Cot to Coast
My art has been entirely inspired by the coastal paths that have surrounded me my entire life. Growing up in Penzance, St Michael’s Mount was a daily sight, and one whose silhouette is forever etched into my vision and creative spirit. Now I live in St Just in Penwith on the north coast just 6 miles from where I grew up. I walk the Coast Path every day with my dog regardless of the weather – having a spaniel means there’s no such thing as bad weather so I’m out in all conditions. Storm or sunshine, the coast inspires me and my work. I soak up the sights around me as I walk, breathing them in so they become part of me, waiting to be released when I start drawing.
Swirls feature heavily in my work, originally inspired by a walk I took from Cot Valley to Carn Gloose on a windy day, my hair swirling around me in playful tumbles of curls. Later I sat down in front of my block of lino and knew my drawing of St Michael’s Mount lacked something: the life of the coast. Then I remembered that walk and feeling the wind in my hair and the way my curls danced and twirled and knew that feeling was what was missing. Now curls and swirls feature in many of my images.
The Coast Path has always been part of my life, like breathing, like drawing, but it has only been this year that I’ve walked it with more purpose when my partner asked if I would like to hike all of the South West Coast Path for fun, and something rewarding to do together. I hadn’t hiked with full kit since I was a scout, so suddenly finding myself in that position again was a shock, especially as we over committed on our first day and walked 16 miles.
Walking new parts of the path has been incredibly inspiring and the places I want to capture in my art has grown tenfold. Gunwalloe and the church ever so close to the beach, Towan Beach and the island house and the bridge that connects the two, and the turquoises at the Lizard that took my breath away are all on the list.
But our next stretch sees us walking westwards through my hometown of Penzance, relishing in a flat start, then on to Lamorna to hopefully stay near St Loy overnight then on to Land’s End the next day. The wonderful part about walking the path is seeing all the details along the way you don’t see or feel when you just drive to a beach for the day. The steep steps, the choughs calling, the touch of the sun, the rain and the salt sea spray on my face, I walk and draw my way through the ever-changing personalities of the path.
If you don’t bump into Maria on the Coast Path follow her on socials to see what she is currently working on, what fairs she’ll be attending and when her next Lino print workshops are:
Instagram @mariatresederprintmaker
Facebook @mariatresederprintmaker
Shop a selection of creations on Maria’s website
The South West Coast Path 