Arteles

It was a long four hour drive to my next museum but it actually went by in a haze. I think my brain was whirring over all that I'd seen and experienced so far and thoughts were forming. I think a lot of my best thinking happens when I'm on the move…in the car, on a bus, riding my bike…maybe it's because it's somewhere no one can get me? I'm busy pedalling or steering or something which means my brain can think things over, it's just how it's always worked for me. I just need to make sure I grab a pen and paper as soon as I stop to catch the thoughts before they're gone.

So I am just back (well it's been a week now) from an incredible trip to Finland supported by a Creative Scotland Open Project Funding Grant to research and learn about the Finnish form of weaving known as Täkänä to inspire some new work and new thinking. The trip was an intense ten days of reading, talking, learning, travelling, listening and absorbing information and experiences to develop new things.

I was totally delighted and grateful to hear last week that Creative Scotland have chosen to fund this exciting new project I have proposed in their latest round of Open Project Funding. This will involve me travelling back to Finland very soon to research, develop and produce a series of rugs, prints and wall hangings inspired by the Finnish form of weaving called Täkänä.

Tampere is the nearest large town to Arteles and also home to Muumilaakso - Moomin Valley, a museum dedicated to the works of Tove Jansson. Although small in size, it didn't disappoint as her drawings are incredible and my personal highlight of the exhibition. No photos are allowed in the museum, so there was only opportunity to snap my souvenirs and happy face outside the entrance...



Week three of my Finnish adventure actually began in the beautiful capital of Estonia, Tallinn. It seemed like too good an opportunity to miss as it's so near to Helsinki by boat, so I took the short ferry ride over and wasn't disappointed. I have never seen so many incredible doors...

Although technically part of my month at Arteles, I thought my visit to Marimekko's factory and headquarters in Helsinki deserved it's very own blog post as it was such an inspiring trip.

As a lover of collecting things for inspiration, I decided to take time out the studio this week and take in the local delights of Hämeenkyrö, the nearest town to Arteles with a selection of secondhand shops and flea markets. I wasn't disappointed and managed to find a selection of blue objects (I'm aways drawn to blues) that included these amazing patterned Arabia cups...

I'm really lucky to be spending August here at the Arteles Centre (pictured above) in rural Finland on a residency alongside seven other artists from all over the world. The last few months have been particularly hectic, so I feel very privileged to be able to take time out from my regular studio activity and think about new work and process recent things.