The intuitive process of creating these earth pigments has become ritualistic now. I can drift away whilst mixing the fine pigment with the gum arabic. I can ‘feel’ the amounts rather than measure. I have started to notice how I can experiment and play with the different soils and quantities to create different outcomes. It is really exciting and enjoyable. The process of creating the monoprint has become even more automatic; I lay the pigment that I have made onto the paper, seal it between two sheets, use my hands and fingers to smooth it out and then lift the paper to reveal. Each outcome is unexpected, unpredictable, raw and exhilarating. It is alchemical and magical. My practice has become so deeply rooted in the landscape. It makes we want to go on another walk urgently…
