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Day 1 It began in a room with a view. As my friend and housemate stated ‘Summer is green in colour’. I consider this over a cup of tea and a bowl of cereal at the end of our first exhausting, exhilarating day at North Lands Creative. Alan Horsley is our specialist tutor for the…

The best laid plans… New adventures always have their challenges. Often, the challenges come from an external source and there is little that can be done other than going with the flow and finding a way to overcome the challenge. When the challenge comes from within, how do you tackle that? I had decided to…

What is a map? Why do we need them? I discovered deep mapping when I read a book by Tim Ingold. ‘Lines’ draws on multiple disciplines and, examines what walking, observing, storytellingdrawing and writing to name but a few, have in common. Ingold argues that everyone and everything is interconnected through the archeology of the line.…

In 1966, Blandford Press released a series of books on rural Britain. Book number 8 in this series was by J.B. Wood. It was called ‘Growing and Studying Trees’. In it, Wood stated ‘The true value of trees and forests were now to be recognised, and steps taken to check the drain of tree-wealth. For…

Having used traditional rope-making techniques and gathered small quantities of the dominant plant species in each walk carried out, some interesting observations have been yielded in the resulting small scale studies. This gathering and weaving created a deeper understanding of place and the conversations that ensued amongst participants tethered me to a moment frozen in…

‘Night & Day’ is an upcoming exhibition at the Lochtorridon Centre and this small sculpture explores the narrative in the concept of contrast.  Spirals…symbolic of evolution and growth throughout the ages. Found in human physiology, plants, minerals, animals, energy patterns, weather, growth and death. Using silver wire to weave an infinity loop pattern, is representative…

In the walking, mapping of my tracks and listening to the environments in which I walk, I am creating a picture of this project. Walking is not the usual way in which I create art and it has taken time for me to ‘feel’ my way with the new direction that my art practice has…

Caroline Dear worked as an architect before her focus turned to art. Moving to the Isle of Skye in 1998, she began to respond to her natural environment and the relationship that she and the people around her had with place. Exploring the physical connections with the landscape she weaves grasses and local plant life…

The conception of this new project: a soundscape, comes from a deep love of nature and my firm belief that people need nature in their life. With a substantial increase in research by organisations and government agencies, the effects that nature has on mental well-being is being acknowledged. My art practice seeks to engage people…

Walking and talking. Something most of us do every day without any regard as to how much our brains are thanking us for participating in this most basic of human functions. Growing up in Newcastle with a Dad that taught me the importance of walking for emotional as well as physical well-being, I am now…