Every day I try to find time to go for a walk. Just walking, not sending texts, not checking my social media and not feeling in a rush to get somewhere on time.
I really do feel the benefits of being out in nature and of avoiding bright artificial lights, loud noises and crowds of people. Outdoors in green open spaces I developed a special interest in birdlife and also in trees. They gave me ideas for my artwork. I include a variety of birds and trees in many of my nature collages.
I created my Woodland Walk collage when I first became a volunteer for the National Trust where I always enjoyed filling the feeders at the bird hide. It is also a suitable image to use for my exhibition at the Swaledale Festival this year where I will be displaying my artwork at:
The Mezzanine Gallery, The Station in Richmond, N Yorkshire from 29th May until 17th June 2021.
The Swaledale countryside is known for its drystone walls and barns,
wild flower meadows, varied birdlife and of course Swaledale sheep.
I also enjoy riverside walks and below is a print that I made from a copper plate etching. I added some glossy paint to give a slight sheen to the water. Some of these prints will be on sale at The Mezzanine Gallery for the Swaledale Festival.
I photographed another riverside walk scene recently and this will be the subject of a new collage, which I will have on display at The Mezzanine Gallery for the Swaledale Festival.
I was delighted to have an exhibition of my artwork two years ago in Richmond and to be able to demonstrate my collage technique at the Showcase Gallery.
The Showcase Gallery continues to stock a good range of my greetings cards and Giclee prints:
https://www.theshowcasegallery.com/
In finishing this blog, I would like to say thank you to Dr Peter Brambleby as I very much enjoyed my woodland conservation volunteer work at Fishpond Woods:
https://whitewoodswellbeing.co.uk/
Thank you also to Faith Douglas, curator at Thorp Perrow Arboretum where I am now a volunteer. Faith is a firm believer in the benefits of mindful walks in nature for our physical and mental wellbeing.
