Sharing these snapshots of my process is helping me see my work from a new perspective.
There’s something special about documenting these moments of exploration and discovery,
an activity I have always taken for granted.

This is a very short close-up of me rearranging three objects: a round pebble I found on the beach, a fragment of a bowl I made, and a small maquette made from two broken pottery fragments. These small-scale compositions are an exercise in finding some kind of narrative within the chaos of broken and found objects that are scattered around my studio

Why This Matters:

There’s a real joy in handling these objects, each with its own history and texture. The pebble, smoothed by the sea, contrasts with the rough edges of the broken pot and the small maquette. As I move them around, new relationships emerge, and what was once a simple pebble or a shattered piece of pottery becomes part of a larger conversation.

The Power of Context:

As I mentioned in my earlier post, this practice of rearranging and experimenting is a crucial part of my creative process. It helps me understand how context changes perception. A broken fragment, when paired with another, can suggest a narrative or evoke an emotion or a message that wasn’t there before.
This activity of rearranging objects is about finding new connections and inspirations to move forward with—about themes and ideas that are always there but need some time to breathe, if you like. It’s a continuous loop of creation and reflection..

Similar to stream-of-consciousness writing, this kind of sketchbook work involves me creating drawings without overthinking, letting instinct and subconscious impulses guide the process. This approach allows unexpected and unique elements to surface, which I love.  This technique is central to my work, especially for my poppets, as it seems so fitting to the whole process.

Been making these little clay shrines. There's something about these places of devotion that has been a constant source of fascination for me. Shrines in all countries, in all shapes and sizes—from grand temples to simple home altars are so beautiful. The fact they have so many purposes from honouring gods, remembering loved ones, or just having a spot to reflect makes them so accessible for all.My current shrines are tiny and a little temple-shaped, with a small space for a little offering.

​ I don't want them looking 'finished' so I'm making them in quite a quick immediate way.

I’ve neglected this blog …. Again.  My last post was written in the beautiful Studio 9 at Porthmeor, St Ives.  So, why can I not keep up this up to date. A weekly musing post? An update of studio practice (I’m forever taking photos in my studio) I guess it’s another role I’ve created for myself that I struggle to keep up with ...  engaging in Facebook, updating Twitter, my accounts, researching worthy opportunitites, applying for funding/opps/residencies etc .. did I mention studio practice?
 
Looking back on previous posts I’m glad I’ve written them. They’re a good account of where I’m at what I’ve been doing and in some posts a reminder that I do get through the bad days!
 
I thought I would write regularly during my time at Porthmeor but I couldn’t. Being in the thick of it, immersed in it it was almost impossible to reflect where I was at and what I was thinking in a coherent manner. I did write (just for me) but I guess I’ve needed this time and distance to fully absorb what those 3 months meant to me and my practice. Time to back track.

I didn't expect to draw inspiration from the idyllic view out of this studio window but I have spent a significant amount of time at the window playing with different muds on the window, watching it dry, seeing how the view changes, creating peepholes, observing the patterns that the mud creates ... I am daily photographing the scenes and have selected 6 images (out of hundreds clogging up iPhoto) to turn into Dirty Postcards all of which can be bought here http://dirtworks.bigcartel.com/products

Not feeling this work at the moment, not getting excited about development possibilities so it's being shelved for now ..... I have 4 large sacks of plastic that will have to sit and wait till I'm ready to pick up where I left off. For now, the space has been cleared again.

I've recently been running some workshops for young people that have involved using mud.  The preparation of the space (not by me) has been reminiscent of an alien autopsy lab ..... the floors and tables covered with thick plastic sheeting to 'protect' the room.  At the end of each session I've bagged up the slightly soiled plastic sheeting with thoughts of sculptural pieces.  Having brought them into the studio I've added dirt to them and began working with it on a large scale, something I don't often have the opportunity to do.

The view from the studio that has inspired so many artists is other-wordly - It's almost unreal. Every time I look up I am taken aback by the picture perfect postcard view of St Ives, every minute a photo opportunity, but is it really the reality of St Ives? I've decided to muddy the view, to cloud the perspective, to dirty up what appears to be so perfect.  Echoing a project I did recently with artist Jonty Lees ( https://circuit.tate.org.uk/2015/04/popping-up-in-penzance/) where on the first few days of taking over an empty shop we played with windowlene on the windows, making patterns, doodling with our fingers in the white wash, viewing the street from a hidden perspective I've decided to do the same but with dirt.  I feel a set of alternative Dirty Postcards coming on .....