Threads of Light

This month I have exhibitions running simultaneously in Portland, Wells, Bath and London. I’ve been installing a new site-responsive piece Threads of Light in the exhilarating Chapter House at Wells Cathedral for Wells Art Contemporary. Really grateful to Roger Spear and the team at WAC for all help and support. Riot continues to change under various weather conditions, sited on the rocks at Tout Quarry Sculpture Park & Nature Reserve in Portland, as part of One Island - Many Visions. Next week I’ll be sitting on the selection panel for Bath Society of Artists Open Exhibition, Victoria Gallery, Bath. My piece Stilt Structure II features in the show. Next, I’ll be reconstructing parts of Sack ready for delivery to the Cass Art Prize Exhibition at Copeland Gallery, London. All very exciting!

Threads of Light: installation in progress. Found/recycled materials: sustainable papers, tea bags, textiles, wax, wood, metal, sandbags.. Photos by Maddie Keates

An ancient tree, ghostly limbs and a ruined landscape evoke loss; yet mycelial threads - networks of energy - offer regeneration. Threads of Light considers the entangled relationships between humans, forests, and climate change. We are all connected.

‘Flowing light’ is the WAC theme this year, symbolising enlightenment. it relates to 13th century mystic Mechthild of Magdeburg’s writings, which draw on her union with God, pain, love, divine flow. My work suggests fostering deeper union with natural world, throwing light on the plight of forests, and nature’s tenacity. The immersive oscillation of verticals, translucent branching forms, fluid networks evocative of mycelium, fungal ecologies and forest histories creates a dynamic, ethereal atmosphere. Line interweaves through labour-intensive processes of care and repair: interconnectedness, flow of energy weaving through nature, binding life. A ghost tree, surrounded by shattered tree stumps, references deforestation, wildfires, climate change, haunting war visions. Hope is an act of resistance in dark times.

The exhibition runs from Wednesday 8 October - Saturday 1 November. Private View Thursday 9 October, 7pm. Entrance fee to the Cathedral includes WAC. Under 18s, free as are Wells residents with a local pass.

Riot Performance, 14 September, with me and Melanie Thompson: Found, recycled & donated materials: beach waste (ghost netting, rope, hard hats, fishing floats), wire, textiles (some home-dyed with natural pigments), wool, twine, plastic, sponge, polyester, natural debris, sandbags. Photos by Andy Ralston

On a very rainy day last month I performed with Melanie Thompson wearing Riot (in 2 parts) at its site in the quarry, Portland (what3words: ///deliver.press.tilts). Thanks to the small audience who braved the elements to watch. There will be a film produced of the event by Andy Ralston, which I will publish when edited.

I’ll be leading a FREE Eco Sculpture Workshop Friday 10 October, 2-4.30pm, Drill Hall, Portland (funded by The Arts Society Wessex Area) - last chance to book: fionacampbell-art@sky.com

I’ll also be taking part in an Artists-in-Conversation, Sunday 19 October 2pm with Ros Burgin, Nicola Turner, Rebecca Newnham, Kate Parson, Hannah Sofaer, chaired by Freeny Yianni (Close Ltd). Meet at Drill Hall.

Other Exhibitions:

Bath Society of Artists Open Exhibition, Victoria Art Gallery, Bath, Sat 18th October 2025 - 10th January 2026, 10.30am-5pm.

Shortlisted for the Cass Art Prize 2025, Sack will be on exhibiton at Copeland Gallery, Unit 9, Copeland Park, 133 Copeland Rd, London SE15 3SN, Friday 24 October – Saturday 1 November.

Courses:

Creative Sketchboooking (via Fome Community Education) - last chance to book

Interesting article:

https://theecologist.org/2025/sep/07/food-sovereignty-climate-justice

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Happenings

Riot, recycled materials inc. ocean litter. Tout Quarry Sculpture Park & Nature Reserve. Photo Barbara Beyer

My piece Riot is now installed on the rocks at Tout Quarry Sculpture Park & Nature Reserve, as part of One Island - Many Visions.. We had a lovely and very successful opening Private View last weekend. See full description of Riot here, including what3words location. (Entrances – Memory Stones, Priory Corner DT5 2EN and Tradecroft – Wide Street DT5 2LN. Free Parking Tout Quarry carpark & Heights Hotel.)

I’ll be activating Riot as an intervention, in collaboration with Melanie Thompson this Sunday 14 Sept, 2pm at its site. It will be more of a happening than performance. Do come if you can. We will be there no matter the weather! Bring a brolly ;-)

I’ll be leading an Eco Sculpture Workshop on Friday 10 October 2-4.30pm, Drill Hall, (Easton Lane, Portland DT5 1BW). Book: fionacampbell-art@sky.com. I’ll also be taking part in an Artists- in-Conversation, Sunday 19 October 2pm with Ros Burgin, Nicola Turner, Rebecca Newnham, Kate Parson, Hannah Sofaer, chaired by Freeny Yianni (Close Ltd). Save the date! For further info see @oneislandmanyvisions.

Riot. Photos above by Barbara Beyer

Me with Riot. Photo Seamus Moran

Me with Madi Acharya Baskerville. Photo Barbara Beyer

My installation Threads of LIght is still in the making.  It will be sited in The Chapter House, Wells Cathedral for Wells Art Contemporary. The exhibition will run from Wed 8 Oct - Sat 1 Nov. Private View 9 October, 7pm.

Sack (shortlisted for the Cass Art Prize 2025) will be on exhibiton at Copeland Gallery, Unit 9, Copeland Park, 133 Copeland Rd, London SE15 3SN, Fri 24 Oct – Sat 1 Nov.

Exciting weeks ahead! I hope you can visit some of these events.

Upcoming Courses via Frome Community Education - book soon as places are limited:

Drawing:  https://www.fromecommed.org.uk/courses/id/drawing

Creative Sketchboooking: https://www.fromecommed.org.uk/courses/id/creative-sketchbooking-afternoon1

A huge heartfelt thank you to those who’ve donated towards my shed and performance work: Caroline Driscoll, Hanne Castein, Angela Morley, Claire Alves, Julia Middleton, Victoria Grinter. Greetings Cards will be winging their way to you soon! My shed is being incredibly useful already to store my work for WAC (see pics above).

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Shaping Up

It’s been a lucky month - full of energy and exciting breakthroughs!

I am thrilled that Sack has been shortlisted for the Cass Art Prize 2025! The prize aims to champion contemporary art from across UK and Republic of Ireland with prizes for different categories. The exhibition will be hosted at Copeland Gallery, Unit 9, Copeland Park, 133 Copeland Rd, London SE15 3SN, Fri 24 Oct – Sat 1 Nov. Do visit if you can!

Sack is made from recycled, found or donated waste materials including jute, fabric (some hand dyed with homemade botanical inks), twine, plastic, polystyrene, rope, wood, wire, mainly sourced from wastelands, riversides, and coastlines. Part of my stilt structure series, it was inspired by stilt dwellings which exist on edges of safety around the world; hybrids implying precarity, adaptability and resilience. It was originally created during my PADA residency last year, located in an old jute warehouse.

Huge thanks to Cass Art and the panel of judges David Mach, Ishbel Myerscough, Michaela Yearwood-Dan, Pallas Citroen, Ryan Lanji, Tim Allen.

I’m also over the moon to have been selected for Wells Art Contemporary Site-Specific Installations 2025! There will be a range of installations created for the interior and grounds of Wells Cathedral, responding directly to this unique space. It will be such an honour to place my work in The Chapter House, my favourite space in the Cathedral. It is the place where the governing body of the Cathedral meet - connect - to discuss, decide, find the right way forward.

This year there’s a theme: ‘Flowing Light’, taken from 13th century mystic Mechthild of Magdeburg’s writings about her relationship with God. Flowing light symbolises enlightenment, interconnectedness, the divine. Artists are invited to respond to this. I’m working flat out making my proposed installation Threads of LIght. (progress pics below - more on this later) The exhibition will be at Wells Cathedral from Wednesday 8 Oct - Sat 1 Nov. Hope to see you there!

Massive thanks to judges Laura Moffatt and Cathy de Monchaux for selecting my work, I’m deeply grateful.

Please join us for the Private View of One Island - Many Visions, Saturday 6 September, 6-9pm.

One Island - Many Visions is a collaborative project featuring the work of 27 artists, a partnership with members of the Royal Society of Sculptors and Portland Sculpture and Quarry Trust.

Sculptures and installations will be located within Tout Quarry Sculpture Park & Nature Reserve and Drill Hall Gallery. Maps available at both locations. The artworks comprise a broad range of responses, media and materials, reflecting diverse contemporary and conceptual approaches to the natural environment.

My site-responsive piece Riot is inspired by Maritime Sunburst Lichen (Xanthoria Parietina), ancient life forms of fungi, algae, and cyanobacteria in symbiosis. Sensitive to atmospheric pollution, signifying pure air, lichen are also resilient and play a vital role in nutrient cycling. Lichen are the slowest growing of all known organisms. The nature of my making is slow too, appropriately. It’s taken me 8 months - in between other work - to make Riot! Threads, hand-stitched, weave together a layered bricolage of line, texture, colour, entanglements. Riot is an artivist piece, a form of soft rebellion. It spotlights our wasteful consumerist society, and negligent treatment of our ocean.

Riot (part II), found, recycled & donated materials: beach waste (ghost netting, rope, hard hats, fishing floats), wire, textiles (some home-dyed with natural pigments), wool, twine, plastic, sponge, polyester, natural debris, sandbags. Some donated by Weymouth & Portland Marine Litter Project

Made in 2 parts, Riot is also wearable. There will be a transient performance during the show, in which the human body activates the work. I’ll be performing with Riot in collaboration with Melanie Thompson at Tout Quarry Sculpture Park & Nature Reserve (Sun 14 Sept, 2-3pm, location: what3words: ///deliver.press.tilts).

Rehearsal with Melanie Thompson at Zig Zag, Glastonbury

There will be a range of other events, including a Symposium (27/28 Sept). I’ll be leading an Eco Sculpture Workshop (Fri 10 Oct 2-4.30pm, Drill Hall). Book: fionacampbell-art@sky.com. I’ll also be taking part in an Artists-in-Conversation, Sun 19 Oct 2pm with Ros Burgin, Nicola Turner, Rebecca Newnham, Kate Parson & Hannah Sofaer, chaired by Freeny Yianni (Close Ltd). Save the dates!

Thanks to Kate Parsons who has worked so hard leading the project alongside a Steering Group (Dallas Collins, Anna Gillespie, Rebecca Newnham and me), and to PSQT for hosting. Thanks to The Arts Society Wessex Area for funding my workshop, and contributing to our events and catalogue. See @oneislandmanyvisions for details.

Tufted Duck is floating in Cranmore village pond (BA4 4QJ, Somerset) until 30 August. Made from recycled and found materials including wire, bottle tops, buttons, beads, lifebuoy ring. I created it for the Eco-Arts Festival Trail, themed Water Life. I worked on it with people of all ages and abilities, including Cranmore residents. The Trail takes place around Shepton Mallet, Cranmore and Doulting, Somerset. Maps from Strode Arms Pub, Station Cafe, Cranmore, One Craft Gallery, and Shepton & Wells libraries.

Photo by Roger Spear

I led a joyful one-day Sculpture workshop ‘Drawing in Space with 3d Materials’ at The Sherborne as a wider offering for the exhibition Recurring Intricacies.

My upcoming courses via Frome Community Education begin in September: Drawing and Creative Sketchbooking. . Book soon if interested.

New product in my shop:: a range of copper napkin rings for sale - do take a look.

Fund raiser: I’m extremely thankful to those who’ve donated to my fund-raiser so far: Caroline Driscoll, Hanne Castein, Angela Morley, Claire Alves, Julia Middleton. The fund-raiser (running ‘til the end of August) is to help finance the build of a shed for artwork/storage (see progress pics below - thanks to Roger Spear for all his work on this so far), to work with Melanie Thompson on the Riot collaboration, and film of the performance. If you can help please get in touch. All donors will be acknowledged in my next blog/newsletter and receive a giveaway pack of my greetings cards.

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Ongoing

Working on the second part of Riot for One Island - Many Visions, inspired by Maritime Sunburst Lichen growing on the rocks at Tout Quarry.

Riot is a site-responsive installation, created from recycled materials including ocean waste, to be placed on rocks in the quarry. It’s also a wearable sculpture. I’m raising funds to work with a dance/choreographer leading to a performance at the quarry during the show. Let me know if you can contribute. Any amount much appreciated, however small.

I’ll be taking part in a Pecha Kucha, Tuesday 17 June, 6.30-8.30pm, Stroud Valley Arts, 4 John Street, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 2HA. £3 cash or card on the door. ‘8 visual artists present their work in the brilliant 20x20 pecha kucha format: Emilie Sandy; Fiona Campbell; Jessica Akerman; Risée Chaderton-Charles; Sam Marsh; Albie Luca; Deborah Cox; Tilly Geoghegan

Sack is on show at Insert There, curated by Roger Clarke, 'The Street’, Locksbrook Campus, Bath Spa University BA1 3EL, part of Fringe Arts Bath Festival ‘25. FAB runs until 7 June. Visit all works

Some of my work is showing in the Round Tower, Black Swan Arts, 2 Bridge St, Frome BA11 1BB, part of Frome Community Education Tutors Art Exhibition, until Saturday 7 June. I’ll be there on 4 & 6 June, 10-1 if you want to say hello.

Last chance to book my upcoming Eco Sculpture Course with Frome Community Education, Wednesdays, 2-4pm, starting on 4 June for 5 weeks. Makers’ Yard, 37 Lower Keyford, Frome BA11 4AR. Book here

II’ll be leading a one-day Eco Sculpture workshop at the Hidden Cabin, The Grange, Charlcombe Lane, Larkhall, Bath BA1 8D;, on Friday 25 July, 10am-3.30pm. Book here

More workshops coming soon.

Visual Arts South West is calling on everyone working in the visual arts to write to their MP asap to urge them to champion our sector in the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review. This is a critical moment — big decisions are being made that will shape public investment, livelihoods, and the future of our sector for years to come. Outcomes will be announced on 11th June

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Flags of the Forest

Flags of the Forest, photo by Russell Sach

I’ll be recreating Flags of the Forest at the Seed Creative Popup, Shop 8, Angel Place Shopping Centre, Bridgwater TA6 3TQ, open to all April 8-13th, 10.30am-4pm.

An immersive installation made from reclaimed and botanically-dyed fabric, wood, metal, and other found materials, the work was originally created at Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, Cornwall. The eco-flags celebrate the biodiversity of woodlands in hope for a thriving natural world. Visitors can walk among the soft hangings and hard lines, experiencing the interplay of art and sustainability. There will also be a soundscape by Ushara Dilrukshan, adding another layer to the sculptural assemblage.

Alongside the exhibition, I’ll be running a free drop-in workshop on Saturday 12th April, 11am-2pm at the Popup. Be inspired by the installation and enjoy a relaxed, creative space where you can let your imagination wander. The workshop will entail weaving, wrapping and hand-stitching using a combination of recycled textiles and found plant debris to make mini soft hangings. Suitable for ages 6+ (children accompanied by an adult). No need to book.

It would be lovely to see you there!

Riot is developing for One Island - Many Visions. (Above - work in progress: second of a 2-part piece inspired by Sunburst Maritime Lichen (Xanthoria) growing on rocks at Tout Quarry, Portland). I’m creating the work from hand-stitched and woven recycled/waste materials including botanically dyed textiles, wire and beach litter. The multiple layers will be assembled together and exhibited on the rocks at Tout Quarry. Riot is a site-responsive wearable sculpture; each of the 2 parts will be worn and performed during the exhibition (6 September - 31 October). See my previous blog post for the first part of Riot.

Lichens are ancient life forms in symbiosis, composite organisms of algae, cyanobacteria and fungi, exchanging nutrients for minerals and water.  Symbiosis is the rule rather than exception in nature. I’m reading a book I Contain Multitudes: the microbes within us and a grander view of life (Ed Yong).  In fascinating detail it reaffirms the notion that we are not single individuals but ecosystems, all connected.  I’m learning a lot about the microbial kingdom, the ‘messy, fractious, contextual relationships of the natural world’, surprising connections between living beings, and new terms: symbiogenesis, endosymbiosis, holobiont…

I’ve been doing a lot of teaching lately. Pics below of work by participants from my recent Sketchbooking and Eco Sculpture Courses:

and a few by schoolchildren Years 2-6, St Joseph and St Teresa's Primary on the theme of Pollinators:

Upcoming Courses:

Creative Sketchbooking: Wednesdays 2-4pm 5 weeks starting 23 April; 23/4, 30/4, 7/5, 14/5, 21/5; Makers’ Yard, 37 Lower Keyford, Frome BA11 4AR. £60 + £5 materials. BOOK: here

Eco Sculpture: Wednesdays 2-4pm 5 weeks starting 4 June; 4/6, 11/6, 18/6, 25/6, 2/7; Makers’ Yard, 37 Lower Keyford, Frome BA11 4AR. £60 + £5 materials. BOOK: here

I have a strong connection with Black Swan Arts, an important cultural hub in Frome. I’ve shown in the galleries several times over the years, ran workshops, been part of the 30 years anniversary events, and also shown children’s art in the Young Open there through my teaching.  I was a trustee for several years, and later on the Programming Committee. A piece I created in collaboration with Angela Morley is still mounted on the Round Tower. The Arts Centre is currently struggling to keep going due to high bills and lack of funding, so they are fundraising. If you are able to support please do, it’s vital to keep this amazing Art Centre alive.

https://edge.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/blackswanarts