SCAF- Emerging Artist 2025 Award Finalist

Scott Creative Arts Foundation- Founded by Sue Armstrong in 2016

Laura Lee - Ceramic Vase - Raku Fired - Porcelain sculpture leaves - Raku Fired.

Several months ago I was delighted to receive the news that I had been selected as a finalist in this years 2025 Finalist of SCAF Emerging Artist Award.

The Scott Creative Art Foundation is an arts charity based just outside the beautiful market town of Thirsk, North Yorkshire. They hold an annual award for emerging Artists in the Yorkshire Region

So the process of development for this project began - based on the concept of TIME.

I needed to research what time means to me. When I start new projects I look straight to the source of my main inspiration, the forest. For me being in nature calms down my spinning thoughts and somehow whilst walking I find everything that seemed so important has been filed away into the correct compartments and I'm chilled again.

I wanted to further explore how to capture this moment of time being in the moment -still in silence. Being in nature and fully immersed within it benefits our wellbeing it reduces our stress levels our anxiety and improves mental and physical health. During my research process I visited the forest which was sadly timed during the felling of trees. To see a full forest of age old pine trees one day to witness total devastation the next. For this local forest of mine is owned and developed as a crop. Seeing such an immediate change in what once was a stunning environment to a clear vast open space raised tons of moral questions in my own mind.

But what was so heart-breaking to see was a massive collection of logs spray painted with BIO- for Biomass. So we have actually cut down decade old pine trees to burn? This got me researching all about biomass technology. Its safe to say the process has drastically influenced my art practice as I will be seeking out ways to become much more sustainable in the future. One process that I am keen to explore further is pit firing. Im very fortunate to be located on a beautiful farm with open gardens. These gardens create a lot of organic waste - moving forward I look to working more using this organic waste in my process.