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

Riot

Riot, work in progress. Shepton Snowdrops Festival Eco Fashion Show. Photo by Jason Bryant

I had a chance to try out Riot as a wearable artwork in the local Shepton Snowdrops Festival eco fashion show. Thanks to Angela Morley for organising the show. Loved being part of the community event alongside fellow makers and models.

A work in progress for One Island - Many Visions, Riot is inspired by Lichen (Xanthoria) found on rocks at Tout Quarry, ancient life forms in symbiosis. Created from hand-stitched and woven recycled/waste materials including botanically dyed textiles, wire & beach litter.  There will be a transient Happening, a performance in which the human body activates the work.

Last Sunday I revisited Tout quarry, Portland with Seamus Moran and photographer Russell Sach to get a few pics of Riot, as I trialed it in my chosen location. The work will be shown in One Island - Many Visions, an exhibition by Royal Society of Sculptors which will open in September. Thanks to Hannah Sofaer for taking the time out on a Sunday to open the gates and let us drive right up to the location, and to Russell for the photoshoot.

Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand, Seed Creative Pop Up, Bridgwater. Photos by Elliott Morgan

A few evocative detail shots (above) of my installation Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand at Seed Sedgemoor’s popup in Angel Place, Bridgwater last month. I’m hugely grateful to Seed for the commission and their support, and to all those who visited and took part in my drop-in workshops all week. It was such a joy engaging visitors and chatting about the work. Many different responses from happy enchanted faces, to tears of sadness about the plight of pangolins.

Coming soon: Flags of the Forest, an installation from April 8-13th, at Seed Creative Popup (Shop 8), Angel Place Shopping Centre, Bridgwater TA6 3TQ. The work explores the beauty and resilience of nature. Reclaimed and botanically-dyed fabrics are combined with wood, metal, and other found materials. This multi-layered artwork was originally created at Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, Cornwall. These eco-flags celebrate the biodiversity of woodlands and the hope for a thriving natural world. Visitors can walk among the soft hangings and hard lines, experiencing the interplay of art, sustainability, and sound through a soundscape by Ushara Dilrukshan, adding another layer to this immersive sculptural installation.

I will be running a free drop-in workshop on Saturday 12th April, 11am-2pm at the Seed Popup. The workshop will entail weaving, wrapping and hand-stitching using a combination of recycled textiles and found plant debris to make mini soft hangings. Free, fun, and open to all (children accompanied by an adult). No need to book - just drop in!

I have 2 drawings on show in Drawing on Dorset, The Sherborne, Drawing Room, Dorset, DT9 3JG until 23 March, and 3 pieces in The Piano Shop Bath, 1&2 Canton Place BA1 6AA, all for sale.

Happy New Year!

Stilt Structure, maquette, found & recycled materials, ‘23

Looking back on 2023, I’m grateful that my Arts Council England DYCP award enabled me to complete major new pieces, exhibited in some fantastic settings. I also appreciate all the support and encouragement from so many wonderful people. It’s a tough juggling act surviving and thriving as an artist - hats off to all creatives who keep at it, pushing boundaries.

Residency and Solo in a large disused shop space Create@#8, Somerset, ‘23. Photo Russell Sach

Above and Below, created during my residency, ‘23. A response to the entanglements of matter. Reclaimed & found materials, each with a story

Me with work, The Fall, detail. Photo Russell Sach

Flags of the Forest began as an indoor piece. Photo Russell Sach

Flags of the Forest developed into an ambitious outdoor installation for Wander_Land at Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens with Royal Society of Sculptors members, ’23. Photo Russell Sach

Above and Below, Tremenheere Gallery, with assisted curation by Martin Holman.  Loved working with the steering group on Wander_Land. Photos Russell Sach

I’m currently working on a series of small sculptures and collages. I’ve been thinking about precarious stilt structures, and resilience.  Looking at overladen camels of nomadic Somali tribes (camel = symbol of adaptability, endurance, trade routes), boats and homes on stilts, and French shepherds who walked the bogs on stilts. In our unstable climate of floods, famine, overconsumption, and waste escalating in the name of ‘progress’, these hybrids - part vessel, house, creature - feel relevant.  I plan to make large sculptures based on some of these ideas.

Above: collages of tall thin lines supporting stacked assemblages and heaped bundles, made of discarded materials (paper, plant debris, found wood, textiles..)

Upcoming:

I’ve been planning and fund-raising for a new project I’m co-curating with Jan Ollis: As Old as the Hills. Residencies will lead to an immersive exhibition with events in the historic Zig Zag building, Glastonbury for Somerset Art Weeks Festival ’24. Rooted in heritage and environment, with community engagement, we have some excellent artists on board. Fingers crossed we receive grants to make it the best we can. If you’d like to contribute, please let me know!

I still have a few spaces on my forthcoming online sculpture course (8 Jan-11 Feb).  If you’d like to join let me know asap!

Running a Free workshop with writer Polly Hall, part of the Snowdrops Festival ‘Nature Unbound’ (Feb ‘24) to create a giant scroll-like mixed media collage installation, with text, to span the galleries of the Baptist Chapel. 20 Jan, 10am-4pm, Create@#8, 8 Town St, Shepton Mallet. Bring your own lunch. Free but please book via eventbrite as places are limited.

Back to Bath College next week running various short courses (sculpture, painting, drawing and life drawing, in case you’re interested in joining)..

Next month I’ll be off to Portugal for a PADA art residency. I’m looking forward to the creative challenges and adventure.

My work will be featuring in Casting Shadows ACEarts, Somerton, 2 March - 6 April ‘24, with Royal Society of Sculptors members.

At the end of last year I gave a talk, Matter Ongoing, focusing on my Dust of Stars installation for the Hatch exhibition ‘Death and Microwaves’, and other recent work.  The live talk is now published online (thanks to Elaoise Benson for filming).

Here’s to peace, care and creativity in 2024!

Winter News

A few more images of my installation Dust of Stars, made from scrap, reused and found materials, some from older work. It questions what is waste, dead, no longer of value. We throw away so much… Looking at the bigger picture, all of life is made from stars made billions of years ago: ‘The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff.’ (Carl Sagan). Matter keeps on going… Loved watching the way visitors interacted with the installation. See my instagram page for video clips of the work. We had some great feedback: ‘one of the most exciting art exhibitions I have seen in a while’ (Jan Ollis, SAW Co-Chair). I gave a talk about Dust of Stars as part of the Hatch exhibition, which will soon be published online via their website.

Photo by Rod Higginson

I’m enjoying the speed and convenience of working at a small scale, trying out different versions of a general idea about precarious structures on stilt legs. The sculptural maquettes are made from repurposed and to-hand materials, treating the assemblages as 3d sketches. These and other sketchbook ideas are leading to upcoming projects, including one I’m co-curating with Jan Ollis (‘As Old as the Hills - working title) for next year’s Somerset Art Weeks Festival. We have some great artists on board and will be taking over the top floor of the Zig Zag building, Glastonbury. The project is rooted in local heritage and environment, linking community with social engagement activities highlighting issues of conservation and sustainability. Culture is an indispensable pillar of climate action. Currently fundraising for the project. More on this soon..

Maquettes: Found & recycled materials: (top left) grass stems, willow, pine, peacock feather, copper wire, wool, roots, steel; (top right) steel, copper wire; (mid left) steel, copper, aluminium; (mid right) sticks, grass stem, khadi paper, leaves; (above left) roots, cardboard, plywood; (right) wood, cardboard packaging, khadi paper

Collage

For many instability is the norm. Dwellings exist on the edges of safety raised high on make-do scaffolding to avoid floods and other threats. In ‘Planet of Slums’ Mike Davis highlights our increasingly unstable urban world. Nomadic Somali tribes carry their homes on camels. Shepherds in France used to herd on stilt legs in boggy ground. I’ve been thinking about resilience, making do. In order to adapt, change the narrative of consumerism and economic growth, imagination is key.

Teaching:

I’ve been running 6 courses at Bath College (3 sculpture, painting, drawing and life drawing). Loved getting to know and working with students on their work - see pics below of students’ work.. ↓ (from top to bottom: Maureen, Mandy, Nick, Cath, Juliette, Sarah, Lynette, Sarah, Martin, Sally, Cath, Fran, Cathy, Pat, Juliette, Jenny, Suzanne, Sally, Judy, Jenni).

Squeezing in my own studio time has taken a concerted effort, and I have been treasuring that.

My next online sculpture course starts in January ‘24. If you’re interested please get in touch, or buy the course direct from my shop. I have other goodies you can purchase too, if considering arty Christmas gifts!

Upcoming events:

My work will be showing in Casting Shadows, Royal Society of Sculptors group exhibition at ACEarts, Somerton, 2 March - 6 April ‘24.

As part of the Snowdrop Festival (February ‘24), I’ll be running a free workshop with writer Polly Hall to create a long scroll-like collage with text, on 20 Jan, 10am-4pm, at Create@#8, Shepton Mallet. The artwork will be installed in the Baptist church for the festival. Get in touch if you’d like to join us.

Really enjoying reading The Golden Mole and other Vanishing Treasure by Katherine Rundell, sent to me by Faber books. As part of the book launch, I was commissioned to make a small Pangolin sculpture, now on display at Hunting Raven Books, Frome. If you haven’t yet, do read the book! Each chapter tugs at your heart with enthralling details about wonderful but endangered creatures.

I’ve been selected for a PADA residency, Portugal in February, and am fundraising for this great opportunity. If you can support me (for travel and accommodation costs), I’d really appreciate a donation via the link below.

Donate

My next blog may be post-Christmas, so here’s wishing you a wonderful festive time wherever you are!

Ongoing

Design for Flags of the Forest - ongoing work

As one thing ends, another begins… and so we go on.

Thanks to all who visited my recent solo exhibition, supported, and bought work! :-) I had such a special time meeting new visitors and friends, catching up, talking art and all things related. See more about my residency and solo in my previous blog posts.

A few events on the horizon:

I’m involved in the Quantock Poetry Trail, led by Ralph Hoyte, (worked with me in step in stone). We're showing our work in Measureless at Studio 10, East Quay, Watchet, a film comprising spoken word and visual art. My Flags of the Forest was partly inspired by walks with the group, and some of my images and words will feature. It runs 1-23 April. Readings eve: 22 April, 7-9pm.

Join me for 2 Heart-making sculpture workshops this Thursday 6 April, and 4 May, at the Art Bank, Shepton Mallet, 10.30am-12.30pm. Help me create the heart of the Community Spirit living sculpture! We’ll be using found and recycled materials to make the giant’s heart, to be installed in Shepton this summer. No need to book.. Just turn up!

I’m taking part in a Pecha Kucha at Shatwell Farm, Bruton, Somerset on Friday 14 April, 6.30pm. Creatives speak about their practices in quick succession ‘to foster new connections... an opportunity to exchange ideas with one another’. Join us if you can! Book your place here

My work (design above) has been selected for Stone Lane Gardens Sculpture Exhibition 2023, and Ashburner Prize; opening 1 June, it runs throughout the summer. The spectacular 5 acre woodland is on the edge of Dartmoor National Park.

Thrilled to be taking part in Wander_Land this summer, with Royal Society of Sculptors SW group members at Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens & Gallery, Cornwall. We’ll be showing new work about landscape and wandering. Runs 1 July-5 Aug. PV 30 June, 6-8pm. I’m developing Flags of the Forest into an outdoor series for Wander_Land. Sculptural lines and layered fields of colour will be activated by the elements: solid vertical hoists contrasting soft hangings, hand-stitched patchworks of semi-translucent materials that will hang at different heights. This film shows my process so far ↓.

Above and Below, my second (indoor) piece to be shown at Wander_Land

Behind the scenes I’ve been working with the steering group, my focus being PR and our instagram feed. Do follow @wanderland2023 for more..

Thanks to Mark Devereux (MDP) for his sensitive mentoring so far as part of my DYCP award.

For the past year I’ve been art tutoring young people at home. I was delighted that 2 had 6 of their artworks selected for the Black Swan Young Arts Open Exhibition, and 1 won a prize in his age category.

If you’re interested in a 1-to-1 or group workshop let me know!

Other events and links:

I was so glad I got to London last week to catch Cecilia Vicuna’s Brain Forest Quipu and Magdalena Abakanowicz’s Every Tangle of Thread and Rope at the Tate. Both inspired by forests. The latter particularly inspiring: highly dramatic environments of enormous bulky forms, suspended so that ropes spill across the floor, shadows, deep rich earthy tones.. Also saw Maria Bartuszova’s delicate plaster sculptures, wandered around the Object/Materials collection, and visited V & A to see Africa Fashion - a brilliant show!

Attended a tour of The New Bend, Hauser & Wirth Somerset by curator Legacy Russell last weekend, very eloquent.

So sad to to learn of Phyllida Barlow’s death last month. A huge loss to the art world. She was a great inspiration.

A-N report ‘Structurally F-cked ’on the ‘systematically flawed art world… the only people not paid were the artists, the content providers….small fee.. huge workload… the fee per hour worked out as pennies..’

Aerial African Studies by Edward Burtynsky