May newsletter: letting go but doing a lot

New experiments as a result of learning to let go and “dick around”

This month has been packed out!

As I have write about this month, I can’t believe how much I experienced in such a short space of time. I will definitely need time in June to relax and reflect.

What I’ve been up to this month

I have been away for much of this month. Firstly, I travelled to Northumberland. I enjoyed coastal walking in an area that I last visited many, many years ago and discovering Berwick-upon-Tweed. Then I joined Rob Knight and Andy Gray for their Castles, Coast and Creative Expression Workshop. I wanted to move away from creative approaches that I was becoming too comfortable with and try new ideas. The workshop was the perfect way to do this. I even tried and embraced some ICM photography!

I also travelled to the Dorset coast with my family and enjoyed more coastal walking and photography, as well as crazy golf and games of Pass the Pigs!

My time away has resulted in two new projects beginning to take shape in my mind. One is driven by words and based on the sea. The other is driven by a series of sculptures entitled “Widows and Bairns” that I discovered on the North-East cost. I will share more soon as the ideas take shape.

In the meantime “MindGhosts” has finally gone to the printers. I will tell you more about the project and the zine in a blog soon.

What I learned this month

This month I discovered the pleasures of letting go and experimenting. On the workshop, Andy Gray gave an inspirational presentation entitled “Dicking Around”. Although not too serious in the way he made his points, it illustrated very clearly the benefits of trying out new things and not having a set outcome in mind.

I also discovered the pleasures of ICM photography. I am not a fan of some of the traditional ICM styles that I see, but I am beginning to fumble my way towards a style of ICM that may suit me. You can see one example at the top of this piece.

Finally, I realised that I am more connected to the coast than I realised.

What are my plans for next month?

I plan to spend much of June consolidating some of my learnings from the workshop and experiment with new styles. In other words, I will be dicking around!

I also want to get to a point where I understand a little more about what my new projects are about and the shape that they may take.

I have also realised the benefits of spontaneous days out and plan to have more of these.

What I’ve been writing about this month

I have launched some more smartphone workshops (see below for more details). In celebration of this, my latest piece is “5 reasons (not the usual ones!) why photographers should embrace their smartphone camera”. Some people may see it as a little controversial: I would love to hear your thoughts on it. Read the article here.

What I visited this month

There is a beautiful exhibition of Henry Moore In Miniature at the Holburne Museum in Bath at the moment. There are 60 works, none more than 30cm in size. So the viewer receives an overview of his entire career in miniature. The different textures are fascinating.

I also visited the University of Bristol Botanical Gardens. I didn’t even know this existed, but it is a beautiful place with an awful lot to see in such a small place. I particularly enjoyed learning more about the Chinese philosophy of Wu Xing which I feel may be incorporated into my work at some point.

What have I listened to this month

I am really enjoying the new Idles album TANGK. They have reached a new level of maturity and depth and I recommend this wholeheartedly. In complete contrast, I enjoyed some modern classical music when I went to see the Bristol Ensemble perform works by Ludovico Einaudi and Max Richter’s re-imagination of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

Upcoming workshops and events

If you want to find out more about any of my workshops to decide if they are right for you or have any questions, please hit reply to this email.

Exhibitions and events: I will be exhibiting at the Bath Contemporary Arts Fair on Sunday 9th June, 14th July, 11th August and 8th September Do come and say hello. I will have a range of prints, both framed and unframed, as well as a couple of zines and a range of greetings cards.

NEW! Editing and advanced editing with your smartphone online – we meet on Zoom for a half day of learning how to edit with your smartphone. I sometimes take images from my traditional camera and choose to edit them on my smartphone. Find out why. What makes these sessions different is that I cover editing vision as well as how to edit. You also receive two art prints of your edits. I am running introductory pricing until 28thJune. See here for introductory editing and here for advanced editing.

NEW! Individual creative mentoring online – I help you develop your creative vision. I have trained in brain friendly training and these sessions are designed to help you develop a way forward and a practical action plan. Each session is completely unique and tailored to your needs. I am running introductory pricing until 28thJune. See here for details.

Smartphone photography walks and workshops – come and meet me in beautiful Bradford-upon-Avon and learn how to take impressive pictures with your smartphone. The half day workshop concentrates on getting the most out of your smartphone, visiting some interesting locations and receiving personal feedback. The full day workshop also covers editing and includes cake! You also receive art prints of your work. These run throughout the summer. See here for more information and booking.

Commercialise your book online workshop – I am running this in conjunction with Adrian Beasley. We meet for a four hour session on 19th July and learn how to turn Blurb books into commercially printed projects. You also learn print specification and the dos and don’ts on launching your own zine/book. More information and booking here.

The Vision: A five-week online workshop – I am running this with Rob Knight and it is aimed at those who wish to expand their creative vision and be inspired to try new ideas. I am really excited at how this is shaping up. Starts 6th October. See here for more information and booking.

Make sure you keep in touch

You can follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Mastodon as well as Bluesky. Please also e-mail directly: I really appreciate receiving personal e-mails from you. Please share images and projects send me recommendations for reading, listening, exhibitions, blog articles and more!

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