Out of the Woods

30.06.22 18 degrees Celsius sunny, light breeze, earlier rain storm.

For the June event we went ‘out of the woods’ to Humphrey Head in Cumbria to meet guest artist Julia Parks. Julia’s work is often associated with the coastal landscape - through film making and the use of natural developers she explores the histories and communities close to the sea’s edge.

We followed the bridle path and hiked up the headland through the meadows and stood on the edge to look out to sea, inhaling the bedstraw fragrance.

Julia demonstrated how to make a lumen print by placing grasses, leaves, flowers or feathers onto photographic paper, clipping the contact Perspex before placing it in the sunlight to develop.

While we waited for the paper to turn blue we drank meadowsweet tea.

We gathered around the frames to create a communal shade and peek at the fugitive images that were then hastily hidden from the light in paper envelopes.

We slowly descended the Head accompanied by swooping swifts and glowing in the warmth of sunlight and human connectiveness.

An alchemical day of magical elements.