Your place in the world, acrylic on canvas hanging, 80x120cm, 2023
Collaborating on stories and idea for this site-specific painting with sea grass, otters, red deer, kelpies, selkies, will o’the wisps and a Cuth Sith (fairy dog) – to name a few of the characters – was a wonderful process. I loved finding ways to make multiple references to Celtic histories and to the Scottish island of Mull with it’s pink granite. Discussions with Julie Ward, who commissioned the piece, were about being inspired by and loving the place that you live.
Besides exploring flora and fauna and the special relationship with local ecologies as well as stories, I was also inspired by Miek Swamborn’s beautiful book ‘Seaweed: a enchanting miscellany’. Her book weaves history, art and storytelling in a similar way that my new painting projects make new forays into combining representations of the natural world with ancient mythology and contemporary messages about care – for our world and for others. The grammar of place, mythology and nature enables is to transform from abjection to wholeness and unity.
If you would like to commission a new work that embraces these themes, do get in touch.