Creative Landscapes Residency
Revealed: Hastings and St Leonards; Summer 2010
I was one of two artists selected to undertake this residency, which was an English Heritage-Accentuate project exploring accessible approaches to Heritage.
Nets and Rain (Lobster pots, Hastings)
Permanent coloured pens and watercolour on canvas
The back of the beach was where the fisherman kept all their fishing tackle, cuttlefish traps, broken nets and lobster pots all in a big heap.
H 30cm x W 80cn x D 2cm Aug 2010
The residency concluded with exhibitions of our work and we lead a number of events as part of Heritage Open Days weekend.
Stade Netshops and Fish 'n Chips
Indian ink, pen and watercolour on raw balsa wood
3 panoramic drawings made on site. Two pictures show the tops of the net shops with big cloudy skies, and the third a view of the Stade from a fish and chip café, with bottles of tomato ketchup on the table.
Each image H 10cm x W 92 cm x D 0.5-1cm Aug 2010
Photographer, Lynn Weddle and I each facilitated workshops and events in Hastings and made our own work inspired by the hidden histories and the landscape in and around the Stade.
Drawing tent at Hastings
I made a series of drawings on the spot in and around the Stade, using local fisherman, Mick Barrow's net shop as a base. This is perhaps the most unusual "studio" I have ever had. No heat or light, and huddled under a huge tangle of nets and fishing tackle, but right on the doorstep to watch the comings and goings and everyday life on the Stade.
Mick at net shop door
Based on the theme of "Revealed: Hastings and St Leonards", I made work showing glimpses of the sometimes hidden everyday life in and around the Old Town, with the net shops and constantly changing weather as a backdrop to my images.
Net shop drawing tent
Images included the inside of a net shop, with its tangle of nets like a huge wasps nest, the back of the Fish Market, and partial views of the rooftops of the Stade from a Fish and Chip café or against a moody sky.
Inside Mick's Netshop - A Tangle of Nets
Ink and coloured pens on paper with watercolour
Sketchbook drawing made from inside Mick's netshop. I sat huddled underneath a bundle of nets in his hut to do my drawings of the Stade.
H 30cm x W 37cm Aug 2010
To see miniature drawing tent pictures of the Stade Education film screening event and my drawing tent.
Creative Landscapes is an English Heritage project exploring accessible approaches to heritage. It is part of Accentuate, a transformational programme of 15 projects, inspired by the Paralympic Movement, which seeks to change perceptions and offer opportunities to showcase the talents of deaf and disabled people.
