Type - 3D

I've rediscovered my love of typography again, the shapes of letters and words. The curve of an a, the crossing of a t. This has happened for three reasons.

Reason 1. I've been teaching and getting the children at Ballygarrett art studio kids class on a Tuesday to work on a four week type project. It's a project I have done before and kids of all ages love it.

I kicked of the project by asking the kids to have a look at magazines, the newspaper, books and look for their name or their initials. This bring their awareness to printed type. With older children I sometimes get them to go through magazines and make a montage with the text. Then I showed techniques for creating hand drawn typefaces. The kids also drew and coloured in their name in different sizes and styles. Following on from that they drew their first initial large and we cut it out twice.
This Tuesday was spent constructing these two 2D initials into a 3D initial to act as a piece of sculpture in the kids bedrooms. They work really well as stand alone items but they can also be hung from the door or the ceiling. I particularly like them on shelves. These 3D shapes will be decorated in next weeks class. Really looking forward to seeing what these kids do with these shapes.
This project can be done with recycled materials, tape and glue are needed also.

Reason 2. A recent commission for painting room names in a healing centre. It was a lovely job to get. Raphael was painted in red with copper on the elaborate 'R'. The small 'R' was matt varnished to stand out from other letter which were gloss varnished. Painted on to wooden four panel doors.

Reason 3. Designing a type based logo for a new company,

...and I have discovered fontspace.com! Gone for ever are the days of the letraset book. I wonder does anyone have a copy lying around?

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.

ART not chocolate for Easter!

Here at Ballygarrett Art Studio we support

Art not chocolate for Easter 2009.




Ballygarrett Art Studio is establishing this campaign and suggests the following reasons why everyone should be supporting this campaign

1. Art has No calories.
2. Art lasts much longer.
3. Original art is affordable. Prices at Ballygarrett Art Studio start at €35. Whatever the budget or occasion we have something to suit or to recommend.
4. Support your local artist.


A selection of my work is on display at the Enterprise Centre, Gorey Business Park, Ramstown, Gorey, Co. Wexford.
Viewing of other work by arrangement with Roisin at 086.1546163.

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
just CC Ballygarrettartstudio@gmail.com on the email

Art and craft shops

In the Gorey, Co. Wexford Byrnes on the main street stock art materials but I find the range limited and expensive, try the Bookstation down the road, Tesco and Lidil (when they are running art material promotions) offer good value in art supplies. All these places sell off craft supplies and bits and pieces to clear stock and make way for new products coming in. So if your around the town drop in and check what's on offer.
If your looking for an art shop near you check out your local http://www.mykidstime.ie/ for listings.

These are the places I recommend and purchase from
Premier Arts and Crafts, Greystones or Bray, Wicklow. For contact details http://www.premierartsandcraft.ie/ no online shop. Both shops in Bray and Greystones are excellent. They also stock great craft fun stuff for boys and girls that are excellent value and make good gifts.

Hopkins Toymasters, Wicklow Town. Established since 1850 so there is no building number you will find them in the middle of the main street, car parking for customers to the rear. Great shop worth a detour from the N11 or a trip all by itself. Toys, books, stationary, great craft and art supplies. They offer great value and will order products for you. Very friendly.

Evans, Dublin for map and address http://www.kmevans.com/ no online shop which is a shame but an excellent shop & they will deliver. They offer great value. I used to go there as an art student and still go there as an artist and teacher.

http://www.corkartsupplies.com/ good online shop. If your unable to get to an art shop and need supplies, have access to the internet and have a credit card this is the place for you. If you don't have a credit card you should check out 3V as an option for online payments. If you go to Cork make sure you check this shop our its great.

http://www.craftsupplies.ie/ Great little site. if you never buy anything from the site go look at the buttons - so cute, so cool!

Thrifty art supplies

You don’t have to spend a lot of money on art supplies to enjoy art!

If your kids like to cut and paste get them to make collages with a glue stick and a pile of magazines. Reuse old postcards, magazines, newspapers (great for cutting out words for kids that can’t write yet). Second hand shops are great for old magazines at affordable prices. The doctor’s surgery, dentist and local hairdressers are all good sources for these magazines when they are finished with their stock. Try to get a mixture of topics and avoid real trashy celebrity magazines.

A list of potentially useful items:

• Newspaper
• Postcards
• Magazines, flyers, newspaper supplements – for colourful images and coloured paper for collages.
• Cardboard from cereal boxes makes great card for art projects
• Buttons. When recycling clothes cut off the buttons and keep them in a jar they make interesting additions to pictures- Lids. Twist top cartons lids like the ones used for litres of milk or juice cartons. Even the two litre milk cartons can be used. Jar lids can also be used.
• Tissue paper. From new shoes boxes or wrapping. This can be used to paint on, layering over images and for making flowers.
• Cotton wool
• Twine or an assortment of wool and threads
• Feathers
• Straws
• Ice cream sticks
• Easter egg wrappers – great opportunity to collect different coloured foil.
• Brown or white paper bags
• Egg cartons
• Toilet roll inserts

Commercial craft bits & bobs that kids like. Keep an eye out in your local stationary shop, local supermarket or book shop for when they discount craft items and keep a small stock. Or you can go to one of the on line craft suppliers and stock up.

• felt pompoms,
• googly eyes,
• pipe cleaners
• Glitter, glitter glue, glitter gel, sequins, sequin mesh - all colours
• Stickers for younger kids, it can be old out of date supermarket promotion stickers, hold onto them. The kids can always colour over the original content.

Keep all the craft materials in a box including scissors, glue and tape.

Teach the kids to clean up as part of the activity that way you don't get left with all the clean up.