Saltern Cove, Paignton

Artist Claire Jo Harmer kindly invited me to join her for an inspiring micro residency at Saltern Cove. In just two hours, I immersed myself in the stunning surroundings, gathering ideas to shape a new body of work for my upcoming exhibition in December. This enriching experience was not only a creative spark for my art but also a vital step in preparing for future residency applications.

It was a cool autumn day with clear skies, lapping waves adding a clear soundscape uncluttered by other noises because the site is difficult to access.

I had taken my soft roller, acrylic paints, sketchbooks in black and white, and a plate on which to roll the ink.

There had been a storm so there was a lot of slippery, wet seaweed and I started seeing what I could use. Several caught my eye because they had holdfasts still stuck to the shells, now detached from the seabed.

The rocks looked inviting so I did some roller frontage with different coloured inks and then black crayon.

Rock frontage with black wax crayon.

Roller and acrylic frontage of rock surface.

Bladder wrack on shell hold fast with sea grass found on Saltern shoreline in a glass vase

Bladder wrack and sea grass in a vase seen from above.

Cyanotype print of a Shaded weed (Schottera nicaeensis) found on the cove.

Oar weed on shell holdfast found on Saltern Cove. For the photo gravure print of this image, see Prints.