Hello my fellow garden lovers, how are you? Well I’ve been off on some very merry jaunts over the past couple of weeks, filling up the creative well! Someone asked me the other day if running the shop was restricting and if I missed my freedom (I do love to roam at will). In short- no and if anything, the freedom is greater. Yes I now run a shop/gallery as well as being a painter & ceramicist, yes it’s full on, yes I still have a big garden to look after, family, house, the list goes on. But I point blank refuse to be held hostage by any of it- something that took a long time to achieve but very liberating once accepted. I was speaking to my youngest daughter this morning about the freedom to go and have adventure and how exploration = confidence in ourselves, in our actions. Stepping outside other people’s conceived rules, being exactly who we’re meant to be. I’m not denying it’s a luxury and my life wasn’t always the case- children very young and an alcoholic partner. Life shapes you and I believe sometimes you have to sit in the mess of it, get comfortable with the grit- to emerge with a new sense of self and purpose… eventually. Anyway, I wanted to share some pics with you of my travels and what’s inspiring my work right now.
The photo above and below are of Flatford in Suffolk and was the source of inspiration for Constables paintings. Beautiful! My hubs asked if I found it inspiring to which I answered a definite no. Inspiration is quite individual, we’re all inspired by different things. Flatford was well worth a visit, but for me, the landscape was too built up now, trees hemmed in the lake and there were people milling about- it was all very jolly but not exactly shoulder dropping which is what I want to feel with a place. I should imagine back when Constable was painting, the landscape was more open (well it was- you can see it in his work) and he didn’t have people crashing into each other on paddle boards.
But then, deep in Lovejoy country (I love that series), travelling around country roads and chasing the routes of an estuary, we came across Pin Mill in Suffolk. I sat outside the pub where Lovejoy was filmed, feasting on prawns and watching the world go by, bliss. A little walk along the estuary and there was my inspiration! There is something about old boat wrecks sinking into the muddy sand that just gets me. I love being in boat yards and the detritus of the workings of such things, I find it fascinating. I started a new painting last week after a few days in Suffolk. Over the weekend I knew I wanted to create a new series of work, hold an exhibition, maybe take it on tour. This morning I decided on the name- Intuition.
Intuition - A series of paintings exploring the freedom and the emotional response to the land & sea.
Now i’m back, the shop is open as usual- Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday 10-4 If i’m not on the shop floor, I’ll be upstairs painting.
Of course I have the garden to catch up with- crispy roses to deadhead and lots of larkspur that needs cutting and drying. Rodney my kiln went on last night to fire a load of botanical work which I hope to have ready by the weekend. I can feel a shift coming in my pottery, i’m not sure what it is yet, I like this bit to come in naturally, forcing it will not work and i’m excited to see what comes out when I next give myself a day in the pottery studio.
The open garden looms and I hope to use the evenings this week to do some work in mine, therefor my next post will probably be garden pic heavy.
What’s been inspiring me lately- Coastal walks exploring different seed heads and textures in nature. Evening summer skies in Suffolk. The architecture of boat wrecks. Jelly fish. Beach detritus.
What have you found inspiring just lately?
Emma
Don’t forget, you can follow along with my Instagram stories here where I share pics of my garden, home, work in progress and what’s inspiring me.
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