New work inspired by Cornwall

Maybe you have read one of my previous blogposts so you'll know I've been to Cornwall for an artist in residence. It was a wonderful and inspiring time, but far too short.

I came home with my notebook filled with pictures, stories, treasures from nature, drawings, watercolour paintings, dried plants and sketches for new work.

In this blogpost you'll get a glimpse of my new work…

The first piece is made out of a Cornish granite rock overgrown moss and lichen. I've added a typical plant ‘Umbilicus rupestris’ or navelwort. It's an evergreen, edible perennial which grows on dry and rocky surfaces. It has penny shaped leaves which also look like a bellybutton (hence the name 'navelwort').

The granite stone represents the china clay mining history but also the importance of liminal spaces for enabling growth.

As our modern lives tend to separate us from the earth's rhythms and biodiversity, we cannot exist without it. By creating these unique plants in porcelain I want to arouse wonder for the beauty of the plants and flowers that surrounds us daily and make them lasting for future generations.

Cornwall is for me definitely a mysterious kingdom with Celtic roots and folklore, fairylike woods and ancient walls, wildflowers and ferns, hidden coves and dramatic coastlines. It is rich in natural resources such as granite from which china clay is mined. Its historic landscape is now reclaimed by nature and a haven for flora and fauna, much loved for its beauty, seclusion and tranquility.

This second artwork in an antique metal glass box is an ode to the Cornish history of porcelain and its outstanding natural beauty.