think about what size I want to paint. Does it matter small/big? yes it does matter so I veer away from the A4 size that surrounds me in my paper trail and I go for some wonderful Fabriano paper heavy paper a wonderful lightly textured 160gm.

journalling before I paint is typical 

Do I write - yes it is another component of starting to paint. Typically I do a type of journalling, a beginning of searching within my soul for rhythm and colours and emotion and shapes and textures, tone and pace. It is all part of the process that I describe as painting. I know the words will be lost behind the painting but I photograph them now as they too feel important.
So I start. Routing in my paint box an old wine crate that I brought back wine in during the early 1990's. I find all the colours lumped in together I separate out the greens and bring them to the table where I am exploring white paper words and colour. Even the size of the paint brush is important. I start. The leaf motif presents itself. I get cross something old and familiar I want something fresh and new. I stay with it for a while as the greens move from water colour to deep opaque and from fresh spring growth to dark winter holly. Sometime later I think that my painting starts from where the last painting left off. But in the moment it felt like the dross poured forth - I was restless...
The painting tight, tense and controlled. I start a new page. More fluid but still tight. the flow is not there. So I pick a smaller piece of paper and let go. Diving into the sense of constrained framing aspects of the painting with strong primary colours. Switching from frustration to exploration meeting that sense full on. The children drift in and out of the studio, I allow that just to be part of my space. I return to the painting process easily this time still frustrated their distractions have not pulled me off centre but given me some space to step away and return.
Then at last I find I want to use the blue tube of ultramarine - a colour I work well with and have a particular reputation for painting with. I hunt for that square textured piece of paper that I cleaned away earlier. The leaf symbol appears again an aquatic boat all in blue. I'm done getting there with reconnecting but not fast enough and not fluid enough but for now its a start...impatient woman that I am.
Light greens the darkest hues, playful shapes then circles of red, deep dark red into brown and orange. The red circle also reappears in 2005 I stopped painting for a while as no matter what paint colour I put on my palette I ended up painting a red circle... its like to start this new round of work I need to connect in with old paintings and I bring them to mind by repeating elements of them. Along the way I think of making things of how the creative process of making things and crafting textiles is different. I continue...
Only slightly frustrated I am sort of content with my progress. Each brush stroke takes me closer to better work. Each painting removes a layer of dross - it has its own pace and I must work with it. I try to find balance it's elusive.

I wrote most of this post yesterday today I added the photography and I can see more clearly the links to past work as a preparation for future work. This morning walking in the bright sunshine of this fine April day I came across something it too has added to my process.

budding

what's that expression
The darkest hour is just before the dawn...

I feel I am on the cusp of something  - so close.
Almost tangible yet not quiet there...

Perhaps it is a reflection of spring not quiet being full in yet - the trees are still bare with limited signs of budding.

Like the trees I am in transition...

Heart felt

Heart Felt Art
Roisin Markham © 2012

I've been busy never even got to post that I opened a shop on Facebook which sits on my CreativeDynamix page. But if you read or have been following my main blog http://creativedynamic.blogspot.com/  you will have seen the blog post about opening the shop and about what is a hug token.
In January I needed to sit and just make practical work something small to sell. Artist make work for different reasons and this year I just needed to sell my art and have that sense that yes people liked it enough to put their hand in their pockets and part with their cash. There is something very satisfying about selling an item you have made, created - constructed with intent.
The added bonus for me was also to discover and remember what making images with a camera was like. I found myself writing poems to accompany the images I was making and the images I wanted to construct or express with the little felted hearts. They became props for a further expression.
"The heart knows
that love can
not be contained
Love demands to 
be amplified and
shared, so it is
between us.
King of care
queen of kindness
you are that to me."

Heart Felt Art
Roisin Markham © 2012

Writing this blog post I'm realising that I still get surprised by my writing - it has always been a part of my painting and in the last year or so has become more obvious with my textiles and surface stitch. My exhibition last year at the Wexford Fringe really saw the words sit on top of created background surfaces 'Of word and stitch' you can look at some of the work just before it went to framing here.

Perhaps its progress? 

The words presents themselves along side my work not layered with the visuals but taking a more even role equally beside the handmade carefully crafted visual art. Neither the words or the crafted pieces are enough by themselves. As I was putting the framed pieces together the balance in the frame was important - words, visual elements, photographing it...
mixed media creations
I see the multiple images I have made they feel illustrative. Words/images - which came firsts? I celebrate that it is no longer important all I know is that I really enjoyed this creative process although small and central to my being it made me happy to express myself freely. It made me happy that people liked the hug tokens enough to buy them.
The illustrative images with the hug tokens will and I have a feeling that they may all fall into a book to be offered and celebrated for "when my heart sings".
If you did n't catch those image head over to the Facebook page and have a look through my wall photographs, leave me a comment or ask me about when the book is due out?

making work in 2012 personal

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.

What is this a picture of?

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?

Stitch bliss

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

Driving through Lismore

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

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"

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

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

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

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?

Starting points for discovery

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...