Ending my 1 month Art Residency

The importance of a residency for me.

I love my full life, but every so often I get an intuitive nudge that I’m drifting — saying too few “no’s,” losing focus — and I need an environment that draws me back into my work. A residency offers exactly that: a space of stillness, framed by intention and investigation.

I came across The Hide while searching for places in England built upon limestone, and discovered this treasure in Pinfarthings, Gloucestershire — a forest of opportunities. A month is an ideal stretch: long enough to go deeper, short enough to push harder when the work resists. Without the usual distractions, I could focus and strengthen my confidence.

The opportunity for dialogue was invaluable. Having a “crit” a few days in — shaped my thinking. Alice was especially insightful in her feedback, offering perspectives that fuelled my time here. Conversations with another fellow artist, too, were a gift; our practices are often solitary, and finding a circle where ideas and processes can unfold doesn’t come easy.

It had been since 2022 — my last residency in Iceland — that I immersed myself in this way. That experience was magnificent, and this one has been equally rich. What I’ve gained here will flow into the work ahead. It has been one of the most creative and deeply personal experiences of recent years, and words can only reach so far.

The Hide itself is special: an artist’s family home, with studios harmonious to contemporary practice. Alice and Piers, both artists in their own right, root the residency in authenticity — Alice’s teaching, exhibitions, and membership in the Royal Society of Sculptors bring an added depth. 

The surrounding landscape, dramatic and generous, fed and motivated me daily.On my final days I walked — discovering Ruskin Mill College, a breathtaking path along the river, and lush experimental gardens. The wider area holds a strong ethos of environmental preservation: Dunkirk Mill Museum, Ruskin Mill College, and their commitment to biodiversity, ancient crafts, Steiner’s philosophy, Goethean enquiry, (interesting)!…and research into what we can contribute to the wider world.

This residency has been a gift of time, place, and perspective — one that will continue to resonate in my work long after leaving The Hide.