In May 2022 Sally Tyrie and myself had the fantastic opportunity of being selected as artists-in-residence at Mawddach Residency in North Wales.
We had two weeks of immersive art practice in a stunning location, with our wonderful hosts Scarlett and Jake. Sat at the foot of Eryri (Snowdonia) National, the area is a mix of intertidal waters, peat bogs, distant mountains and stunning coastline dotted with characterful towns and villages. It is a place and an experience that has left a lasting impression on us both and our work.
‘Journeys Through Place’ is a self-published zine that we designed to try and share our individual and combined journey; as well as giving a taste of our residency.
It is a mixture of drawing, photography, poetry, and written observations produced on location as well as once back in our studio spaces, in Hertfordshire and Hampshire; it represents and feels like a final chapter of our time in this special place.
The opportunity to spend all day drawing en plein air, with no other distractions, apart from the wind, rain, sun and the odd tick helped take my drawing somewhere new. My sweet spot turned out to be just shy of four hours. But equally, that was also just enough time to destroy some potentially great drawings too; but that is the joy of sustained drawing outside at the mercy of the weather.
The trouble is, once you return home from a residency you start looking for another one!
