Welcoming in the Solstice

Last night we welcomed in the solstice at our now familiar spot on the Salt Way, an ancient trading track which travels from the coast at Whitstable to Canterbury. As usual it was pretty chilly up there on the hill, we could see our breath but the little fire warmed us. The wind blew through the leaves in the poplar trees sounding like running water and seagulls quietly flew overhead towards their evening roosts.

Half a moon peeps out between the rustling poplar leaves.

In my last blog I wrote about experiencing awe and cultivating wonder. In creating a midsummer ritual of processing, with others, up to that same location year after year we are choosing to mark time and make our own magic. Being there in nature, sitting high up between two busy roads we are able to just be, becoming human beings once again.

Placing the pot into the fire in the circle.

The glowing objects from within the kiln.

This time I took up, amongst many other treasures a clay pot that I had made as part of the Whitstable Biennale. The pot had been fired among many other hand made objects in a spectacular outdoor firing event held on the beach a couple of weekends ago. Run by Josephine Callaghan and supported by Tom Barnett and Sarah Cameron, the kiln was made and fired in situ, creating a wonderful display in itself with a backdrop of the sun setting into the sea.

Josephine about to unveil the glowing objects

Summercamp Whitstable Biennale 2018

So, a lovely connection was made last night from this past fiery passionate event to a much quieter, reflective event on the hill. I took my fired pot up with me to the same spot we have sat and celebrated for the last 5 years and placed it onto the fire and filled it with some seawater I had gathered the previous evening after a wonderful swim in the sea. As the fire burned the water evaporated and it is only now when I look at the photo that I can see salt forming on the top edge and inside the pot!

The pot with evaporated sea salt within it. 

What a discovery! We had inadvertently made salt in a ritual fire on the Summer Solstice on the ancient Salt Way. That certainly has made me realise that I need to be more observant and keep enjoying and creating 'awe-some' events for myself and others to connect 'People-to-place.'

Happy Solstice!

I will leave this blog with a couple of quotes from two of my favourite writers and practitioners. Sandra Ingermann and David Abram.

'We once again welcome in the solstice. In the Northern Hemisphere we greet summer as well as the return of the dark...Often in life we lose sight of what is important. And we can really get pulled outside of ourselves and lost in the trance of the collective....We have to make a decision to open the prison doors and use our invisible senses to connect with the beauty of the universe we are part of. Earth is one single living organism. We are part of the organism we call Earth.' SI

'...along with the other animals, the stones, the trees and the clouds, we ourselves are characters within a whole story that is visibly unfolding all around us, participants within the vast imagination, or Dreaming of the world.' DA

warming hands...

I love to teach others and facilitate space for them to create, so I run art and design workshops in my own strawbale studio throughout the year. These can be either 1:1 or for a small group and I charge from £15 per hour.

The next ones for the exciting and accessible art of Gelli-printing are on most Wednesdays and Fridays throughout June and July. They run 11-2pm and cost £40 pp including all materials and refreshments.

Call or text 07432679164 if you would like to be booked in or email me at clare@people-to-place.co.uk

www.people-to-place.co.uk

Experiencing awe and cultivating empathy.

Experiencing awe and cultivating empathy....

I wonder if this is why I need to go and see the sun set, to experience awe. Is this a basic need of mine?

Luckily, the sunsets here in Whitstable are stunning, we have a clear view across the sea, with the Isle of Sheppey becoming a wonderful landmark, that can be used to chart the suns movement through the changing seasons. As we approach the longest day, the sun moves across to the east of the island and sets impressively in the sea, its reflections enhancing the experience.

Sunset over Whitstable.

One of my favourite experiences during the summer months is to swim in the sea, towards the sunset. Even with my eyes closed I can see an orange glow and follow the trail of the reflected sun as it swooshes up and down in the waves. I have tried to capture this feeling of immersion, in the seawater and in the glow of the sunset by producing a dry-point print, titled 'Immersion'.

I have added text to accompany my images in the book.

This image is one of many artworks I have chosen to put into a small book, named 'People to Place- Reflections and Reminders', along with minimal but well thought out text, I hope to remind others of the simple joys of making time to go out, observe and be in the moment, connecting to the wonder of the natural world.

Find joy in the simple pleasures of life.

So, with another open studio date coming up soon, I have been busy printing a couple more books, using the fabulous Risograph machine at Intra studios in Rochester. This machine, about the same size of a large photocopier is a mechanical wonder. Simply put it can be seen as a mechanised screen-printing process. I make the original artwork, it then thermally cuts the 'master' stencils that are wrapped around the ink cylinders, then I press the button and I can choose any number of copies from 1 to 1000!

Risoprint machine in action.

I love the fact that there are many great colours of inks to choose from (and eco-friendly soy water based too). There is a wonderful 'flat gold', a deep indigo blue, my favourite Teal and about 6 more that can be used either separately or overprinted to create so many more colours. The machine can take A3 photocopier paper and thicker card so I have been able to produce many hardback covers for my books using the same process.

Printed covers drying on the rack.

Recently I tracked down Rob Hopkins, co- founder of the Transition Network, a positive global movement based in Permaculture. He is studying the power of imagination and regularly writes a blog about this subject.

Recently he wrote a blog in which he interviews Tony Whitehead of the RSPB, who during the spring months takes people out to listen to the birds dawn chorus. The interview looks at the subject of awe, which Rob had been researching. He asks Tony, 'I was reading some research recently about awe, which talked about how there's something about when people experience awe, that their brains work in a particular way that is really powerful for cultivating empathy. Maybe that's part of what you're saying people experience?

TW; 'And beauty as well....But I think awe comes into the simple every day experiences such as listening to blackbird song. And it starts at that point. That simple point of beauty and contact and everything else really devolves from that in terms of relationship. And I think people are more willing to act and advocate on behalf of wildlife and nature if they have that original experience of awe or the sublime or just that connection. Just that connection.'

'Immersion' image and text.

So my little books have a big message to spread. Which is go outside, connect with nature and enjoy the awesome natural phenomenons that we are gifted with on a regular basis.

 

So...

'Go outside everyday, into nature and feed your soul.'

My next open studio event will be soon, on Saturday the 16^th of June. It will show the new progression on from my current art project 'Hearth and Home'.

The exhibition is open to all from 11-5pm in my straw-bale studio.

The studio has a Facebook page of its own, to look at its 'life story', look up www.facebook.com/Green-Build-Tankerton

10% of all sales of this 'Hearth and Home' artwork will go to our local homeless charity in Canterbury, 'Porchlight'.

I love to teach others and facilitate space for them to create, so I run art and design workshops throughout the year. These can be either 1:1 or for a small group and I charge from £15 per hour.

The next ones for the exciting and accessible art of Gelli-printing are on most Wednesdays and Fridays. throughout May and June. They run 11-2pm and cost £40 pp including all materials and refreshments.

My own personal art page can be found at www.facebook.com/RoseClarityArtist I can be contacted on 07432679164 or clare@people-to-place.co.uk