Why blog?

Image courtesy of Jess Bailey at Unsplash

I used to blog intermittently when I was doing my degree course but as soon as I graduated my blog came to an abrupt halt. I didn’t really have a focus for my writing anymore and so I ran out of things to say. Part of my story was lost.

So many times I have found comfort, inspiration and joy in the stories of others. We all have our own unique story to tell and this blog is part of mine. I want to share my discoveries and create a place of reflection. I discover new things whilst I am making art and it is useful to document them and share them with others. Maybe my discoveries will help you … maybe not.

Writing about my art helps to bring me greater clarity about my process and inspirations. I make art as a way of knowing myself better and writing is the same. It helps me to see past the things that don’t really matter and get to the heart of what does. My heart. What is it inside me that wants a voice? What am I trying to say? What is the universe trying to say to me? The answers are deep inside of me and they take a little, or sometimes a lot of, excavation to find and bring to the surface.

I often find myself looking to nature for help, she is patient and reliable in her routine. The seasons change and in turn so does the pace of life and the kind of art making I occupy myself with. Outdoors more in the summer; eco-printing, dyeing and drawing in the garden, whilst the winter is a time of settling down indoors patching cloth and stitching.

My inspirations board containing my drawings and samples as well as magazine images and a print out of an artwork by Lisa Noonis.

My art is informed by memory, story and place. The plants around me and the associations I feel with them find a way into my drawing and stitch. Eco-printing gives me the memory of leaves on cloth or paper; a memory I can embellish with my own marks. Dyeing and painting help me to capture and mix colour. Making my own sketchbooks and journals gives me a place to experiment with marks and make discoveries. They are a place to hide my secrets so no-one but me will know they are there.

The place of my blog is to muse on my process and inspirations as well as sharing my discoveries and reflecting on my progress. I hope it will be an inspiring space for us all.