Inspired by the Coast – Hannah Jenkinson – The South West Coast Path

What inspires your drawings and paintings?

A drawing or painting is an expression of feelings about my environment that I can’t express in language. The process of making a mark on paper begins an articulation of deeper thoughts about what it is to be human. My art follows the Seasons. I draw and paint what I see around me in the moment, often from life, combined with imagined forms and colours. I use sticks or feathers and other found objects, that I collect when out walking, to apply paints and inks. Moody weather and rough seas can stir up emotions in me and then I want to paint them.

Sharing and learning with people, is very inspiring to me. Establishing a community art group has been a great source of personal and artistic inspiration. Spending time helping others express themselves, motivates me to keep working on my own practice. Exploring how people interpret life through art, feeds my own work.

How has living in Cornwall and walking the Coast Path inspired your creativity?

I am extremely fortunate to be surrounded by the wildness of North Cornwall. This habitat suits the creature in me! My subject matter is in the fields, cliffs, trees and skies of the Coast Path which passes through the small hamlet, where I live. Walking has a meditative effect on me and I have some of my best ideas out on the cliff path. Being able to sketch and paint out in the elements is an adventure and a privilege. Looking from a distance in my art studio, I see walkers with big backpacks following the way. I wonder how they feel and I make art from these figures in the landscape.

Images: A Walk on Paper

During the spring and summer I made a work called A Walk on Paper. It was a visual diary of my walks on the South West Coast Path and took on the form of a map. I incorporated dyes from plant life, to colour my paper.

Why is the South West Coast Path important to you?

The South West Coast Path brings people into our community of Morwenstow. Guests use the accommodation on our farm and walkers trek to the local pub for an overnight stay. On occasion we offer a sympathetic lift along the lane to escape the bad weather. Having completed half the path so far myself, I know how it feels! The Coast Path experience is a great topic of conversation and people love to recount their journeys, describing the stunning scenery and wild nature. It connects me to people that I wouldn’t otherwise meet.

Interacting with visitors through my work is important to me, as an emerging artist. Welcoming tourists and locals into my studio is a growing aspect of my practice. When people connect with a my art in this way it gives me a sense of achievement and optimism.

Tell us about your fine art degree and how it is shaping your process

It’s wonderful to be back in education. I have found a unique interdisciplinary Art and Design degree course, the BA(Hons) Art & Design Practice programme, at the Camborne campus of Cornwall College University Centre. This programme is helping me become professional in my approach to art making.

As part of my degree, I am building a body of work focusing on plants and creatures, in my immediate environment, that might be considered unpleasant or hazardous, such as brambles and spiders. I am exploring their spirit, symbolism and beauty through using inks and water, allowing fluidity and spontaneity, contrasting with structured drawn line. The thought process behind this work began after being bitten by a tick and becoming ill with Lyme disease. My artistic attention was unexpectedly turned towards these tiny creatures that were able to have such a surprising impact on my life.

At Cornwall College University Centre, where I study, the small class sizes and specialist staff offer me the opportunity that I’ve been looking for, to experiment and push myself. I have already become more confident in exploring new techniques and talking about my ambitions for the future. I would say to anybody thinking about studying art in further education, find a course that feels right for you and go for it!