Quercus –

Part of Time-Lapse at the Royal Cornwall Museum

17th May – 1st August 2021

There have been times in the last twelve months when I did not want to go into the studio at all.  Every exhibition and craft fair that I was involved in was cancelled.  All the galleries were shut.  Suddenly I had absolutely no work. I have tried to keep going by refining my skills, by studying online and by experimenting in the studio with new techniques. 

Lockdown also meant restrictions:  unable to buy porcelain, I resolved to use only what was in my studio.  It also meant freedom.  Walking became inspiration: a bird’s egg, with its sense of sanctuary, a clay print left by a boot.  I found that I wanted to make work which commented on our plight and about concerns for the special place in which I live.  I made tiny vessels and many, many boxes.  Repetition felt reassuring and became the over-riding theme of all my work. 

I started to think about the changes that I thought might come about as a result of people having time to appreciate the wonders of nature; was this the point at which we all sat up and, looking around, decided to make some changes? Was 2020 the year in which we chose to start living with this planet rather than on it?

If you know a place where the forest can be established, preferably on The Roseland, I would love to hear from you. I am currently working with http://www.react.org.uk/ to try to find a permanent home for it.

To watch the video which accompanies this installation, click on this link.

From the blog