2023 has got off to a bright start! I’ve been working on the Light The Way Festival for Hive Curates. I’ve run workshops with local residents – we’ve been on Nature walks along the Ridgeway, the Orchard, and the canals in Thamesmead. Then we made cyanotypes which will be scanned and incorporated into the “Nature Through A New Lens” installation.

I’m also presenting my own piece “Dark Path”. This is a recycled version of my previous “Dark Alley” work, with updates made to the vandalised boxes, and some faces from the workshops featured in my unique lightcrates. I think I did pretty well snapping the participants during our tea break. I love the site I’ve been allocated on the Ridgeway, and I am scattering the boxes there so that they are more site specific. As you can see from the header picture it is currently drenched in blossom. I hope to involve some plants and UV lights too! Its been quite intense work – lots of late night soldering and splinters.

Winter can be such a depressing month, especially the cold dark days in London. I am delighted to take part in “Light the Way”, getting people out in Nature for a long walk, its the best medicine! Light festivals seem to replacing things like Bonfire Nights, we really need safe outdoor events so people can socialise.

Similarly, I have been helping out with Pepys Warm Welcomes in Deptford. I had to drink a lot of wine (kidding) to provide enough bottles for people to recycle into lamps with me! The lamps came out so well. Its a great idea to get people in one centre to save money on their own heating bills. So many wins for the environment all round! Next week I’ll be running a casual “painting to music” session, and Paul and I will be performing some of my songs unplugged !

I hope to see you at some of these free events.