Original artwork description:

In September 2019 the Vega Baga DANA where I lived in Spain caused a catastrophic flood that was declared a national disaster. Human lives, livestock, pets, businesses, homes and gardens were lost, some literally washed away. Sadly very similar to what Valencia is experiencing now but on a smaller scale.

My Spanish studio sat in the corner of our garden and was flooded by around a metre and a half of filthy, muddy, polluted water destroying years of work, precious photographs and possessions, my portfolios, journals and sketchbooks, my degree work and certificate, letters from my deceased mother, hand-made cards and gifts from my children, and so much more.

I was absolutely devastated and heartbroken. In addition, I lost my music recording set up, my art materials and equipment, books and resources but I also lost the will to create, I lost me!

For a year or more just the smell in the studio reminded me of the flood and thinking about all that I had lost literally made my heart pound and my head spin.

For another year I would pop in and out of the studio starting bits of work, gessoing over work that was damaged in the flood but still useable (most of everything went in a skip). But feelings would start to come to the surface that I just couldn't deal with so I would close the door and walk away.

But on April 10th 2022 I made a breakthrough. I couldn’t smell the DANA anymore. One of the benefits of a hot country and UV is that it does tend to clean and sanitize in an environmentally friendly way! I would still go to empty boxes thinking that something would still be there but that's OK. I just needed to keep remembering what had gone and, if I needed it, to buy it again. The important thing is that I made a piece of work.

I then relocated back to the UK and in January 2023 became a resident artist at The Artery Studios in Worcester where I began to make work again. BENEATH THE BLUE 1 is one of three pieces in a series I made for my Innerscapes Exhibition. Over the past two years, though this body of work, I have I allowed myself to intuitively explore my internal personal geography and make visual representations. As an artist this is my buried treasure for me to excavate, examine and record.

I hope this piece will find an appreciative home where it can be enjoyed and loved.

Materials used:

GESSO, ACRYLIC, WET STRENGTH TISSUE, GAUZE, THREADS

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