Sometimes it takes radical trust to believe that things will work out OK. After last minute repairs to the van, we are back on the road travelling through the Cotswolds and encountering more of the Roman history of Britain.
All in United Kingdom
Milestones
Stretching yourself is important in art as it is in life. What is also important is to acknowledge and celebrate each milestone, big or small. Like finishing a project or even touching my nose with my knee!
Eat, drink, print
I have always thought of site specific art as part of an external landscape, something ‘outside’. This changed when I started making art on flattened out cardboard boxes from things I had eaten, drunk or ingested. Adding actual coffee and wine to the mix has yielded surprising results.
May Days
Permission to play is a ticket to freedom. Being immersed in nature at Dartington has been about allowing myself to notice what I’m interested in, which in turn has become the focus of experimental and playful art making.
Mapping with Mud
Walking to and from the studio each day, I have found myself counting my steps. When I was creating some drawings, monoprints and mud resist patterns, I realised I was making a map of my daily walks to and from the studio.
Wayfarers All
Is there still magic in the world? At Wiseman’s Wood on Dartmoor in Devon, the ancient oak trees entwine their branches to whisper their stories. You start to feel the presence of otherworldly beings all around. Strap on your boots and go!
Trying New Things
Invoking the spirit of Michelangelo, I tried out stone carving. I find it difficult to create in 3D but was keen to try new things. Starting with no clear plan, I hoped that the stone would to speak to me. It did!
Settling In
Finding a cosy nook to read in feels like home, especially when it is wet and windy outside. The ghosts of great writers, thinkers and artists once tarried here or walked the 1,200 acre grounds of Dartington Hall estate in South Devon. It’s easy to imagine their benevolent presence as I settle in this year of post graduate study.
Crash Course
Learning new things is exciting. But it can also be really, really challenging. The first days of mastering life on the road in a motorhome have been eventful in the extreme. It’s been a crash course of leaning, with plenty more adventures to come.
Location, location
Cornwall will forever be Jamaica Inn and Rebecca, The Shell Seekers and more lately, Doc Martin.