Blog

I have been meaning to write this for some time. 

We now find ourselves in somewhat extraordinary and uncertain circumstances and perhaps now is a good time to share what has been an amazing journey for me. 

I started painting seaweed a few years ago and taking photos along the rocky beaches of Northumberland and Scotland. Winter storms had washed up masses of it - strewn along the shore in ribbons and twists of deepening colour. 

I have always fought against my work being categorised , other than 'Pastel painting', because I like to explore a wide variety of subject matters. The thought of being purely a 'seascape painter', or 'landscape painter' etc has never sat comfortably with me. I am ideas-lead and to that end, have always remained true to my personal sense of what interests me. I get bored easily and am aware that I need this flexibility within my working practice in order to both challenge myself and to continue to explore things in a variety of ways.  This allows me to respond accordingly to a range of subject matters in ways that reflect my ideas and emotions.

I am interested in presenting subjects that may be overlooked or unrecognised and I think this is probably why I got so engrossed at examining the seaweed that day. 

I wasn't sure how my first seaweed painting would turn out. It was huge (over a meter high once framed) and took me 6 weeks of incredibly detailed, complex pastel work to complete. Painting it was torturous. For someone with little patience, this tested both my technical skill and faith in myself, but I knew it was the only way to create the outcome I wanted. I needed to draw the viewer in, to see what I could see - all that incredible beauty, something from another world, something that should indeed be treasured.

'Treasure of The Deep' was exhibited at The Woodhorn Museum in Ashington a few weeks after completing as part of their 'OCEAN' exhibition. I was relived that it sold after all that hard work but I also realised (with mixed feelings!) that perhaps there should be more.

 

Treasure of The Deep

 

Two more seaweed paintings followed, but on a smaller scale. I did not want to compromise on the quality of detail and depth, but time was a real issue in creating these and so 'Blue Splash' and 'Sea Weave' were a more modest 68cm square framed. 

 

        

 

By this time, I had begun to research into seaweed - different kinds, seaweed farming, seaweed products, contact farmers and seaweed product producers. Seaweed is a sustainable food source and potentially has a significant future in providing alternative and new food sources for people. 'Blue Splash' sold (through the wonderful Number four Gallery at St.Abbs) and 'Sea Weave' is currently sitting on my kitchen wall.

It took a lot for me to muster the energy to tackle another large scale seaweed painting. I now only do one or two a year as they are so incredibly time-consuming but nothing prepared me for 'Fire of The Deep'. 

By this time I had moved from a rented studio space back home and my dining room has vanished ever since. The new seaweed painting took just under a month to complete and took over my life during that time. I would spend hours on end, gradually making it grow and emerge. Often I would paint in my running gear, so I could take a break and go and run a few miles to release the tension, but I still succumbed to migraine at times, that would eat up days, brought on my concentration and stress. 

 

  

 

 

Once finished, I could barely look at it. I covered it up and put the easel in a corner for a week. 

Paintings are like children (and as a mother of two amazing children, I do not say this lightly) and the relationship between parent and child can be a complex one. Some are an absolute joy, they almost create themselves, fly across the paper and land in a glory of delight. Others are a real struggle. They fight back, they question you, they make you question your own sanity and reason. Such battles can be drawn out and can leave you mentally and emotionally drained. By the time I had finished with 'Fire of The Deep' I was exhausted and wanted my life back. The only thing to do was enter it for The Pastel Society exhibition in London and hope that perhaps somebody might see in this painting, what I had seen on that beach. Not only was 'Fire of The Deep' accepted for the exhibition, I was delighted and honoured to receive the 2020 Royal Talens/Rembrandt Award.

 

Ecological themes have gradually begun to work their way into the background of my working practice, from coastal erosion, with my 'Erosion' series to forestry in my 'Woodlands' paintings  and changes in our seas with my seascapes.

We need to examine much of what we take for granted in the natural world a deeper and different way in order to preserve what the Earth provides and to ensure our continuation on this amazing planet.

At present, I am not sure if there will be another seaweed painting. 'Fire of The Deep' is currently hanging on my kitchen wall and to be honest, although I will very probably be taking it to a gallery at some point, for now I am happy my difficult child has returned home. 

Thankyou for reading.