Thamesmead

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.

After the success of my online workshops last year, I had the idea to create a bigger project and involve local residents. I’m delighted to have received grant-funding for ‘Thamesmead Photo Mission’ which launched today with the registration link and details here.

We are all isolated right now – and more than anything this is going to be a great opportunity to connect with other people who have an interest in photography. And what better time that during the dull winter months. I believe that expensive cameras aren’t important, phone cameras are welcome here – this project will be about seeing as much as taking photos in your homes or on your walks.

Its quite a challenge to devise art that can work during lockdown, but I’m very excited with my plans for this. Each week will be themed, and we’ll be discussing examples of photography and learning tricks and tips. The Brutalist architecture and the Natural wildlife in Thamesmead provides rich pickings for photography. And its always about looking that bit deeper, to see things in the everyday that other people don’t notice.