Exploring Dartmoor on the Page
Mood: Absorbed | Post Type: Behind the Scenes | Weeks Until Show: 45
Walking Season Approaches
I’m conscious that I need to explore more of Dartmoor — and more of Devon in general. We’re heading into the season when we naturally walk more, between October and March. Partly it’s practical: we like to avoid (in no particular order) the ticks, the adders, the faff of sunscreen just after pulling on waterproofs, and, of course, the tourists. We simply prefer it when there are fewer people around. The landscape feels quieter then, and that quiet brings a sharper awareness that we’re just a small cog in a much bigger plan. It’s humbling — a powerful reminder of nature’s presence and strength.
Reading as a Starting Point
Time is always precious, with a never-ending chores and to-do list, so I’ve started thinking carefully about where I’d like to explore. To help with that, I’ve turned to reading more about the Moors. My starting point is the quarterly Dartmoor Magazine. I’d just finished the summer edition and have now bought the autumn issue. I was actually featured in it once — just a tiny snippet during last year’s Devon Open Studios — but I still hold on to that little claim to fame.
Dark and Dastardly Discoveries
In the summer edition, I came across a reference to a book called Dark and Dastardly Dartmoor, a slim volume from the 1980s. I managed to find a second-hand copy online. It’s full of tales from Dartmoor, but let’s just say it’s not bedtime reading. Dark, yes. Dastardly, definitely. Not the sort of stories you want lodged in your head just before sleep!
Rock Idols and Other Inspirations
That discovery made me wonder what other books are based on Dartmoor. This search led me to Rock Idols: Dartmoor's Wild Tors, a newer publication that tells the story of Dartmoor through the lens of its tors. The language is wonderful — it captures the spirit of the Moors so vividly that I can almost see names for artworks tumbling out of its descriptions. That’s the book I’ve decided to read first.
Building a Dartmoor Library
On our shelves we also have Dartmoor walking guides, alongside the Dartmoor Tors Compendium, filled with beautiful black-and-white photographs of both well-known and lesser-known tors. And just this weekend, when I was showing my mum around Chagford, I came across a book on Dartmoor’s stone circles in a local book and art shop — another great addition, as so much focus is often on the tors.
Looking Ahead
So this is where I am: beginning to plan our hiking priorities, gathering inspiration, and collecting places to capture in photographs — and hopefully to feature within my glass work. I also hope I’ll be brave enough to take a sketchbook and a few paints with me (baby steps!). In the meantime, I’ll be reading my way across the landscape before I set foot on it again.
This is Episode 7 in my ‘Solo Show Diary’ series — a behind-the-scenes look at how my work develops. You can find the earlier posts here.