Women, Walking and Wellbeing

Women, Walking and Wellbeing

Last Monday I held the first of my walking workshops. This one, ‘Women, Walking and Wellbeing’, looks at our attitude to walking, here in the UK, and includes exercises on creative way-finding and place making and introduces the art of Psycho-geography.

Woman walking.

Colourful and textural detective work.

It went well and everyone enjoyed themselves, the venue worked and the coffee and cake was appreciated. On refection, I find that it is only when I am actually running workshops that the content and engagement can be improved.

 

Finding landmarks.

I went to see Germaine Greer at a new arts venue, The Quarterhouse, in Folkestone last week and found her talk ‘The Disappearing Woman’ interesting but quite sombre. What I decided I would take home from the talk was a determination to make more women visible. So, let’s get out there, get walking, see and be seen!

Some interesting 'clues' to navigate by.

Everyone on my course said a main part of the enjoyment of the day was meeting other like-minded women.This is important.

Learning by Doing

It is through doing courses that they evolve into something quite inspiring for both the facilitator and the participants. I have now changed the time frame and the subsequent costs, tightened up the content, added more dates (next date is 30/03/15) and created a workshop package for each participant to take away with them.

Using modern methods and post-it notes!

I am away next weekend at The Eden Project in Cornwall. I am really looking forward to it, it is a ‘Big Lunch Extras’ event and it supports people ‘to bring about positive change in neighbourhoods right across the UK’. There will be ‘an interactive and varied timetable of workshops, activities and inspirational speakers alongside time to explore and network with others.’ This feels to me like the perfect timed opportunity to participate.

Foreshore detail: low sun, tide running out.

Foreshore, larger view.

I am getting a clearer vision of how my MA Design research and subsequent work is going to evolve into a far reaching and positive ‘movement’ for many. I want my work to be improved by attending courses and events such as this one, but I am also keen to make a living by it. I haven’t applied for any funding yet, as the actual vision needs to be very focused and clear on who it is for, where it will be, what it is exactly and how it will be applied. I feel that I am so close now.

Writing

I am starting with a book which will be finished by early May and the writing of it will be funded by a crowd-funding campaign. I have been researching about crowd-funding for a while and followed some very successful ones on social media. It is not easy but it is possible. The campaign also identifies the market and is therefore very useful if/when approaching a publisher.

On of my paintings was published in last years 'Earth Pathways Diary'.

I have been looking at the possibilities of self-publishing too. There are many online options; one that has been recommended to me is ‘Lulu’. The initial problem I can see of using this ‘platform’ is that they only produce books with glossy covers. Strangely this bothers me, I expect my book to be beautiful to look at, I have a wealth of images that I can use which include photographs and my own and others original artwork.

Beautiful Books

Even when I used to get my photos developed back in the day of processing labs, I used to prefer the matt finish over the glossy one. So I realise that the aesthetic of the book is as important as the content, to me. I have been looking through many of my own books at home and others in libraries recently, pondering their shape, style, weight, layout etc.

Even the form of the words on the page can be evocative and beautiful.

Page from a 1950's book of the countryside, showing page border detail.

There are many that I own because how they look appealed to me first. There are others, but few, that have comprehensive and valuable text, but are a bit clumsy in their look.

One of the shop displays showing some books back in 2014.

I think the feel of a book and its content are both important. My friends own a shop called ‘Number Seven’ in Dulverton, Somerset and I know that they are persuaded by this too.

A wonderful book that I am working through at the moment. I don't know whether Number Seven stocks this one.

This book I know is stocked there. Such a beautiful cover.

Their bookshelves are full of the most exquisite books, colourful, beautiful and precious. Davina also organises a ‘Walking Book Club’ that takes people out into the surrounding wonderful wild countryside, to discuss the book that they have all been reading.

Photo by Davina Jelley, taken at one of her walking book clubs, a couple of years ago.

The club is open to all, the books are available from the shop, to buy and there is a welcoming atmosphere to all that join in.

So next time I will blog, it will be after my Eden experience. Hopefully I will come back inspired and enthused for setting up more local projects, engaging others and connecting people to place.

(I completed my MA in September 2014 and recorded the last two months of it in another blog called www.thesaltwayfarer.blogspot.co.uk

Please feel free to look at that anytime, as it is from that, that I am where I am now.)

Walking Freely

Walking Freely.

There is often a choice that needs to be taken. Whether we choose to walk or drive is just one of those choices. Which road or path to take is another.

Road, pavement or footpath?

There is a well known poem by Robert Frost, written in 1916, it ends with this revelation.  I haven’t studied this poem, so I don’t know if it has deeper significant meanings, it may well do as it was written in the middle of the First World War, but I like its simplicity and his understanding of choice.

‘Two roads diverged in wood, and I- I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.’ Robert Frost

 

Two paths diverging, Sharsted Court. Newnham, Kent.

Walking frees you up. I can remember, whilst learning to drive many years ago that I found I had difficultly in navigating my familiar surroundings. I had to add another layer to my mental map of the place that I knew. It wasn’t just the increased speed of travel that threw me; it was a combination of things.

There were one way streets, dual carriageways and tricky spots, such as steep hills that I would try to avoid, in case I had to do a hill-start.

An upended old boundary stone, with beautiful hand-carved letter.

Walking around my local area was far freer. I could walk where I liked. I used alleyways a lot to cut through between roads, sneaking a peek into other people’s lives via their gardens. I walked over pedestrian bridges, noticing the contrast of the speeding traffic below and my more leisurely and slower gait.

Our shadows are evidence of being out in nature.

When I chose to drive I would find myself unable to observe as much as I was used to. I missed finer details of seasonal change and the heightened awareness that comes from being outside and being able to experience your surroundings with all senses.

The Spell of the Sensuous

This is the title of one of the most insightful books that I dipped into whilst studying for my Masters. I say dipped into, as I will admit I haven’t read it (yet) cover to cover, but like many other wonderful books it is so full of teachings that these momentary immersions can give powerful insights. It was written by David Abram in 1996 and explores the connection between the landscape and the human, ‘suggesting language as one of the factors responsible for humanity’s sensorial disassociation from nature.’

Walking through the seasons.

When I think back to the earlier mentioned days of driving, I think it was a disassociation from the actual experience of being in the environment, in nature that I missed when navigating familiar routes.

 

Walking in the woods, in Springtime.

Being contained within a car and moving at speed stopped me being aware of the actual place I was traveling through. I was in my own ‘bubble’, a man-made environment that I inhabited, along with specific possessions that I needed for the journey, such as music tapes, sunglasses and maps.

Had I been walking, I would have employed all senses; the pace of the walk would have allowed me to hear sounds such as traffic, birdsong and voices. I would even have been aware of subtle scents in the air. Walking allows us to inhabit the space fully.

A Woodland Walk

As I walked out in to the bright sunshine, last Thursday with my sister in her local woodland, we went along a path that we often use.

Taking a familiar path...

Snowdrops were looking small and precious amongst the brown fallen autumn leaves on the edge of the wood.

 

Snowdrops.

Bluebell leaves were starting to poke through deeper leaf litter further along the path and the emerging spiky shoots of Wild Garlic edged the muddy path.

Bluebell shoots poking through the fallen leaves.

We could smell fox, leaf mould and pine in some areas. The wind blew coldly on us as we approached the edge of the estate.

Looking from the woods toward Doddington Estate.

Here we stood and looked back into the wood and saw the sunlight bright and raw, shine onto tree bark, woodland floor and fallen trees.

Bright sunlight on the tree bark showed up much detail.

The sky was a sharp blue and highlighted the detail of the tree canopy, which waved above us.

 

Looking up the tree we saw a squirrels dray, high up.

Being in nature literally made us stop and stare, there was so much to see and hear, birds singing, trees creaking etc, that I now understand even more that it is an immersive experience.

 

Colourful lichen.

This experience cannot be fully understood by those who do not choose or are unable to discover it for themselves.

This is why I am working on two projects at the moment. Both of these are collaborations with other artists. One is working with schools in Kent, encouraging local children to walk out and about into their environs. The other project similarly is about connecting people to place through walking, creating an immersive experience that will engage and inspire.

Being in the environment capturing moments of nature.

The actual form that these will take needs further development and funding, which is being sought at the moment.

Seeing reminders of past seasons, eg: sweet chestnut cases.

Personally, I am putting on a number of day workshops that will explore the themes of walking that I have been studying, exploring and writing about over the last 4 years or so. One is called appropriately, ‘Connecting People to Place’, the second is ‘Women, Walking and Wellbeing’, as I think there is a special place for women, walking in the environment, one which may have been overlooked for a long time.

Old fence posts and trunk, moss attached to both.

Beautiful ring of moss around young sapling.

So, my choice at the moment is to concentrate on these two projects and the two day courses, to encourage people out, to walk in the world and allow them to connect creatively with the place in which they inhabit.

Emotional Walking

 Emotional Walking

‘Walk yourself out of your bad mood. Studies show that even a 10 minute walk immediately boosts brain chemistry to increase happiness.’

Unknown

This was posted on Facebook a few days ago. I don’t know where the quote was from originally, but it rings true. If I have ever wanted to get out of a bad mood, I try not to get into the car as that is just too risky, my attitude may pervade my driving skills and someone could get hurt.

'Chalk Paths' by Eric Ravilious

Instead, I choose to go out and start walking. It doesn’t matter where really, just the act of going out and walking, somewhere, helps. The steady pace helps get things back into perspective; other peoples’ activities and the natural environment distract me from my thoughts. Before I know it, I have walked through that emotion and may be feeling another, but all is OK again.

Chalk paths, pilgrim routes and avenues of trees inspire me.

As a child I was taken out for walks most weekends. The first house that I remember well was in the Medway Towns. We lived on the edge of the huge conurbation that made up, at that time, the Borough of Gillingham. We were able to experience the countryside quite comfortably, from this ‘edge’ position. We could cycle or walk out from our front door, go under the big bridge that fed the traffic up to the M2 and be in the small village of Bredhurst within minutes. Further on we would be at the high ground that overlooked Maidstone and the Kentish Weald. Once we walked on the Pilgrims’ Way here and I was fascinated to be told its story, of the pilgrims travelling along it and imagined how it must have been for them. This, I think was the start of my love affair with paths.

Topographical Exploration

About 15 years later I lived next to an army camp, had married a topographical surveyor and had access to any Ordnance Survey map we needed, to explore the surrounding countryside.

A recent watercolour painting on wood, showing a path. (detail)

The Ridgeway is said to be the oldest road in Europe. I became drawn to it. Other artists have been seduced by it in the past; these include Paul Nash, Eric Ravillious and John Piper.

Black and white photograph by Paul Nash of the head of the White Horse, Dragon Hill in the distance.(c.1937.)

We used to visit it regularly and walk along certain sections of it. It was often very windy and wild, but the sense of history and the views were wonderful. Many ancient landmarks are located along its route, notably the enigmatic chalk White Horse of Uffington, Waylands Smithy, Barbury castle, Avebury and the Sanctuary.

The undulating landscape and Waden hill, by Avebury inspired me.

Other places to visit would be the concrete posts that were built and used as ‘trig points’, which Jim had measured from during survey exercises. These especially were up on the highest ground, often along the Ridgeway path and not too far from a cosy pub. So our walking became focused on these many aspects: mapping and navigating the path, traversing the highest ground, visiting contemporary or ancient landmarks and enjoying the views in between. We discovered many crop circles from this height and would later drive past them and note if the farmer was ‘cashing in’ on this mystery or oblivious to his new harvest of people!

Painting Paths

I think my first large painting was completed about 10 years later at my home in Whitstable. It was titled, ‘Silbury Hill/Initiation Myth’ and bought at my first exhibition in 2005 by an acquaintance. It was based on my memories and experiences of walking on the Ridgeway. There was a path in that early painting; there has been a path and a bird in every painting since. The paths are easy to find, the birds not so. They can often be the path itself. Sometimes it takes a bit of looking to find them.

'Letting Go', an early work showing path and bird as one.

I have just come back from the Turner Contemporary gallery in Margate, the new exhibition is about self-portraiture. I have only ever sketched myself in an art class, it is not a subject I feel drawn to, portraiture and self-portraiture to me are what ‘proper artists’ do. I have always thought that I ‘play’ with the media that I choose and so couldn’t ‘do’ a serious subject such as a portrait.

Detail of 'I Dream', showing clifftop chalk paths.

But in hindsight perhaps my paintings have always depicted me. Paths and birds may symbolise spirit and direction.

There is a great painting in the Turner by Maggi Hambling, loaned by the National Portrait Gallery. I listened to a Radio Four piece (at 1hr 21mins) about this exhibition yesterday and her name came up. She painted her own image, and is portrayed with three hands, as she likes a smoke and a drink, but also loves to paint. I also noticed she had many other objects placed around her on the canvas.

One was a beautiful white flying bird. These objects were meant to be symbolic of what was important to her, apart from her fags and booze! So, I am now left wondering what this bird means to her.

Walking to Forget

We walked the whole length of the Ridgeway many years later, after we had moved from the area and were living back in Kent. We walked this time to both remember and forget. We had suffered a deep loss and wanted to be away from it all, to forget what day it was and just be, together.

Detail of 'I Dream', Ridgeway chalk path in foreground.

Walking the Ridgeway, the oldest road, gave us the strength to recognise all was well with the world. The path had been well trodden before and now we were travelling along its length together. The writer Robert Macfarlane accurately describes this feeling, ‘the paths provide, for those who walk them, communion with the prehistoric. They are spectral places, ghostly with the leathery feet of the ancient past.’

We revisited the haunts from our younger days, enjoyed the views once again, saw a brand new crop circle, camped along the route and felt safe and deeply touched by the whole experience.

Walking the Ridgeway, Uffington White Horse Summer 1999.

I have a photo of myself standing on the chalk eye of the white horse, looking over the Vale of the White Horse. I know that in that moment I was wishing. Thankfully, my wish came true. I wonder now if I walk the paths as a gratitude to the deep connection that I felt then. The connection I recognised was for all the people and places that had come before. So if paths and birds come into my paintings to remind me of spirit and direction, then I thank them for it.

'I Dream'.