Week 5: Penzance to Falmouth - Day 28

Word of the Day: Spume
Praa Sands to Mullion Cove

12 miles

Its not raining today, but still windy and very dull. However, as always there is a benefit to all weather conditions in that the foreground colours appear more vibrant.

Stopped to paint Bullion Cliff, I didn't capture the numerous birds that were nesting because my hands were so cold, and had to resort to photographs to back up my sketches.

In the cove below the cliff there was an amazing vortex that was picking up spume and carrying it up in a spiral - like watching a soapy ballet.

Having stopped for lunch at the Ship in Porthleven we had a long walk to Mullion Cove in the afternoon - the sun came out!

Passed these lovely old winches at Gunwalloe. 

Found these two little guys having a spot of bother as we approached Mullion Cove!  Thanks to whoever took the time and effort to create this little bit of humour on the path.

Week 5: Penzance to Falmouth - Day 27

Word of the day: Slippery
Penzance to Praa Sands

10 miles

On the train at 0740, met in Penzance with rain and strong feelings of déjà vu. Took an open-top bus to Marazion - probably would have been dryer walking the sea wall as every time the bus braked or turned a corner we were showered with water from the upper deck (the bus broke down as we got off in Marazion!) Passed a very pleasant couple of hours in the "Delicious" cafe before walking along the causeway to St. Michael's Mount.

I can't believe we are on the path again. Having not been at all psyched up for this, as soon as I got on the train I began to feel excited again. Even though the weather today is hideous, I don't feel disappointed because I still achieved what I wanted to last year, despite the weather.

Did a couple of sketches, pretty much ruined by the rain, but the action of doing is more important than the results. 

Sketched Perran Sands from Maen-du-point and a track from Trevean Cove to Trevean Farm. 


After a breezy and very muddy traverse of the cliffs from Prussia Cove to Praa Sands we arrived at landscape painter Margaret Deans' house for the night. 

Big thanks to Margaret, for looking after us - the view from her house is amazing!
http://www.margaretdeans.co.uk/

It's time to walk again...... 350 miles to go!

The exhibition of Outline South West - Part I at the Devon Guild went extremely well and I am very privileged to have been elected as a full member of the Guild. Thank you to everyone who visited.

With so many encouraging and supportive messages left in the visitor book I feel ready to embark on the second half. I say half, it is actually the longer half with 350 miles to go.

Our itinerary for the second half is as follows:

Week 5  (Apr 13th - 18th) Penzance - Falmouth

Week 6a (May 11th - 14th) Falmouth - Par

Week 6b (May 29th - Jun 1st) Par - Plymouth

Week 7  (Jun 15th - 21st) Plymouth - Brixham

Week 8  (Jul 11th - 17th) Brixham - Abbotsbury

Week 9  (Aug 3rd - 9th) Abbotsbury - Poole



Week 5 Itinerary

Sat   13th Penzance - Praa sands
Sun  14th Praa Sands - Mullion Cove
Mon  15th Mullion Cove - Cadgwith Cove
Tue  16th Cadgwith Cove - Porthallow
Wed 17th Porthallow - Maenporth
Thu  18th Maenporth - Falmouth

First Exhibition

The first exhibition of work from the project opens on 22nd February at the Devon Guild of Craftsmen in Bovey Tracey.  The gallery is open every day from 10.00 to 5.30 and the exhibition runs until the 24th March. 

Meet the Maker Day
I will be at the Guild on Saturday 16th March from 11am - 4pm.
I will be giving drypoint printmaking demonstrations and screenings of a short film about the Outline South West Project.
Free drop-in event. No booking required.

For more details about the Guild and the exhibition
click on this link: http://www.crafts.org.uk/home.aspx


For a preview of the film click here

A Busy Autumn

I have been very busy since the last blog post, initially with Devon Open Studios - thanks to everyone who came, it was good to get such positive feedback on the work so far.  This spurred me on with the huge task of editioning the prints from the first 26 days of the walk. I should have them all finished by the end of this month, then I can concentrate on larger works.

Devon Life Magazine published an article about the project in their November issue. Many thanks to the editor Jane Fitzgerald, and to Vicky Maxwell who has been writing all my articles.

In the last three weeks I have also managed to fill in the last of the gaps caused by bad weather during the main walk earlier this year. The section of coastline between Hartland Quay and Bude is one of the highlights of the whole path, it is a hard days walk crossing ten river valleys.  Due to time and daylight limitations we only managed four valleys but the coastline and the cloudscapes were simply stunning.

Last weekend I walked from Lamorna to Mousehole with fellow printmaker Maggie Smith. It was sunny but very, very muddy - by the end of the walk we had mud up to our knees. We saw a friendly seal at Lamorna Cove and a pod of dolphins off Point Spaniard.

Thanks very much to Nick and Rachel at Castallack Farm - a brilliant B & B which I would heartily recommend.

Filling in the Gaps

Last weekend I took advantage of the good weather and did the first of a number of re-visits. I decided not to tell anyone I was going in case the weather changed! I can now safely say it wasn't me that caused the bad summer. The re-visits are either for days missed due to bad weather or places where I felt I needed a second visit.

Bossington (Re-visit of Day 1)
On the pebbly beach known as Porlock Ridge, looking towards Hurlstone Point with its lookout (probably victorian). With blue skies and the Welsh coast in the background, it could hardly be further removed from the cold, wet, miserable day when we first arrived here in late April. It seems a lot more than four months ago!
I always knew that day one would be difficult and it seems a bit strange to be back here trying to find a suitable image - this one is important because it is the first image that most people will look at in the exhibition. 

Culbone Woods (Re-visit of Day 2)
I did some great sketches on day 2 but I found when I tried to make a print back in the studio that the sketches were not what I wanted. I didn't capture the atmosphere of the place.


Baggy Point (Re-visit of Day 5)
It was so windy when we approached Baggy Point in April that we were in danger of being blown off the path. It couldn't have been more different this time, warm and sunny  with some truly amazing cloudscapes.

Back in the Studio
Progress is slow on the production of the daily drypoints. I am finding that because I sketched the places, re-worked the sketches, and thought about them (probably too much) that when it came to actually printing the plate I felt that I had left myself nothing new to do.  In some cases I am abandoning the original idea and doing something completely different so that it feels new, and therefore exciting.

Devon Open Studios (Venue 136)
Just a reminder that I am opening my studio on the following days:
Thursday 13th - Preview 6-8pm - with drinks and nibbles
Fri 14th, Sat 15th, Sun 16th - 11-6pm
Fri 21st, Sat 22nd, Sun 23rd - 11-6pm

Directions: From Dartington Cider Press roundabout (Shinners Bridge), take A385 towards Plymouth. After 500m turn left into Droridge Lane, after 200m turn left into Droridge. Number 4 is on the right just around the corner, on-street parking is available. (Postcode: TQ9 6JQ)
You can download the full Devon Open Studios brochure here

Back in the Studio

What have I been doing for the last six weeks?
Since I got home 6 weeks ago the following things have happened:

• First I stopped doing anything at all!
• I then went into the studio and panicked, closely followed by running round in ever decreasing circles.
• After 3 weeks of 'swimming through treacle' I had a word with myself and tried to start working on the images. I had gathered so much information whilst walking, and had so many ideas bouncing around my head, that I didn't know where to start.
• After another 2 weeks of agony the magic came back, I am now editioning the daily drypoints and am totally “in the zone”.

These difficult few weeks were not unexpected, a project of this size was bound to have periods of time when I had wondered why I started it, and whether I would actually be able to deliver the work. In reality this was simply my brain going through a process of assimiliation which is an essential part of any creative endeavour. It's great to be enjoying the project again!

Filming in Cornwall
Last week we went back to Cornwall to make a short film about the project with Dominic Mann, who I have worked with in multi media arts events in schools & colleges abroad. I was quite nervous about being filmed and having to talk about the project, but in the end I had a great 2 days and having to think about why I wanted to do it and going back to the path re-ignited my passion for the whole thing.
If you want to have a look at some of Dominic's other work click here: http://www.dominicmann.com/

Come and Visit the Studio
Devon Open Studios is coming up in September - an opportunity to visit my studio and see where I work.
I am having a preview evening on Thursday 13th from 6pm till 8pm.
I will then be open from 11am to 6pm, Friday to Sunday, over the following two weekends (14th - 16th  and 21st - 23rd).
Directions: From Dartington Cider Press roundabout (Shinners Bridge), take A385 towards Plymouth. After 500m turn left into Droridge Lane, after 200m turn left into Droridge. Number 4 is on the right just around the corner, on-street parking is available. (Postcode: TQ9 6JQ)


Art Course at Harbour House
This autumn I am running a course called 'Finding your Focus'
at Harbour House in Kingsbridge.
Details of the course can be found here:  http://www.harbourhouse.org.uk/anitareynolds-findyourfocus.html
For a brochure please contact the office at Harbour House: 01548 854708