Corrina Askin
Illustrator & Animator
A Dreamer’s Practice: Corrina Askin on Storytelling, Sketchbooks, Forest Walks, Forgotten Words, and the Spirit of Place
Corrina Askin begins her day with quiet purpose. “I’m an early riser. I work best in that quiet, unrushed space in the morning,” she says.
To maintain focus and momentum, she has developed a routine: “I start early and take regular breaks. The pauses are as important as the work. A long walk on Cavehill with my two dogs in the afternoon helps untangle any issues – and I work on those when I get home.”
These scheduled sessions help move ideas from sketchbook to reality. “I have dozens of sketchbooks – little bits of notions or ideas that just stay there if you don’t make a plan.”
From Bologna to Kildare
Her recent creative energy was sparked by a visit to the International Children’s Book Fair in Bologna: “I am reconnecting with the publishing world.”
Two of the picture books she is currently working on have come from the exhibition Cat Crainn agus Madraí Uisce (Treecats and Waterdogs), a collaboration between Corrina and bestselling writer and documentary filmmaker Manchán Magan, co-commissioned by Riverbank Arts Centre, Kildare and Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar.
“Working with Manchán has been completely inspiring, and he gave me the freedom to pursue my own way of interacting with his work.”
Language, Memory, and the North
Askin grew up in Tyrone during the Troubles. “There wasn’t much colour or connection to culture, so working with Manchán has helped rekindle a love of language, heritage, and connection to place. His work helps fill in the gaps of who we are and where we’ve come from – what we’ve forgotten.”
The collaboration started with an online project based around lost words: “I illustrated these evocative lost words that Manchán had collected – mostly to do with farming, the seasons, or nature – but there are also words that connect with a more spiritual or emotional mindset and to a faerie world beyond our human understanding.”
“When the opportunity came along to develop this into a body of work for Riverbank Arts Centre in Kildare, I jumped at it. I had read all his books and used them as background inspiration to create a universe that is playful, enchanting, but also grounded in this place.”
The exhibition is multi-layered and consists of full-colour illustrations and animation, as well as a mini theatre set.
“My own background is animation. I’ve created two animated children’s series for TV. I find it very easy to conjure up story moments and magical spaces based on the words that he uses.”
Her animated series Castle Farm was created for Milkshake on Channel 5. She was living on a small farm in Donegal at the time, which became her inspiration. Joe and Jack was created for RTÉ and was sold internationally. “It started simply – one day, I did a drawing of my cat with a little boy who used to visit with his mum. I could see a dynamic, and it felt like the beginning of something. It became Joe and Jack, an animated series that aired on Disney, Canal+, and ABC Australia.”
Apart from the work with Manchán, she is currently working on an artist’s book called Dreamer’s Space, funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
The concept began in Paris. Nora Hickey M’Sichili, Director of the Centre Culturel Irlandais, noticed Corrina sketching in the courtyard.
“Nora saw my drawings – half-scribbled ideas – and asked if I could do that in a real place. That was somebody noticing – really noticing – what you’re doing. And that was it. That was a turning point, you know. I really try to remember that when I’m working with kids or doing workshops. That moment – of someone seeing the value in what you’re doing – that’s huge. Because there’s value in all creative work.”
“I volunteer in a community garden here in North Belfast – an amazing space called Grow, in the Waterworks.” As part of an Arts Council-funded trail there, Askin created a set of characters rooted in the cardinal directions. She embedded figures like the bear and the wolf into benches around the garden to embody feelings of direction and grounding.
“That garden space… it’s a safe place. It’s a quiet place. It’s a place for thinking. A place for growing food. A place to connect with other people. It’s just a nice feeling, you know? So I really wanted to somehow, kind of reframe that – in some way.”
It was the beginning of a journey that would involve her most important work – and a turning point for which she’ll be forever grateful.
A Dreamer’s Space, an artists book is scheduled for Spring 2026
Corrina’s show with Manchán travels to Linenhall Art Centre, Castlebar, September to December 2025
thelinenhall.com
Discover Corrina’s recent work, along with the latest news via her website:
corrinaaskin.com
Keep up with her on social media:
@corrinaaskin
And with A Dreamers Space:
@dreamersspaceproject
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