Spending time in nature allows your creativity to awaken - if you listen the earth will guide and inspire you.
“Every child is an artist. The hard part is remaining an artist once we grow up.” Pablo Picasso.
As people of nature, we have inherited a love and respect for its rawness, beauty and wildness, however as increasingly we live in more and more ordered urban societies we have lost our connection…our umbilical cord to our mother. We feel a great loss, but are unable to discern where it comes from. So we suppress these difficult feelings, keeping busy, always doing, which separates us even further from Earth’s infinite wisdom.
Our societies largely disconnect us from Earth’s eons of sensory intelligence and so we rarely align ourselves with her guidance. Collectively we have been blinded to who we really are.
So, the work is to remember…that we are each vital parts of Earth’s family, here for a purpose. When we begin the journey, even taking the first step is a profound acknowledgement that we are more than we are led to believe. Finding our roots, acknowledging our ancestors, who have gone before….seeking out their stories to inform and enrich the broad tapestry that weaves through your own life. Recognising and reclaiming their gifts and qualities that brought you to where we stand.
A Dragon’s Nest, La Hougue Bie, Jersey
Earth Art - inspired by the landscape, or place, tuning into the surroundings, listening to the stories
Village Murals, Pano Lefkara, Cyprus
After a month with the Forest Guardians, hosted by Kato Drys Community Council, I joined with 2 other women, Yasmin Danoun and Celia Tsi, to work on a village community project. We three had extended our stay in Pano Lefkara, and were asked to each paint a mural on double garage doors adjacent to each other, as part of an ongoing larger project. All of us were complete beginners, but willing! We each chose a theme related to village life in the area - Yasmin, one of the ancient Olive trees in the Groves, Celia, a scene form the village, and myself, a landscape witnessed at golden hour between Pano Lefkara and Kato Drys. Our time in the village really enhanced a sense of belonging, becoming known by the villagers, and welcomed into the community - each day we were showered with gratitude for contributing to village life, as well as simple but precious gifts of locally grown oranges and pomegranates, and home-made iced drinks.
‘Golden hour’ - vineyards and olive groves between Pano Lefkara and Kato Drys, Cyprus - Amanda Bond
‘Pano Lefkara’ - Celia Tsi
‘Old One’ - Olive tree, Pano Lefkara - Yasmin Danoun
Growing Slow Textiles
Spending the early part of 2022 in central Portugal on my friend’s farm, @respectcaryn provided a much needed space for deep earth rest and reflection.
Whilst there, Caryn kindly demonstrated ways of natural dyeing - with homegrown flowers and Japanese indigo.
On my return, inspired by the experience, I joined an online community, Growing Slow Textiles, being birthed by textile artist and teacher, Justine Aldersey-Williams, founder of NW England Fibreshed. @WildDyery.
So began a journey into indigo - its history, culture, practice and evolution, with the aim of igniting our own regenerative practice.
Every month from April to November we gathered online, sharing our experience of growing flax, woad and Japanese indigo from seed, through the seasons to harvesting and production.
No ultimate goals, just a shared experience wherever we were.
Along the way, we heard from incredible presenters:
Jenny Balfour-Paul, natural dyer, author and academic specialising in indigo
Pip Waller, medical herbalist and Plant Spirit Medicine practitioner
Simon and Ann Cooper, linen growers, processors and teachers at Flaxland
Allan Brown, hand spinner, weaver, dyer and maker of ‘The Nettle Dress’, a short film
Brigette Kaltenbacher, sustainable handweaver and director of Bee Kay Makes
