October 2022 review
What I’ve been making:
This month I have been doing a lot of journalling, both art and writing. Whilst I was on the Isle of Wight we did quite a bit of walking and I noticed the urge I get to write whenever I walk. Walking encourages introspection and I always feel the urge to journal about my thoughts during and after a walk. As well as a lot of writing, I have been experimenting with some simple collaged images in my art journal including some text from book pages.
Collage using magazine images and words from book pages with added drawing
I have also started to build some new writing habits into my daily routine. Inspired by Julia Cameron’s book ‘The Artist’s Way’, I have started writing morning pages each morning before I start my day. Julia suggests writing three A4 pages of free writing every morning but I that feels a bit overwhelming to me so I am writing two A5 pages every morning. I have noticed the difference; I am more focused and my thoughts feel less jumbled in my head. Another thing that Julia suggests in her book is taking yourself on an artist date each week. I have started to do this on a Monday morning. Monday’s can be a bit of a struggle so I have decided to start each week with an enjoyable trip out somewhere. Often this is a walk at Cliveden or another local National Trust property. If the weather is not so great then I will wander around a local garden centre or art gallery. The act of getting out and filling my creative well is invaluable. Often, I will include a trip to a café as part of my outing and spend some time journalling whilst I drink my peppermint tea. This is also great for helping me to find focus for the week ahead.
What I’ve seen:
Isle of Wight
As well as trips to the beach and walks around the gardens and footpaths of the island, we also visited Farringford House which was home to Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and Dimbola Lodge, home of photographer Julia Margaret Cameron. Both were fascinating visits and it was interesting to learn about the connection between the two properties and their inhabitants.
London
A few weeks ago I went into London to see the Cezanne exhibition at the Tate Modern as well as the charming Beatrix Potter exhibition that is currently running at the V&A museum. They were both very informative and interesting. I particularly enjoyed the Beatrix Potter exhibition which took me right back to my childhood!
What I’m planning:
I have signed up to an online course with Fibre Arts Take Two called Visual Narratives: Print, Paint, Stitch with Sally Tyrie. Sally is a Portsmouth based fine artist working predominantly with printmaking, mixed media and photography. This course covers her complete art making process from researching ideas to working with and combining mediums and bringing it all together into a series of finished artworks. I am hoping to experiment with my own photography and learn more about Sally’s printmaking processes. I would like to include more printmaking in my own work, combining it with hand embroidery.
I am going to take my time with this course and consider all the aspects of my art processes and practices. I am right at the beginning, at the research stage. My starting point is a book that I am currently reading called ‘Wanderers: A History of Women Walking’ written by Kerri Andrews. I am thoroughly enjoying it and it is giving me a lot to think about.
‘Wanderers: A History of Women Walking’ by Kerri Andrews
Since last year, I have found walking to be both meditative and introspective and it has healed my mind as well as kept me physically active. This has, in no small part, been down to the natural landscape around me as I walk although, that being said, even when walking in urban environments I have never returned home feeling worse for having been out. I am keen to explore the relationship between walking, introspection and the environment in my artwork as well as my written journal. Whilst writing about Nan Shepherd’s work, Kerri Andrews perfectly sums it up;
“At the heart of [Nan] Shepherd’s writing is a careful and subtle articulation of the complex interactions between physical movement, introspection and the landscape that create meaning in a human life.”
Walking, and spending time in natural places, has helped me to find meaning in my own life and I would like to explore the reasons why that is the case. What is it about walking that makes it so effective at soothing the mind?
I am going to take a break from writing on the blog for November whilst I settle into this new project. I will be back in December to update you on my progress.