Nest is a collection of drawings, writings and sculpture that showcase the nature and inspiration found at home while in self isolation due to the coronavirus in Scotland. MacEwan, who previously worked in digital mediums, wanted to create a body of work that not only included their interests of other mediums, but also showcased the nature on her doorstep.
Nest is a series of work made during lockdown and self isolation made from the nature around me that I can use and work with without leaving the house, or gathered during my one allowed walk of the day.
During my time at art school I spent a lot of time working with the combination of digital mediums and painting. The collaboration between more "old" and "modern" mediums succinctly tied my work together during the lead up of my degree show. Even in previous year I enjoyed the combination of mediums for a piece of work. My second year started with charcoal sketches and photography that eventually lead to a combination of photography developed onto painted canvas. The combination of two mediums that people tend to focus purely on a singular has definitely been of great interest for me. Even in more recently years I started a project on the River Spey that combined photography of water combined with pencil sketches and abstract ink pieces. One experimentation from that body of work was the initial catalyst for Nest. The paintings, a series of abstract ink sketches that depicted pattern of water at the bottom of a river, or more obviously seen, of the shape of rock.
The sketches initially never went anywhere with the project I had been working on, so were put to the back of my mind. After moving studios at the beginning of this year I rediscovered these pieces and they sparked something in my mind. I am fascinated by the marks and patterns that nature creates, and that we normally overlook. I think it is only the "weirdos" who stop to pick up and collect pebbles and leaves and twigs, but I have been doing it since I was a child. I even have a jar of pebbles from around the work that I have collected because they just looked so interesting.
Going back through this project while moving studio was cathartic. It definitely made me want to reconnect to nature in my artwork. And then lockdown happened and all the ideas I had in my head to start this new project were shut down before they could even started. I could no longer leave the house the get the materials I needed, or the inspiration I wanted. I was stuck.
I was also still settling into the studio and trying to develop my drawing skills again when the lockdown happened and so I decided to take a more inward look at this concept idea. Somewhere along the line the word "nest" came into my head and just stuck. It originally started when I started weaving using the wool and other materials that I was handed down from my Grandmother after she passed away. The connection to textiles and the land just seemed like such a perfect combination, but I didn't really have the space to work in this way. The new studio gave me the space to do it.
Nest originally came from the idea to create small woven pieces with elements of nature incorporated as parts of the weft. The idea expanded to weaving into and on elements of nature collected during my once a day allocated walk, or found in the garden. I have always loved textiles and sculpture but never managed to find my way into the medium, but with nest I started to find a way into these mediums. I am not sure yet where this project is going, but I know it will be incorporating the combination of sculpture, ceramics, drawings and writings.
This virus and the lock down have been quite traumatic to many creatives and they are not alone. My own creative energy was squashed rather quickly the more I left locked inside. It is hard to keep things flowing when everything around you is stagnant. I'm finding it hard to be enthusiastic to get into the studio, and I also learned that I am not yet ready for painting again. After having picked up the brushes and a new canvas, nothing really channelled out of me. Luckily though my hands still want to create and nurture my creativity. The days when I cannot work in my head, I have been out the in garden or looking after my seedlings.
If you to are struggling right now, don't worry. Find something else to put your energy into and things will work out. Sending you all my love and thank you for reading my ramble.
- Morven
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