We all have that place, space or situation that we call our ‘happy place’ (and if you don’t then I urge you to explore until you find it). It’s that magical place where you feel your best version of yourself, where you feel calm and centred and where (in my case) your creative juices flow. For me, that place is the coast - more specifically the North East coastline of England.
I don’t know what it is about the sea that draws me to it but it’s like some sort of beacon pulling me in. Perhaps it’s the sounds, the smells or the feeling of the sand and the sea on my feet. Perhaps it’s a combination of all of those things. When I’m there, I feel at peace and when I’m away, I want to be there. I was brought up in the North West and, after visiting the North East for the first time, said to my dad (who’s dad was from Whitley Bay) ‘It’s like I have a biological homing chip that’s pulling me back.’. Now I live 10 minutes drive from the North East coast and can’t imagine living anywhere else.
For as long as I can remember, I have struggled with overwhelm, low mood and stress. It turned out I had been burying long term depression. It made immediate sense when I was diagnosed. There were so many signs that I hadn’t recognised - I’d gotten really good at ‘keeping calm and carrying on’ to the point of regularly burning myself out. It became so predictable that my husband knew which times of the year I was going to have a burn out. Despite his efforts to minimise my stress, I continued to push myself and overdo it, until I had this label of being ‘depressed’.
Yes I was given medication and a small amount of counselling but they weren’t the only things that made the difference. The big difference came from having me time (a shocking revelation as a relatively new mum), talking things out with people I trusted and being at the beach. There, I feel my troubles and stress instantly melt away and I can see things clearly again.
So what does this have to do with my art? Well, early on I was hopping from image to image creating things that I thought people would like (as well as the peacocks which were totally for me). There was no real depth or reason for anything that I chose to make unless I had made it as a gift. During lockdown, I realised how utterly vital it was for me to be by the sea because there was a long stretch of time when I couldn’t go there and my depression took a massive hit. This was when I realised that I wanted to make artwork that reflected my need for and relationship with the seaside.
I scrawled down notes about everything that I loved about the sea. Some of the words that cropped up were: freedom, calm, content, pebbles, treasures and shells. I came up with so much that it was a little overwhelming (ironic) so I went for a walk along the beach with my camera and found myself collecting pebbles. I found different colours and textures and enjoyed the tactile nature of holding and stroking them. ‘This,’ I thought,’ is where I need to start!’
And so began the Seaside Treasures Collection - an exploration of the intricacies of pebbles found on my calming walks. It’s a close up of the surfaces and colours that each tiny treasure possess. It’s amazing to wonder where they started life and what they’ve been through - each completely different because of their journey - much like people are.
To add challenge to the project ( I can never just keep it simple), I decided to embark on my first foray into reduction printing. I’m so pleased that I did because it has really reflected the layering that you see when looking at rocks and pebbles. It’s also really good fun!
Because of the personal reason for choosing the subject matter, I have connected with this project more than any other work that I have completed before, It has been an opportunity to learn about myself, experiment and do what makes me feel good. I’m not searching for others to tell me of it’s any good because I’m so in love with the process that that doesn’t really matter. Yes I’d love the prints to sell and exhibiting the collection would be incredible but what’s more important is that I have deepened my connection to my practise and learned a lot about my style and my Why.
I print because I love it. I print because it soothes me. I print because I NEED it.
I visit the sea because I love it. I visit the sea because it soothes me. I visit the sea because I NEED to.
The Seaside Treasures Collection is due for release end of July 2021
For the full collection, see www.thepeacockandtheprintmaker.com