Inspired by meadow and hedges
Ann Blockley continues her theme of connecting with nature as a way of helping you to realise fully your creativity or release yourself from creative blocks
Ann Blockley continues her theme of connecting with nature as a way of helping you to realise your creativity or release yourself from creative blocks
In this modern world we lead quite artificial lives and I feel we need to re-discover more natural ways of being in order to maintain healthy creative thought. Connecting with nature does not necessarily mean travelling far to seek dramatic landscapes. Quiet, simple nature subjects can be just as inspiring as bigger themes. For example, the hedge, fields and wayside near my home are full of wonderful information.
My way of working and information gathering is a combination of things.
The most important of these is that I spend time with the subject. This might be sitting and doing a plein-air paint sketch or simply being there for a period of time. I take photographs but will often revisit and rephotograph on a number of occasions, for instance on my daily walk. In this way, I can build up a fuller range of reference material both physical and internalised, which leads to a better understanding of different aspects of a subject depending on the light, weather and seasonal changes. Work might continue at home, where
I can play with more experimental methods.
Paring back
My immersion in nature has made me increasingly conscious of what art materials I use to paint such subjects. My studio was crammed with materials before I moved house and I was ashamed to count that I had up to 120 different brushes! How could I possibly need or use that many? I gave a lot away, with other materials that I no longer use, during an Open Studio. There is so much choice and temptation to buy yet more stuff but it seems to me to be essential that we pare back and re-assess. I am not giving up watercolour or thinking that I can save the planet by changing what I do, but I think we all have a responsibility to be more aware and careful about what we