Wild Horses Weep

Let's shift the 'we' to the 'I'.

Sometimes art gives us the opportunity to say so much more. It provides us all with different ‘ways of seeing’ that can be transformational. My visual language is exercised on a daily basis with sketchbooks, art journals or even doodles in margins playing a regular part in each day. This approach enables me to communicate in a nonverbal way that speaks to my creative soul. Recently, I have returned to making zines. Zines are mini magazines and a favourite resting place for artists. I have just finished a couple of zines ready for a reboot of my Etsy store at the beginning of September. The first is seasonal and called ‘A time to gather’ but the second one is based on an artist book I recently created called ‘Wild Horses Weep.’ Zines are a fantastic way to communicate how we view the world and I hope these prove to be successful. My measure of success is that I want them to ‘shift’ folk. I want the seasonal ones to create a buzz of activities deeply embedded in living within the natural world. I want my artist book zines to ask questions about what we can all do to protect the planet we call home. Both types of zines are part of my creative legacy.

I have been an environmental artist for over 20 years and much has changed in that time. The once hippy language has now become mainstream as we all grapple with what needs to be done to protect our planet. Wild Horses Weep talks openly about honesty and the part that plays in our conservation quest. Honesty is a tricky subject to tackle as there are layers of it and the deeper layers are often left quite alone deep in our souls. If WE are to protect our planet and reverse some of the obvious damage we have already done WE needs to become ‘I.’ Each and every one of us needs to consider what we do and what more we can do to shift the narrative and make the world more sustainable for future generations. I think, sometimes, that indivdual responsbility is lost as ‘movements’ of people declare their messages to the world. Imagine a world where every single human being took total responsibility for the future of the planet…..

Wild Horses Weep speaks through the eyes of horses that, in my world, are all seeing. There is a depth to the eyes of horses that tells me they know much about the world they inhabit. Sadly, horses can also speak of hundreds of years of neglect in some contexts. If you have ever sunk your head into the neck of a horse you will know exactly what I mean. So, my zine takes those beautiful eyes and asks that we might all open ours just a little wider. Protecting our planet is a continuous narrative for all of us and I hope my wee zine will tell a story that folk can respond to in a deeply positive way. We shall see. I have a very loyal bunch of patrons who will tell me what they think once it is published in September.

Zines bring words and art into one place and, for me, that is a very powerful place to inhabit. I think I am going to love my journey with zines.