Having been given the 2021 Claire Peasnall Memorial Award from St Hughes Foundation for the Arts, https://www.sthughsfoundation.co.uk/ I am in the final stages of planning and packing for a month camping and painting in Scotland's remote North West Highlands, taking a journey from Durness down the coast through to Ardnamurchan and Skye. During this time and through my experiences working in the field, I am hoping to reframe my ideas around landscape painting and completely re-examine my practice. It's time for an overhaul and much unlearning. This time I am thankfully unimpeded by the need to fulfill a specific brief or set of pre-determined outcomes: such is the refreshing freedom of the St Hugh's approach to supporting artists.
This will be a short post as I'm slightly overwhelmed by the piles of as-yet-unpacked art materials, Smidge canisters, tick-deterrents, multiple maps and easy-cook rice sachets that all need to find a practical home in one rucksack or another.
Should you feel the urge to do similar, a source of information on responsible camping in Scotland is here: https://www.outdooraccess-scotland.scot/
If you would like to get a more in depth exploration into my practice (both sucesses and cock-ups) or updates on my journey, then please do join my mailing list here.
Wish me luck, it could get messy.