Every Step of the Way

Last few days of the wonderful Every Step of the Way exhibition at The Arc in Winchester before it moves to the next venue, The Weald and Downland Living Museum near Chichester.

The exhibition articulates, through art, the experience of walking the 100 mile South Downs way, long distance trail, over the spectacular South Downs from Eastbourne to Winchester.

From ditchling beacon, watercolour, 101 x 152cm

‘From Ditchling Beacon’ 101cm x 152cm, is one of a series of large, immersive watercolours I created for the project, depicting the view from the highest point of the 100 mile walk as it stretches towards Lewes and the English Channel beyond.

The show questions what landscapes mean to us. For my part it is the joyful uplifting feeling of moving through the landscape and observing the human imprint of the pathways dissecting the hills and valleys. Pathways become visual lines, describing the topography and worn into place by myriad feet across many centuries. Walking these paths grounds me into time as well as place.

I am one of 33 contemporary artists articulating the experience of walking the Way through the lens of my creative practice. We are:

Jonathan Barrett Danes / Ruth Barrett Danes / Iain Biggs /Robert Brooks / Andrew Carnie / Tim Craven / Jon Edgar / Ben Edge / Alex Faulkner ? Stephanie Fawbert / Paul Finn / Mark & Rebecca Ford / Jeremy Gardiner / Anita Gellatly / The Baron Gilvan / Helena Hines / Simon Hitchens / Sarah Hughes & daniel Pateman / Rachel Johnston / Judith Jones / Frances Knight / Neeta Madahar / Fiona McIntyre / Flora McLachlan / auł newman / Piers Otte / Howard Phipps / Deborah richards / Tiffany Robinson / Vanessa Rolf / Melanie Rose / Harriet Tarlo /Jonathon Thompson

The show runs to the 16th July - 9.30 - 5pm, Monday to Saturday, 11am - 5pm, Sunday.

The Arc, Jewry Street, Winchester, SO23 8SB

My struggles with the Oaks

Staverton Oaks - drypoint etching on tetra paks

I took a trip to Staverton in the last week of April. I wanted to capture that moment when the oak leaves have just come out with all their luminescence. I had three days and booked in to Wantisden Campsite.. a stone’s throw from Staverton, glamping in one of their ‘wooden tents’ with a large double bed, clean sheets, electricity and a kettle.

Each day I wrestled with how on earth to capture the park. I started early and the light was beautiful, with long shadows and shafts of bright green grass between the trees, shots of vibrant green in the canopy and the dark purpley silhouettes of the old gnarled trees dancing in a writhing spidery ensemble.

It was a while before I settled in to my solitary work. Being alone in the 200 acre park felt eerie. The whole forest would begin to crackle, a noise not unlike rain, as tiny pieces of tree, twig, flower and leaf fell onto the ground when a breeze stirred. Miniature green caterpillars landed on my arms and legs. Loud movements in the undergrowth had me nervously peering round. Deer. I came upon pheasants snuggling down in the grass and my days were punctuated by two cuckoos calling to each other across the park. I began to relax.

It took me three full days to do anything that I was pleased with. I attempted acrylics, inks, watercolours, but in the end it was drawing that I needed to focus on.. I found myself continually drawn to one area of the park, where you could see the trunks of the ancient trees stretching away to a distant open area. This is where I began to find a language for this extraordinary place. As I walked along a now familiar path back to my car on the last day, a cuckoo flew around me, calling as it dipped from tree to tree - the first time I’ve ever seen one. What a privilege.

Originally appeared in the Arborealist’s Spring newsletter

Longlisted for the BEEP painting biennial

I was delighted to be long listed for the BEEP painting biennial 2024. The selected artists were asked to make a painting based on a ‘rescued’ 7 inch vinyl record and to create a new painted cover for it, to the size and square format of a singles cover (18cm x 18cm).

My single was ‘’The Things We do for Love’ by 10CC which was released in 1977. It turned out to be such an enjoyable exercise.

I saw a striking photo of polish naturalist, Simone Cossack whose intense relationship with the wild animals she lived amongst and studied for 30 years, seemed appropriate to my song title. My painting was a response to a photograph of her and a mischievous wild Raven she befriended. My painting fits in with one of my current preoccupations which is how humans relate to the non human world.

The over arching theme of the biennial was ‘I won’t stay in the world without love’ and it opened at the Elysium Gallery in Swansea in November 2024 and transferred to the Aberystwyth School of Art in January where it runs until 4th April 2025. Let me know if you get the chance to see the show in Aberystwyth.

Turps Hastings 2024

A year of regular artist led mentorship and monthly artist’s meet ups, talks and peer to peer activities and suddenly we are at the end of the inaugural Turps Hastings off-site painting course 2023/24.

Come and see what we have been up to in our end of year curated exhibition, ‘Paintings’ at the Electro Studios in St Leonards on Sea. We’d love to see you at the Private View which is on Wednesday 26th June, 6.30-8.30pm. The show runs for five days only, 11am to 5pm and I will be there from 2 pm to 5pm on Sunday 30th June. Pop in to say hello.

Paintings, Turps Hastings 2024, Electro Studios, St Leonards, TN38 0AL