At art school, many years ago, they used to say draw what you see, not what you think you see. I’ve been thinking about that a tonne recently but it turns out it isn’t really just about drawing. It’s about… When Blind Spots Align
I wondered if this was too dark to write about. Everyone likes looking at old photographs. But there’s much more to an era in your life than old photographs. They were kept in an old album. Heavy and blue. A… Empty Shells are beautiful
Empty Shells are beautiful
Last year I travelled up to the far north of Scotland with my family. My partner surfs and charts were looking good so we headed on a spontaneous road trip with our kids. Some other surfers we know joined us… Rain on the Window of a Peugeot 1.06 1.1 Zest
Rain on the Window of a Peugeot 1.06 1.1 Zest
I used to think that writing was just about arranging words in neat little rows…my thoughts tamed and lined up on a page like stuck little traffic jams. Just string the words together, or so I thought. Like a glorified… Scrabbling for Words
Scrabbling for Words
When I was a kid growing up in Sutherland, I spent a lot of time crab fishing. A wee wild gang of us roaming the rocky, seaweed-covered shorelines with the bare minimum equipment. We’d kick limpets off the rocks for… Crab Fishing
Crab Fishing
I’ve been looking back on some pieces of writing I did in the summer of 2025. I’ve been thinking about the importance of taking voice notes in my practice as a way of capturing my thinking during making. I realise… Little Windows
Little Windows
Moving from Contemplation to Action: Chicken House Collaborations I thought I’d write a blog post because I actually have something to talk about.I get stuck in contemplation mode – I know this about myself. But now I’m making forward movement:… Chicken House Gallery
Chicken House Gallery
In March 2020, as the first COVID-19 lockdown began, I did something that inconsequential at the time: I started a Facebook group called the Women’s Land Army.Inspired by the British wartime Women’s Land Army – where women came together to… Women’s Land Army: Five Years of Growing Together
Women’s Land Army: Five Years of Growing Together
Research documentation – November 2025 Something unexpected has been happening in my house over the last few days. It started simply enough, but it’s become something else – a living system, a collaboration I set in motion but can’t control.… The Mushroom Ecosystem: An Unexpected Collaboration in My Room.
The Mushroom Ecosystem: An Unexpected Collaboration in My Room.
Research documentation – November 2025 This morning started with a simple plan: collect moth wings and butterfly wings from the spider webs in our polytunnel to use for cyanotypes. I wanted to capture these delicate fragments – the remains caught… Nature as Capturer: When I Realized I Was Redundant
Nature as Capturer: When I Realized I Was Redundant
Back in week three, our MA discussion focused on failure – what it is, why it stings, and how to use it. We explored why personal mistakes feel threatening, why we often learn more easily from other people’s missteps. I’ve… Failure: Walking the tightrope & finding balance
Failure: Walking the tightrope & finding balance
The next phase was Musselburgh. Plucked from teuchter life and dropped into a council house on the edge of Edinburgh. No more sheep shit. Just slabs and snails. Still wet, still wild in its own way. We found snails in… Musselburgh
Musselburgh
When I was very small, we lived on the shores of Loch Laxford, in a house called Trefoil. It sat near Scourie, in Sutherland, Scotland. A weather worn place hidden between water and rock. The the wind howled in off… Scourie: The Making of Me
Scourie: The Making of Me
I wish I could craft words as easily as I shape warm beeswax in my hands. Words on a white page have always seemed too stark to me, too crude to describe a life lived. I didn’t learn to read… Finding Voice through Materials: When Words Fail, Making Speaks.
Finding Voice through Materials: When Words Fail, Making Speaks.
I recently listened to Jonathan’s Messy Research lecture, and it really made me think about my own process. Up until now, I’ve probably seen my sketchbooks and notes as too messy to post on my new, shiny blog. What I loved about… Active Research: Messy Beginnings
Active Research: Messy Beginnings
In our first MA group meeting, we talked about kindness and what it means for our practice. For me it isn’t just a virtue between people. It’s the soil creativity grows in. Cultivating kindness toward myself is a key part… Compassion, Art & The Space Between Thoughts
Compassion, Art & The Space Between Thoughts
- « Previous
- 1
- 2