I generally prefer to leave room for other people to make their own interpretations of my work but thought that, since ‘Reunion’ won’t be on public display for a little while, I would share some images and try to articulate what it might mean to me.
I’m always fascinated by the way artists’ set up their studios, it’s like looking inside their heads. You get a glimpse into their thought processes and creative routines, see how the way they organise their space relates to the work they produce.
While I was on residency at Marchmont House, Steve Smart helped me to document my temporary studio in the Old Squash Court, so I could let you have a look round inside my head.
The Old Squash Court was refurbished for Marchmont Makers Foundation a few years ago to create a beautifully light and spacious studio and exhibition venue for visiting artists. If I were to describe my dream studio it would look very much like this and it was a fantastic place to stretch creatively.
See for yourself here…
Read more about my Marchmont commission here.
They began with a strange moment of recognition; an ailing beech found on a walk seeming to contain something figurative beyond the visible. Once I’d seen this I couldn’t unsee it – pareidolia was at work.
When I first started this series way back in 2012-13 I called them ‘Ghosts’ because they carried memories and echoes of things I couldn’t quite grasp on a conscious level, but sincerely wanted to connect with. For me, these works had a dark energy and a bittersweet mix of emotions behind them. The art was a way of expressing something I couldn’t do any other way and it’s quite difficult to write about even now. Their mystery was always appealing to both myself and the collectors who ultimately chose them.
For the last couple of months I’ve had the opportunity to explore the grounds and wider estate at Marchmont House, hunting for trees and foraging for images to feed into the development of my commissioned works.
I’m honoured to announce that I have been commissioned by Marchmont House to create a triptych of charcoal drawings for their collection. I’ll be on residency there in the Old Squash Court for the first two weeks of June, where I’ll begin working on some new pieces in my ‘Ghosts’ series, based on Marchmont trees.
Find more on the residency in this blog post.
I spent the first week in May on a residency at The Old Lock Up Gallery in my native Derbyshire. I moved to Scotland almost 30 years ago but still feel a pull to the trees and rocks of my childhood landscapes. It was good to be back.
Before I travelled to Cromford, I gave myself a particular focus for the work and some practical constraints. I’ve learned that I’m most productive and creative when
I’ll be on the road south to Cromford soon for a short artist residency at The Old Lock Up Gallery.
My earliest plein air drawing experiences were of waterfalls and tree roots intertwined with Matlock gritstone outcrops. Rocks, tree and water featured in my art from very early on. Having lived in Scotland for more than half my life now,