I’m fortunate not only in having a studio at Marcelle House, 6 Marshill, but that I share this hub of creativity with so many artists, all of whom have a unique style of expression. Every studio reveals a different imaginative space. For my second arts feature I’ll focus on the work of fellow resident Tamsin Haggis.

Tamsin grew up in Scotland and studied art at St Martins School of Art in London. Anyone stepping into Tamsin’s studio is immediately struck by the large colourful free form drawings that hang all around. Add to that a mix of eclectic surround sound and a floor area which entices dance and movement practice and you get the picture... or rather an all round myriad of material connected to all the senses which celebrate being alive.

It is a dynamic environment, which reflects the Indian philosophy of life energy which Tamsin has studied, both in her degree in Indian Art and Philosophy, and as an Artist living and working in North India. We see exuberant figures in her paintings, which represent symbolically the movement of energy within ourselves and in the wider sphere of the earth. In keeping with ancient traditions of Indian painting, Tamsin’s dancers are deliberately not anatomically correct: arms and legs stretch beyond what is physically possible in order to express the inner sense of unbounded movement that dancing provides and which uplifts our spirits. In order to produce these energetic characters Tamsin has to dance them onto the paper with her brush or charcoal. Creating art this very physical way means that her work extends into other connecting areas of expression.

Music is an important factor in enriching the visual work. As part of her practice she improvises on violin, viola, mandolin and piano, and she also works in collaboration with others.

Many of the abstract images on display in her studio evoke the patterns found in nature. Her sand paintings are actual records of the physical qualities of sand. You might just remember these patterns from your school days as Fibonacci’s sequence. In Tamsin’s work the creative element adds to the natural mathematical principles, providing even more evolving patterns.

The process of producing her sand paintings is fascinating to watch. Tamsin takes a large sheet of paper and scatters and runs sand onto the paper using various instruments. After creating an image, she then suddenly agitates the paper, in an instant destroying the beauty of the forms she has created. As she shakes the paper the sand shifts and creates various moving patterns, some of which she captures on camera. Finally she sweeps up the sand and everything is gone. This process neatly illustrates the idea that everything in nature has an energy, even inanimate objects such as paper and silica. She is making a philosophical point with this whole process about dynamic process of change, destruction and renewal. Tamsin’s studio is a unique creative space where East and West meet for a metaphorical cup of tea and it’s here in Alloa.

Marcelle House artists can be visited by appointment, or on one of the regular open days and every first Sunday of the month 12-5 pm.