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!

Wander_Land, DYCP, Sovereign Nature

Above and Below (detail)

I’m delighted to invite you to

Wander_Land

1 July - 5 August
An exhibition of sculpture by members of the Royal Society of Sculptors at Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens and Gallery. I will be showing 2 new works made this year, Flags of the Forest and Above and Below, around the theme of woodlands/forests, biodiversity, rhizomic systems and entanglements of matter. I’ve been developing the Flags as an outdoor installation. Both works are made using eco-friendly materials and approaches: recycled, found, discarded and re-purposed materials, including home-made botanically dyed textiles, hand-stitched.

Inspired by a pilgrimage route that passes through Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, Wander_Land explores our relationship between landscape and wandering. 

Please join us for the Private View:
Friday 30 June, 6 - 8pm

1st July: Artist Talks 2.30-4pm

5th August: Closing Event am & pm

Open 11am-4pm daily
Tremenhere Sculpture Gallery, Nr. Gulval, Penzance, Cornwall TR20 8YL (T: 01736 448089)

Instagram: @wanderland2023

Below: pics of work in progress for Flags of the Forest. Thanks to Nigel Evans for his assistance.

As my Arts Council England ‘Developing Your Creative Practice’ Award draws to the end of its year, I’ve been looking back at what I’ve learnt and achieved. Huge thanks to ACE for the grant, Mark Devereux Projects for the bi-monthly mentoring sessions, and all who’ve contributed, engaged and followed my progress.

I’ve really appreciated the conversations and advice given my Mark Devereux over the 6 sessions. They were helpful in staging my progress, each building on the last. Mark helped to pinpoint key aspects of my practice, made sensitive observations and offered suggestions for development. In light of his questioning, I’m thinking more about presentation, the sensory, and my Kenya connections.

Kenya (my birthplace) is an underlying thread which I’m drawing out in my work. The tie is emotional. I’m focusing more on making do, ingenious uses of materials, embedding life and art, use of colour, textiles, space, connecting with earth, creatures, plants.. In my new series of work, I’ve explored and tested scale, materials, processes, ideas and different qualities through maquettes, drawings and larger pieces. I’m planting a dyers garden which will enable more home grown inks to be produced, expanding my repertoire of botanical dyes and eco prints. 

I was asked to create a river train and oak copse crown/headdress for a giant puppet’s costume (ACE-funded project via Spoken World). I used recycled/found materials to create the pieces, including eco-dyed fabric, wire, plastic, found wood and leaves for the crown. The river train took many hours to stitch together! I led a community workshop at Create@#8, Shepton Mallet to create some of the elements, and grateful to all those who helped. The giant Sovereign Nature has been processioning at Somerset Festivals. I enjoyed performing with her at the Green Scythe Fair.

Jem Dick made the giant and worked with project director/storyteller Sharon Jacksties and community groups to create the gown.

Upcoming giant processions:
15-16/7 Pitchfolk Festival
3-6/8 Fanny’s Meadow
and appearances at various residential care homes. 

My work House on Fire is showing at Stone Lane Sculpture Exhibition, Stone Lane Gardens, Stone Farm, Stone Lane, Chagford TQ13 8JU, 1 June-31 October. The gardens are magical and there’s a great range of sculpture on show - do visit!

Flags, Crowns, Costumes, Giants

Flags of the Forest in progress

I hope you’ve been enjoying the May bank holidays (with extra coronation one for those of us in UK). I spent it with friends in North Cornwall (see pics at end). Flags, Crowns, Costumes and Giants have been recurring themes lately…

I’m working on my Flags of the Forest series - eco-flag pieces inspired by woodlands.   Some have different qulities/themes and hoping they’ll speak to each other.  I’ve used labour-intensive methods such as hand-stitching, weaving, and hand-made eco dyes to celebrate biodiversity, hopeful of nature being more cared for, and thriving. Placed in the landscape near Tremenheere’s woodland, and reflected in a water feature, the flags become way markers. The concept was inspired by Ursula Le Guin’s book title ‘The Word for World is Forest’. Woods and forests provide vital ecosystems - crucial to our survival.

The work’s being developed for Wander_Land. Follow our weekly instagram @wanderland2023 artist takeovers by Royal Society of Sculptors members leading up to our exhibition at Tremenheere Sculpture Garden and Gallery, 1 July - 5 August, (PV 30 June 6-8pm). 

I’m involved in an ACE funded project to create a processional giant puppet ‘Sovereign Nature’ via Spoken World, for upcoming Somerset festivals in June/July.  ‘Built by a professional giant maker Jem Dick, Sovereign Nature’s costume will be created with textile artist Fiona Campbell, project director/storyteller Sharon Jacksties and community groups. ‘ I’m creating parts of the costume using recycled/found materials.  Currently working on the oak copse crown/headdress comprising handmade leaves, and eco-dyed fabric.  We are holding several community workshops.  These start in May - one at Create@#8, (8 Town Street, Shepton Mallet BA4 5BG) on Tuesday 23 May, 6-8pm, run by me and project leader/storyteller Sharon Jacksties.  This free community workshop is to help make a large recycled fabric river train.  The making process will include storytelling and sharing stories about Nature - reviving the age-old practice of telling/listening whilst making.  The more hand-stitchers the merrier, so do join us!  We’ll also be doing some drawings of Somerset's endangered creatures on fabric for the giant’s dress sleeves   Book: eventbrite

Listen to a BBC radio chat about the project (3:16-3:36)

Sovereign Nature Events: 10/6 Taunton Green Fair, Castle Green, Museum of Somerset, Taunton; 11/6 The Green Scythe Fair, Thorney Lakes; 15-16/7 Pitchfolk Festival, Sedgemoor. Plus various residential care homes..

I led a flower-crown workshop for Jack in the Green via The Old Stores Studio on May 1. High Wire Mystic Chris Bullzini was the master of ceremony, always a pleasure to witness. The cloak he wears was made last time by me and the community.

I also made a crown for my local village church (St. Bart’s) for the coronation, and installed the work with Gill Sakakini.

Yesterday I installed my piece House on Fire at Stone Lane Gardens for Stone Lane Sculpture Exhibition, part of the Ashburner Prize. It opens 1 June and runs throughout the summer. The theme is ‘Sense of Place’. Thanks to Jason Nosworthy for his help with the install!

House on Fire, reclaimed materials: found wood, wire, steel, twine, fabric, plastic..

Other news:

Honoured to have been invited to join the board as a Trustee at Somerset Art Works. I was a Rep ’13-’19.

A few sketches done on my mini break in North Cornwall. We did some gorgeous coastal walks around Rock, The Rumps, Padstow, and Daymer Bay.

Pics below include a heart-making workshop I ran for a Community Spirit giant - to be installed in Shepton Mallet this summer; prepping work for Flags of the Forest; and London exhibitions (Mike Nelson at Hayward & Souls Grown Deep.. at RA)

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