Riber Castle

I seem to be becoming synonymous with spontaneous walking! My latest was from Matlock to Riber Castle. I find walking and spending time close to nature relieves stress and calms me, so I enjoyed this short walk, even if it was steep and bitterly cold. The views and the sunset were utterly stunning, just breath-taking :)

Kingfishers

As my projects moves forwards and I consider the elements of nature I want to specifically focus on and study I focused on my surroundings and the places I had visited for inspiration. As I see the River Derwent almost every day on my journey to University, and enjoyed following it through Marlock on my walk, I decided that I wanted to paint an oak tree, as Derwent mean 'Valley thick with oaks'. Birds also fasinate me, so putting a bird into the tree seemed highly natural. I chose to study a kingfisher, as it is a bird I love but have never seen in the wild.

I looked to Morris for inspiration in my work, and sought to create a large scale repeat unit, reflecting my own obsession with nature, and the local nature which inspires me daily. I used unity and symmetry when designing, in an attempt to create a harmony within the design.

Thinking Space

As my ideas for the project begin to develop and pressure mounts, a break and some thinking space is always useful for creative development. So a long lone day trip to Matlock allowed for some deep thought about my project, and to get inspired by the nature which surrounds me. Walking is one of my favourite pass times, so a 10 mile walk in the hills around Matlock allowed a much needed break.
Here are some images from the High Tor and of the river Derwent: