My first Chapbook!

My first Chapbook!

Over the last couple of weeks I have enjoyed photographing some of my artwork to use in a couple of small books that I have compiled. I love to use the name chap book for this project as Chapman was my maiden name and means pedlar. I was always proud of that for some reason, so now, to have produced one is curiously wonderful! The historical definition of chapbook is 'a small pamphlet containing tales, ballads, or tracts, sold by pedlars.'

Copies of my chapbook ready to be stitched together.

The 'Spirit of Place' project that I have been working on with Alison Lees has really helped me explore other mediums, such as wood cut printing and it is good to see the overall variation and diversity of my creative output, photographed, set with text and printed.

Choosing photographs of my artwork to be included.

Finally I have a couple of small books to be proud of. It has been a long process and I have felt at times like there were too many obstacles to navigate to actually get something into print. But now, by scaling the 'writing project' down and producing something that I see now as 'just' another piece of art, I have managed to complete it at long last. Hurrah!

Finding the best layout of images to be used.

After photographing my recent work, I was able to select specific images that showed the various 'mark making' that I had been experimenting with over the last 2 years. For example, the brush-strokes of acrylic look soft compared to the oil painting and likewise the subtlety of a gelli-print contrasts well with the deep old strokes of a woodcut print. The printing system I have chosen to use picks up these tiny differences and I wanted to work with that.

The first book is titled 'Spirit of Place, Wanderings and Wonderings' and explores the basic inspiration I have had whilst walking and being in nature that has led to the production of the many images contained in its pages. It is not deep and inaccessible but light and easy to read, hopefully inspiring anyone who reads it to feel that they too could go outside and become more aware and ultimately inspired. I guess my aim was to produce a gentle reminder...

Getting the master copies of each page ready at Intra.

I printed the books as an initial batch of 50 and now have the repetitive but hugely satisfying task of putting them all together. The Risograph printing machine that I used is a wonderful thing and I like many others would like my own, but just to have the opportunity to travel up to Medway, to Intra and use theirs is good enough for now.

Part of the page layout for 'Spirit of Place' chapbook.

It's a great way to print and the best way to explain the function of the Riso machine is to compare it to mechanised screen-printing. You still have to create stencils and choose colours plus when making a booklet, pagination, layouts etc also need to be decided. But I love a process and now I just have 100 booklets to hand-stitch together! Some of them will be on sale at my next Open Studio event in June, so come and see for yourself!

My next open studio event will be 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

Recognising the spirit of place.

I believe that part and parcel of making artwork is the need to regularly be inspired. To find this, I walk, often with other artists and it goes a long way to fulfil this need. Walking in nature, throughout the year provides me with plenty of opportunities to observe the larger seasonal changes and recognise the smaller more intricate details that may be overlooked by others.

Walking upon a path covered in white petals.

Seeing the footpath coated with white blackthorn blossom petals, looking like a wedding path and remembering the same path crunching underfoot last autumn as we stepped onto a thick carpet of acorns makes me happy! I see connections, recognise the changes and their regularity gives me peace, hope and inspiration.

Making prints from found objects on a recent walk.

I have been making and teaching 'Gelli-print' mono-printing for over a year now and I find walking and picking up small reminders of that walk, the time and the place can be used directly in subsequent printing sessions. The prints can then be looked back on with affection and become a direct link to another, past experience.

Earlier spring walk in Adisham, along a holloway.

I am obviously one of many artists who obtain inspiration through walking outdoors and connecting to the place. Last Monday evening I went to a poetry reading and performance by an artist who back in 2011 had a 6 week residency in a beach hut on Tankerton Slopes, Whitstable, Kent. As a long term resident of the area and a fellow beach hut owner, I was fascinated to hear her take on the area and see if and how she had been 'affected' by the spirit of place.

Detail of moss upon a marker stone in the wood.

We had unfortunately missed her performance the previous week in Whitstable, so we travelled down to Deal to the Astor Theatre especially to see her. She performed her poetry dressed in an iridescent gossamer gown, which looked like the deep changing sea that she had watched during her residency. The poetry was totally evocative of the place. She had captured the unique essence of this wonderful limbinal space.

A couple of books by Nancy Charley inspired by her Tankerton residency,

As I sat listening I thought she notices everything, from recognising both the resident crows and visiting tourists, their colours, behaviour, their noises...and the change of light on the sea, the bounty washed up on the beach, the promenaders, the dog walkers, the skein of geese, the migration of swallows..all that and more was acknowledged. The performance was entitled 'The Water Watcher', I enjoyed her work immensely. It was well observed, articulate and inspiring. Wonderful!

The Water Watchers Blessing by Nancy Charley.

My next open studio event will be 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 am always inspired by the sunset. Truly wonderful.

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

Holding Creative Space for Others.

I love to offer my studio to others to work in. It is an unusual and beautiful hand crafted building which evolved as a direct need for me to have my own space. This desperate need (I had two young sons) supplemented with a lifetimes worth of creative space building for others and a deep interest in sustainable architecture and community engagement produced a wonderful retreat which only now I feel I really 'own'. I recently read about Jo Fairley's shed love for her shed too, you can read it here.

The path we made up to it was a labour of love too.

The studio roof is 'green' too, with its own pond, marshy area and of course 2 gnomes.

Often I overlook the joy of owning such a space as it is all too easy to be busy outside of it. But since sharing it with others, teaching in it, the art of mono-printing, for instance I am really able to see its worth. It is full of supplies, inspiration and now a comfy chair, cushions and when I go down it also contains a small lap dog, cup of tea and space to breathe, hope, dream and create!

Curvy interior walls holding creative space.

Pewter elm tree form from cuttle-fish cast.

So, book yourself onto one of my courses advertised or just come and play. I aim to expand the teaching that I do soon. I have facilities in there to create cuttlefish casts and produce pewter treasures, do various printing techniques, from wood cut to lino cut, learn how to paint from the imagination, using mindfulness and walking as a meditation. The list goes on, so just let me know which creative playtime you would like or what you yearn to learn.

The light and airy side of the studio.

I, myself shall endeavour to get down to the studio most days now the weather is warming up, I shall no longer put off the urge to create and do another thing instead. These distractions will always exist and it is only with my own daily discipline and determined practice that I will create new work and enjoy being in the space with others that love doing so too!

My next open studio event will be 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'.

All open and ready for another studio exhibition.

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 April, 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

Setbacks and forward motion

Setbacks and forward motion.

I believe that every cloud has a silver lining, but the positive isn't always easy to see immediately. It seems to gently ease itself out into view and we may wonder why we didn't see it in the first place but sometimes it seems we can be initially blinded by disappointment.

Every cloud has a silver lining.

It has been like this for me a few times now during my mission to write a book. The book is about how people connect to place through walking. It is a simple enough concept but every day it seems more books are published around a similar theme, as nature writing is currently one of the largest growing sectors in publishing.

Having now ruled out traditional publishing routes I have discovered another way that I can create a book to share with others. This week I went back to Intra in Rochester, Kent and learnt a new printing process that would allow me to hand produce small batches of my book. It was highly enjoyable day and I can see it being creatively more satisfying than outsourcing the work to others.

Moving forward.

The book was going to be a traditional hardback, an A5 size landscape-formatted design that would have required a higher personal financial investment from me and I believe this new idea is far better for the subject of the book: it just works.

The only potential problem I have is that the images that I carefully chose for the original format will not work in this new way. But, as we say, every cloud has a silver lining and I know in time it will be a bonus when I work out the solution.

Watch this space!

My Straw-bale studio, open on the 17th of this month.

And a reminder; my 'Hearth and Home' exhibition is open to all and will take place on Saturday the 17^th of March from 11-5pm in my straw-bale studio. The studio has a Facebook page of its own, to look at its 'life story', www.facebook.com/Green-Build-Tankerton

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.

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

Bitter weather and shorter walks.

Bitter weather and shorter walks.

The winter is certainly upon us now, this week alone we have had snow, sleet rain, dreary grey days but also wonderful bright sunshine. The weather seems to be all over the place and it can make it difficult to settle into a routine. Do we need to put the heating on constant, light a fire or de-ice the car?

Remembering warmer months and summer fires.

We acquired a dog a few months ago, so at least one thing is now constant, I know that I will be going out for a walk at least twice a day and possibly more if it's neither bitterly cold or chucking it down with rain. This has been quite a bonus as it makes me go out in all weathers and even short walks in the blustery rain and hail have been enjoyable. Well, I say that but actually the best bit of these walks is going back inside again! It truly makes me appreciate and be grateful for my home even more.

Gelli-print based on early spring last year.

I am set to start the first art project of this year next week. One which I have been thinking about and researching for a few months. I am going to create a small body of work based on 'Hearth and Home', which I will exhibit in my straw-bale studio next month. I have always been fascinated by fireplaces and their place in the home. I love how mantle-pieces are 'curated' by families and I can still nostalgically remember those of my grandparents and other elderly relatives, which were of the time when the hearth was the heart of the home, long before the introduction of a TV as a main focal point.

Fireplace installation at YSP last Summer. 

Our log burner has been lit most evenings and has become another constant this winter and I am so glad of it. The applied decoration I made last summer in the concrete hearth has worked well. When I sweep up the wood ash from it, I remember the time I collected the leaves, chosen from full and abundant gardens, pressed them into the wet concrete and looked forward to the 'reveal' when the leaves were pulled away. Their imprints are now permanently marked into the hearth and I recognises the traces of Passionflower, Hop and Grapevine leaves. Now on really grey days and darker evenings I find their subtle forms and detail are all I need to remember back to a warmer time, with more consistent bright days. These days will surely come round again, I just need to wait, patiently.

The 'Hearth and Home' exhibition is open to all and will take place on Saturday the 17^th of March 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

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.

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

A time of Sparkly Transformation

The Winter Solstice is coming up so at long last the evenings will stop getting dark so early and hopefully we will start to feel literally enlightened, a bit brighter and full of hope for the new year.

Personally, I find it very hard to slow down as the dark evenings close in. I am still surprised when its dark at 4 this time of year for if I cast my mind back to the summer I remember that on most days I was out and about until late, sometimes even having a swim in the sea at ten at night. That seems just ludicrous now.

My painting of the sea at Tankerton, a bit chilly now for a swim.

The wonderful thing about living in the UK is that I know that time will come around once again due to the cyclical pattern of our seasons. Perhaps our lives will have changed immeasurably over the year with births, deaths and other momentous events but it is a comfort to realise the world keeps turning and the seasons roll on.

I try and see this time as a sparkly transformation. Festive invitations and obligations keep me busy now but I am inside at home more in the evening and I am enjoying the log burner on most of them, as there does seem to be something very basic and special about congregating around a fire. Before we had the fire I would burn a candle or two in the room that we were sitting in, that would be our bright flame and like moths we would be drawn to the light.

Glass pieces catching the precious sunlight on my windowsill.

There are many sparkly festive lights which are brightening up most windows in town and suburbia at the moment, there have been momentous 'switching on' of lights, even some trees outside houses in gardens are bedecked with their own. Places are transformed by these decorations and it is magical.

I have a plan that between now and Christmas I will spend a bit of time walking outside in the dark, both appreciating the domestic twinkly lights in peoples homes and the ancient star light from above in the deep clear sky. Then to be snug back inside the house I will gaze at the fire and candlelight and feel a basic sense of happiness and contentment that no form of Christmas gift could give me. At this time of year such simple pleasures cannot be bought.

Making by the fireside, at a friends house.

I end this blog with a quote from a previous entry written at this time of year. I know this is well worth remembering too as we become busier and busier towards the 'target date' of the 25 th of December.

'At this time of year, it is not your Christmas presents that are needed so much as your presence.'

Wishing you all my best over this festive period.

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.

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

A Time of Transformation

It is now 4 years since finishing my MA and I have finally started compiling a book, based on the last few years of weekly and seasonal blog posts. These in turn are based on the walking practice that I do as an artist and designer: a practice that creatively connects people to place.

Wonderful office space at Farm Work Play, where I am writing.

In doing this, and feeling slightly overwhelmed by what seems like a mammoth but necessary task, I will be writing these blogs less regularly as I concentrate on the first draft. But luckily, over the years I have gathered together a team of enthusiastic and supportive individuals to make this happen, so thankfully now I am feeling much more excitement about the book, than anxiety and overwhelm.

Working through/rereading all the blogs is quite a task.

I have been out and about as much as possible over the last couple of weeks, trying to experience the turn of Summer into Autumn as much as possible, as I love this time of transition and transformation.

During my first visit to Great Dixter in East Sussex, a place that I had been wanting to go to for years, I walked around the garden in awe of the design, layout and planting. Paths led us through ornamental, tropical, wild and topiary gardens full of early autumn colour and beauty.

Dahlias and bees...

Dahlias, some as large as a plate were regularly being visited by huge buzzing Bumble bees, Robins sang loudly for their territory and the gardeners quietly clipped the many yew hedges.

Flowers and foliage edging the path.

A week later a friend and I celebrated the last harvest of Summer as we visited a flower cutting garden called Blooming Green in Kent and enjoyed an hour or so of idle wandering around the garden, each picking a huge armful of flowers including more wonderful dahlias.

Bumble bee and Dahlia, again!

These have sat in a few large vases on the kitchen table over the last week or two giving essential colour to some very grey weather. So it has been with anticipation, as the days started drawing in earlier, the central heating kicked in and the first fire was excitedly lit, we hunkered in cosy and snug and awaited the arrival of Winter.

Blooming Green cutting garden in Linton, Kent.

Next weekend, on Saturday the 25^th of November I will be showing artwork, alongside Canterbury artist Alison Lees. This exhibition in Adisham in her strawbale barn studio will be the culmination of two years work studying 'The Spirit of Place', an art project based in Kent.

If anyone would like to visit, all are welcome. It would be great to meet you, I understand that it is getting busier and busier the nearer we get to Xmas, but if you'd like to experience a calm, yet twinkly Midwinter Open Studio event, see demonstrations of Gelli-plate and wood cut printing, then this may be the ideal chill out zone!

You can find us at 1 Flybridge Cottages, CT3 3LT. We are open 11-5, there is plenty of parking and there will be light refreshments too for anyone who ventures out to see our work.

You can keep up to date with our past explorations and discoveries by looking at www.facebook.com/EastKentSpiritOfPlace

My own personal art page can be found at www.facebook.com/RoseClarityArtist, do take a

look!

Offshore windmills in the distance.

 I can be contacted on 07432679164 or clare@people-to-place.co.uk