TRACES & TEXTURES

‘Metronome to the Wind’

In 2021 I became the new custodian of an old stone croft cottage located 500ft above the shores of Lochbroom. The surrounding hillside soon became my muse, with each new project emerging as a collaboration with nature and a way in which I could honour its beauty, imperfections and impermanence.

‘Metronome to the Wind’ is an ongoing body of work that explores the resilience and renewal of the pioneer trees that have colonised pockets of this wild and beautiful peninsula. 

These hardy species include birch, ash and Scots pine whose seeds are dispersed by the winds and squalls I’ve spend the past 5 years watching, dodging and embracing as I make the steep ascent and descent to and from my cottage.

The pendulum catkins of the silver birch (Betula Pendula) release tiny airborne seeds and it is their swaying movement in the wind that inspired the title for this series.

The works are presented in a variety of different media including some experimental pieces using a traditional Korean method of making textured, handmade paper out of hanji (mulberry paper) known as Joomchi.

Having previously trained and worked as a Forest Bathing (Shinrin Yoku) guide, my interest in Japanese culture and artisan crafts is also reflected in my work. I have taken inspiration from the traditional Japanese patchwork style Boro and incorporated this into some of my pieces - comparing the tattered, flaking bark of the birches to the patched up Kimono associated with the Boro style.