What a year this has been! I do hope you have all weathered the storm and found solace in art and nature. It has been an eventful year for me and because of this there has not been chance to write more frequent blog entries. During the first ‘lockdowns’ I was writing a new book. Before the pandemic began, I had already planned to write about the importance of cherishing nature and being more careful of our footprint on the planet. My discussions about the value of slowing down, valuing the beauty of small things, using less ‘stuff’ and working in a more responsible way, suddenly seemed rather appropriate. I realised that my need to assess how to ‘be’ as an artist, rather than simply how to ‘do’, and how this might affect creativity, was closely woven with the recognition that our disconnection from nature is often a root of our discontent.
‘Rusty moon’ -Rust print collage with handmade papers
In my new experiments I began to have a whale of a time exploring different ways to work including making my own ink, paint and paper; using site materials outdoors and lots of other fun and rewarding exercises. Life is exciting and magical and we need to treasure the moment. After finishing the book, my husband and I felt inspired to start a new life in a wilder, more remote place in Devon.. so be warned! We spent the last six months here, renovating an old house near the sea and living in a very basic way without electricity or heating for much of the time. The house is now nearing completion and is gorgeous. The neglected six acres of woodland garden with ponds is next on the list for attention.
The new book is different to all my previous books. There are more written discussions and stories. It is an autobiographical account of how I regained my own creativity after periods of ‘artist’s block’. It is not a ‘how to’ book although there are descriptions of how, why and what I used to create artwork. I found it inspiring to write and I hope you will also enjoy reading it. There are definitely some surprises.
‘Creativity through Nature: Foraged,Recycled and Natural Mixed-Media Art’ will be published by Batsford on May 13. They describe it as:
‘A passionate and purposeful book on finding real creativity through nature.’
.I am not selling it yet on my website (I’m too busy pruning the garden) but it is available to pre-order now through this link:
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/260/9781849946490
‘Creativity through Nature’ is available internationally from the following suppliers:
The Book Depository offer free worldwide delivery on books: https://www.bookdepository.com/Creativity-Through-Nature-Ann-Blockley/9781849946490?ref=grid-view&qid=1620739157779&sr=1-1
US:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/creativity-through-nature-ann-blockley/1138737176?ean=9781849946490
Canada:
Australia:
https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/creativity-through-nature-by-ann-blockley-9781849946490
