Walcot Chapel May 2014

This May five of us shared Walcot Chapel in Bath, an old mortuary chapel long used for music or art, as a working open studio. We were three painters and two textile artists. My idea was to make a lot of small painted squares based on the green and white colours that are a memorable part of the setting, seen through arched windows, lit and changed by the different times of day.  Somehow that gradually changed – influenced by conversation and shared space.  I began to make imprints of flowers and gravestone script.

A whole set of Susi’s great grandmother’s widows weeds started talk – between ourselves and also with visitors – of widows, strong women, survival, relationships. Discussions about death and the nebulous nature of memory. A whole life often captured many years later with so few words on a gravestone.

I felt the urge to make small clay widows to live outside. Maybe not all so devoted or dutiful….

Thanks to Angie Kinnear, Michelle Dash, Ali Harper and Susi Bancroft for a week of inspiration.

Tags: Art in Bath, Bath exhibitions, Walcot chapel