A small visual creative project

Restructuring maps

I am nervous about starting a conversation about maps as I am prone to obsession. I can’t walk passed a secondhand book shop without dragging any unfortunate companions in with me in search of maps. I am always looking for the most damaged versions I can find so I can upcycle them in a creative project. I thought I would share one of my simplest project in case anyone out there loves maps as well. This was made from upcyling an out of date tourist map from the small Scottish island I call home. I suspect these end up in the recyling once a new one is issues each year. Not on my watch!

It is the beautiful elements in this map that attracted me in the first place so I simply cut them out. I think of this as a restructuring process from map to new collage page. This process was really simple but I think that is what makes it effective. I created a simple background using inktense blocks and pencils before arranging the elements and shifting them around until I was happy. Then I did some simple mark making on and around the elements to help bring the page together. In the summer the wee harbours around the island are full of boats and one of my favourite things to do with my beloved studio van, Willow, is to make a coffee and sit and stare at the boats. If people actually get off them and get in a dingy to the island I get beyond excited. The next few minutes will then be spent with me giving these unassuming folk a full background story! I always think folk with boats live in a bit of a parallel universe especially those with large, expensive looking boats.

Once the elements were stuck down on this page I used a white gel pen to scribe some small, gentle thoughts onto the page. I think of these types of pages as capturing memories and they have a special folder in my studio.

I am currently working with some island tourist maps to make paper flowers and an old vintage map of the island to decorate risers on my staircase. Both I will show over in notes when complete. I usually work with the lines on the map as a starting point for shape building and zentangle studies but these pieces are a bit more complex so I thought I would start with a simple project in case you fancy falling down a map rabbit hole with me.

I am currently working on my plans for a shift in my paid subscription in time for summer. My existing members have been kind to help me in this process. I am finally bringing my extensive teaching in both meditation and art into one place and I am beyond excited. I did quite a lot of this work during lockdown by offering online retreats and they proved very popular. For the past two years my paid subscription space here on Substack has been a book artist virtual studio and this summer will see an extension of this work into other projects. Book arts will remain though as a key project. What will bind all the creative projects together is an exploration of our personal creativity through a more meditative approach thus using our creativity as a key part of our pursuit of wellness. So, you can expect maps to pop up regularly as signifiers of journeys well travelled, new places to discover and ways to record our explorations around the planet we all call home. An underlying project, that we will be visiting often, is the design of our own ‘life map’ so more on that soon. I am just sharing my thinking at this stage but I also have a wonderful Pink Pig 11x11 inch journal that is my constant companion as I let plans emerge and take shape. Any comments on any of my posts where I share my thinking on my newly designed paid subscription are always so welcome.

I am off to pop the kettle on and spend some time with my planning journal. Until next time, Fiona x

About the author

I am a mixed media artist living on the Isle of Arran in Scotland. Here on Substack I write free content weekly focusing on seasonal creativity. I also run a paid subscription for folk interested in creating seasonal book arts projects. You are most welcome to wander through the seasons with me.