This walk was designed and delivered by artist Katie Smith who invited us to her wonderful studio at Unique Cottage Studios in Spalding. Carolyn Bantin conducted the Mindfulness Meditation and we were joined by some inquisitive sheep. Carolyn's ancestors had been shepherds so sheep wrangling seems to run in the family!
Katie designed a photo mission to help us look at our surroundings in a more creative way and we split into small groups to create an environmental intervention made from collected natural materials.
We walked through allotments and pumpkin fields under the strangely glowing pumpkin Sun.
Back in the summer I was contacted by artist Carole Miles to
see if I would be interested in leading a Creative Wellbeing Walk for a group
of young people as part of the Back to Books project; of course my answer was
‘YES PLEASE.’ Carole explained that the concept of the project was to connect
walkers with the history, landscape or location of a place in a unique and
creative way.
I am really lucky to be based at the picturesque Unique
Cottage Studios in Spalding, Lincolnshire; not only is a working sheep farm but
it’s a stones’ throw away from agricultural land and a thriving allotment. It
would be impossible not to be inspired by landscape that surrounds me and I can
often be found foraging for interesting leaves to create prints and cyanotypes
from or searching out interesting sheds to photograph. I also walk through the
landscape using it as a thinking space; I like the Latin phrase ‘solvitur
ambulando’ which means ‘it will be solved by walking,’ and it often is!
As a socially engaged artist I generally take a ‘go to the
people’ approach so the prospect of having people visit me in my studio for
this project was an exciting one. Carole’s group arrived in good time and we
started our creative adventure in the best way, with a cup of tea and a
delicious picnic. I gave each of the visitors an enveloped stuffed with
creative suggestions for ‘finding the magic in ordinariness’ which would be our
theme for the day. We also decided as a group that we should leave ourselves
open to possibility and to wander rather than walk putting the emphasis on
responding to the sights and sounds of the landscape rather than getting from A
to B.
The first point of interest on our wander was a clay pit
which had been repurposed into a large pond. Clay Lake is the name of an area
in Spalding which before the drainage of the fens, was a large clay bottomed
lake. The pond is located in the garden of the owner of Unique Cottage Studios
and accessible via a walk through a paddock – it was here that our first
‘possibility’ presented itself.
Two curious sheep managed to follow us into the garden which led to a completely unplanned and totally unexpected sheep herding experience. We were pleased to discover that we worked very well as a team and disaster was quickly averted. We took full advantage of the peace and tranquillity of the garden and used it as an opportunity to take stock with a mindfulness activity.
We continued our wander through the allotments, down a
winding country lane and through a pumpkin field collecting interesting found
objects as we went. It was a lovely relaxed opportunity to chat and enjoy each
other’s company.
It was also quite surreal as we were bathed in the eerie
orange glow of the red sun, the phenomena created by Storm Ophelia as it
whipped up dust from the Sahara.
Allotments
Artichoke
Mighty cabbage
Naturtiums growing in compost heap
Field of pumkins - orange glow
Back at the studio I introduced the group to the work of
artist Any Goldsworthy and we talked about how we could use of found objects to
create natural sculptures within the ground of unique.
Fuelled by more tea and
Lincolnshire plum loaf topped with cheese, we worked in pairs to create our own
site specific art works.
Abstract arial view of sheep made from leaves and twigs
Heart-shaped harvest
Leaf parcel
Wrapped pebble
Walk Themes - Crafts and Industry
Unique Cottage Studios - What's On - pottery, mosaics, stained glass, textiles, painting, jewellery
Katie Smith - Socially Engaged Artist - more about
Allotments
Industrial agriculture - Spalding
More photos
