Week 1 and the first 7 objects of project whisper

It is really interesting to see as a set my week made in seven objects. I’m enjoying the act of making something every day and dedicating minuets and hours for a day wearable outcome. I think I am personally liking the work that was made in under 3mins on the sixth of Jan.

2/1/14 ‘shadow’, brooch, card, paper, plastic, metal detector find, cotton

6/1/14 ‘muzzle’, pendent, pot dog, resin, nylon

Project Whisper…

For 2014 I have set myself a daily act of motivational making. Every day I will make a new piece of jewellery for that day, a wearable diary entry and personal involvement of meditation. I have set no rules of any kind the pieces can take seconds or hours to make and can be made from anything I choose. It’s a making principle designed to create spontaneous experimental work that celebrate the moment of making, choosing materials, nominating objects and calling each piece ‘finished’. I am intrigued to see some results and learn, adapt and strengthen my work through the act of making with no distinguished goal.

Draw with me…

I love the action of just doing something to see what happens, spending time teaching drawing techniques both as a discipline and experimental; it seemed a natural development to create objects that can be used to create a range of mark making. These instruments have been made from found objects with the intention to leave an element to ‘chance’ in the drawing process and just to see what happens.

My Circus collection

In 2012 I set myself a new theme for creative development based on a topic that has always inspired me in many ways. I sat as I do most times pondering the subject of the circus and what it means to me, and begun to ask myself just what is it that keeps me captivated? The result gave me a new working title and question to create and develop work with; ‘what if the circus was contagious?’ just over a year in making and I am still mesmerised with this working question there has been so far emphasis on colour and texture that I want to abstract even further. It is safe to say I can see this sub-subject will remain a focus for lots more work to be infective with and has resulted in the biggest 2D body of work for over 10years.

Bring Back The Dead (Lucky Dip)

This is my piece submitted for the Bring Back the Dead exhibition at the Whitespace Gallery Edinburgh September 2013


Lucky Dip was born in 2013 under a wandering star from materials collected from a harvest of the shiny. The beloved brooch is child of Mark Mcleish whom worn it only once in the void of a shirt collar. Will be dearly missed but never forgotten and will always be my Wednesday child (full of woe). I wish you many new adventures. RIP



Interpreting NASA data

Interpreting NASA data; my objet ‘time to shine’ exhibited in the exhibition Digital Futures at the V&A May 2013

Maker; Mark Mcleish

Title; ‘Time to Shine’

Date; 2013

Materials; Silver, Nylon, glass, sand, plastic, resin, steel, paint

I became fascinated with the data for the planet ‘55 Cancri e’ (the diamond planet). I was inspired by how the involvement of both time and heat promotes the planets identity and map its life span.

The planets year lasts for only eighteen hours and experts say the planet will not last. I wanted to create a piece of work that exploited time; creating visual notions to explosives and a tension of change.

The materials I have used all have origins with heat; the blown glass the cast silver and the thermal reaction with resin. This became important in the making process as well as echoing a connection of order and chaos.

The piece was timed to be made to completion within the diamond planets year (18 hours).

Interview, on work, objects and process. 2013

Do you favour any materials?

Found objects, flexible materials such as: ceramic, wax and textile. Resin is used constantly in my work, in addition to glitter and gemstones.

Can you talk a bit of your working process?

Genially I work from the written word and expand into working drawings, layouts and photographs. The process of working for me is a reaction or a response and the active part of ‘doing’. I make a lot of things that stay a certain way for years and then I come back to them adding all the time. I work often with the idea of deconstruct to construct I see the work I make as investigations of learning a language, giving voices and I describe my work as subtitled metaphors.

What inspires you?

Life; living, observing, commenting and documenting. My work fits the notion of autobiographical work and identity. I am often amazed how a mundane starting point can span years of creativity for me.

The subject of memory; how we as humans conserve, document and treasure memory with tangible things resonates a lot for me. I love the ideas of: where touch meets memory, value and worth, current obsessions, simulated decay and dust colleting. Jewellery for me is a perfect fit.

How would you describe your work in 3 words?

Heterogeneous, Curio and Void

Can you speak more on the found objects you use in your work and why?

I often find this difficult to describe, the collecting side is vast and continuously growing. I honestly think the objects choose me. The making with any found elements or materials I consider to have a memory of their own, of a past existence, I use this as one would a voice layering hidden metaphors and meanings that surface in construction.

This part of my work could be described as a curators touch. Sometimes I think I have clairvoyant gifts for reading found objects and other times I feel it’s the physical act of noticing things that others often don’t. 

How important is the space you work in?

Very, I’m a nester; I have to have things I have chosen around me; on the walls, and on show it’s about creating a womb for me. To others this appears chaotic but I can guarantee there is a process.

What is your favourite piece you have made and why?

The next piece, I see each work as important as any other and an act to learn and develop from.

How do you price your work?

Upon the concept of a ‘finders fee’.

Would you like to collaborate with anyone?

I think it is a beautiful thing to work with people outside your discipline. I would like to make work for a performance for a music video for artists such as Bjork, Patrick Wolf, Patti Smith or Darren Hayes.

All these people interest me.

How important is education for you and your work?

Priceless! It’s important to learn and don’t take education for granted. I am lucky to have had the education I have (I still want more) learn the traditional processes I did, and be taught by the people (artists) I have been. This has all had an impact on my work and life.