Issuu

The equivalent of experience in visual terms, expressing emotion and beauty in a non-literal way

ROSELAND

A JOURNAL FOR THE DISCERNING

Drift /drift/ noun

1. the act of driving something along

2. the flow or the velocity of the current of a river or ocean stream

verb

1. to become driven or carried along, as by a current of water, wind, or air

2. to move or float smoothly and effortlessly

We invite you to continue your lifestyle voyage online. Find inspiring stories and uncover more luxury content on Instagram @driftcornwall. Join our exclusive e-journal community at drift-cornwall.co.uk to receive recipes, reviews and insider knowledge of some of Cornwall’s most-loved luxury destinations.

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A JOURNAL FOR THE DISCERNING

On the cover

Felicity Mara, Unfolding (detail), 2025, Flashe paint on canvas, photo Nicola Montfort As featured from page 30. felicitymara.co.uk projectstwentytwo.co.uk

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DRIFT is published by:

Engine House Media LTD

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www.enginehousemedia.co.uk

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ISSN 2632-9891

© All rights reserved. Material may not be re-produced without the permission of Engine House Media Ltd. While DRIFT will take every care to help readers with reports on properties and features, neither Engine House Media Ltd nor its contributors can accept any liability for reader dissatisfaction arising from editorial features, editorial or advertising featured in these pages. Engine House Media Ltd strongly advises viewing any property prior to purchasing or considerations over any ﬁnancial decisions. Engine House Media reserves the right to accept or reject any article or material supplied for publication or to edit such material prior to publication. Engine House Media Ltd cannot take responsibility for loss or damage of supplied materials. The opinions expressed or advice given in the publication are the views of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of

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Engine House Media Ltd is a multi-platform media business with a passion for everything Cornish. Visit www.enginehousemedia. co.uk to ﬁnd out more. Our mission is to create READ-WATCHEXPERIENCE media opportunities marrying together consumers with the fabulous businesses across Cornwall. Our publishing and marketing teams are specialists in creating print and online communications, devised to achieve a range of marketing objectives. With over 20 years of marketing, brand management and magazine experience we develop eﬀective communications that deliver your message in a credible and creative way. We operate across all media channels, including: print, online and video.

TEAM

Foreword

Our thoughts turn very much to art in this latest volume of DRIFT Journal as we trace the elusive threads between inspiration and execution, venturing into the studios where creative visionaries bring their work to life. Across disciplines, we explore the processes that gives breath to art. Art, after all, is a dialogue as personal to its maker as to the beholder, refracting meaning through time, memory and emotion. An exhibition of Lyrical Abstraction by painter Felicity Mara comes to Cornwall this summer (30), showing at art venue Projects Twenty Two. This will be followed by a solo show of Jethro Jackson’s recent work (40) revealing how his elusive, gestural painting ﬁnds a rhythm with the landscape. Photography, in particular, reminds us that art can exist in an instant. A single frame becomes a deﬁance against time, capturing

stillness and distilling chaos by preserving a ﬂeeting moment that might otherwise vanish. In the press of a shutter, a photographer translates emotion into light. Mat Arney’s ﬁve-year photography project to capture the surf at the minute of sunrise and sunset on the solstices presents a fresh take on familiar scenes (17), while a new exhibition of wildlife photography showcases the biodiversity of The Lost Gardens of Heligan through the lens of Andy Wilson (106). All of these powerful expressions of artistic intent, draw us to the moments between silence and expression. The pause before a brushstroke, the reconsideration of a shape in a gallery bathed in light. Whether discovered on a white wall, framed in glass, or etched into the terrain itself, each work tells a story both singular and shared. We invite you to linger, curiously and reverently, over the pages that tell their narrative.

Our contributors

Martin Holman

Hannah Tapping

Mercedes Smith

Jamie Crocker

Lucy Studley

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At a glance

17 SOLSTICE SURFSCAPES

Mat Arney’s five-year photography project

30 BREATHING SPACE

Projects Twenty Two makes room for a new collection by painter Felicity Mara

40 MOOR LANDS

A solo exhibition of Jethro Jackson’s recent work at Projects Twenty Two

45 FINDING SYNERGY

Customs House Gallery celebrates three decades of art, thoughtfully curated

55 DESIGN FINDS FORM

Colour, clarity and character shape each of Frances Healy’s interiors

62 A SEA OF TREASURE

A jewellery collection that hints of tide against granite and the buried glint of something long lost and suddenly found

81 THE LURE OF THE SEA

A stay at the St Moritz Hotel, reimagines what it means to escape

91 A LAP OF THE SUN

The Summerhouse Gallery’s brings the best in contemporary impressionist art to Cornwall

95 CULINARY CULTURE

Creating private dining experiences that surpass expectation

99 IMPROVING YOUR WELLBEING

We discover the atypical charm of one of Kosel Treehouses’ charismatic hideaways

106 HIDE AND SEEK

A new exhibition showcases the biodiversity of The Lost Gardens of Heligan

114 INTO THE WILD

A humble tin of watercolour paints has taken one artist on a lifelong adventure

Solstice SURFSCAPES

WORDS BY HANNAH TAPPING

Mat Arney’s five-year photography project to capture the surf at the minute of sunrise and sunset on the solstices presents a fresh take on familiar scenes.

Cornwall is a county bound to the seasons and the sea. And just as the tide ebbs and ﬂows each day bringing high and low tide, over the course of a year the lengths of our days and nights ebbs and ﬂows as we cycle through the seasons.

The peak and trough of that annual cycle of sunlight are the summer and winter solstices, and like the tides they are diﬀerent at diﬀerent locations because they are the moments in time when that place is at maximum tilt towards (summer) or away from (winter), the sun.

For the past ﬁve years, photographer and creative Mat Arney has been making “surfscape” images at his local beach at the minute of sunrise and the minute of sunset on the summer and winter solstices, using long exposures and intentional camera movement techniques to create painterly images that blur the beach, the waves, and the clouds. The results capture the atmosphere and feeling on these key dates in our cycle of seasons.

“Giving myself a tight brief for this project has made it more interesting, and added an element of challenge,” explains Mat. “Because a lot of my day job involves photography, I set myself these projects to keep photography fun and creative for me, so that I don’t fall out of love with my camera. These surfscapes are about capturing the light, the weather and the mood at those

very specific moments in time, not making the most perfect or colourful version of this type of photograph. If I were trying to do that then I’d be making these at different times on different days. Everybody can relate to the shortest and longest days of the year though, and that’s what connects people to these images.”

As the series has developed over the years, patterns have started to emerge. There is greater variation in the colours of the sunset images from season to season and year to year, as the sun has just set into the sea and the state of the clouds above the horizon reﬂect colour or drama. In the early mornings the sun rises behind Mat and his camera, hidden by the hills behind the beach. These images are more similar, regardless of season, with a muted steelblue and ochre colour palates.

Viewed individually there are standouts, but as a body of work Mat’s surfscape collection (which also includes supplementary images taken before and after the surfscapes themselves) adds up to more than the sum of its parts. “I said I’d get to ﬁve years because I needed a point to aim for, Mat reﬂects. But, I really enjoy doing these. So I’ll probably keep going.”

Solstice Surfscapes will be exhibited at The MMI in St Agnes from July 26th to 27th.

solsticesurfscapes.com matarneyphotography

BreathingSPACE

WORDS BY MERCEDES SMITH

Projects Twenty Two makes room for a new collection by painter Felicity Mara.

This July sees the coming together of three inspirational collaborators for an intriguing art show on the North Cornwall coast. Curator Dr Matt Retallick and art venue Projects Twenty Two present Before Summer Rain, an exhibition of Lyrical Abstraction by painter Felicity ara. elicity was att s rst choice for a solo exhibition in the summer programme at Projects Twenty Two. She is one of Cornwall’s most respected resident artists, and a painter whose 12-year tenure at St Ives’ Porthmeor Studios aligns her with history’s leading Abstract painters.

Felicity, a graduate of the Camberwell School of Art, was born in London, and was raised there and in New York and New England. Now a long-time resident of St Ives, she occupies an idyllic studio that looks out across Porthmeor Beach, where the town’s sights and sounds and mythical

northern light flood through a huge o en window and inspire her paintings. “My rst encounter with elicity s wor , many years ago, left a lasting im ression, says Matt. “I’ve long said that, when the right opportunity came along, I would curate a show for her. Felicity’s paintings are truly distinctive. There’s a lightness of touch in her work that many artists aspire to, and her command of colour, space and rhythm is e ce tional.

The venue, Projects Twenty Two, is a purpose-built art space near Rock that was opened by owners Jethro and Kristie Jackson in 2024. Their inspired collaboration with curator Matt Retallick, who is also a Manchester School of Art lecturer, art historian and specialist in Cornish Modernism, brings his focus on reframing art histories to Cornwall’s newest art space. “When I take part in any project, I actively seek out fresh perspectives in order to present

© Nicola Montfort

ABOVE

Before Summer Rain, 2024, 214x183cm Flashe on unprimed canvas

© Steve Tanner

something that challenges expectations in a meaningful way, says att, and when ethro and rst met, his energy and determination to do something new for Cornwall really stood out. It became clear how passionate he was, and that Projects Twenty Two could be something different.

Jethro describes the venue as “a curated e hibition s ace . e don t function li e a traditional commercial gallery, he explains. “Kristie and I created Projects Twenty Two to showcase the depth and contrast of work being made here in Cornwall. Our emphasis is on a collaboration between artist and curator to deliver exhibitions that draw out new aspects of an artist s wor . or Felicity, the invitation to show at Projects Twenty wo offered her the chance to exhibit in a space with the scale and ambition to match her paintings. “I realised that it was so much more open to inventiveness than the usual gallery setting, she tells me. he uality of light and s ace t erfectly with my studio at Porthmeor, enabling me to visualise a show where my works could relate to each other in a similar way. That was very exciting, and having the chance to work with Matt as curator was certainly a great

incentive. He is someone who has seen and understood my way of working for some time and also, very importantly, the conte t in which it was made.

or me, says att, this was an opportunity to present Felicity’s work in a venue that gives her paintings the breathing s ace they truly deserve.

Matt’s curatorial style is collaborative, and draws on his academic training, his research, and his own relationship with the artist and her work. “It’s important to respond to the artist’s vision, so curation is always an ongoing e change he e lains. “As I considered which pieces to include, how they speak to one another and what relationships they might form within the space, I kept returning to the conversations I’ve had with Felicity over the years: the time we sat with a bottle of wine discussing art while Storm Dennis rattled St Ives around us; the phone calls; the studio visits; these moments are part of the process, shaping the exhibition just as much as the artwor s themselves.

he show is titled after a oem by European poet Rainer Maria Rilke which “envelopes the summer feel of the exhibition, and also carries a sense

© Nicola Montfort

ABOVE

Notation in Yellow, 2022, 127x107cm Flashe on canvas

TOP Felicity Mara with her artwork Before Summer Rain

© Nicola Montfort

of something imminent and un nown, says Felicity, “which I think relates to the way I work, of not wanting to know what will happen next in a painting. My work often evolves from the very rst mar s make on the canvas. It’s hard to explain where these come from – certainly not from any plan or preconception. What I’m working towards then is the point when a painting feels as if it is creating itself. This can’t literally be true, but there’s a level at which conscious intention or formed ideas disappear entirely from the process and intuition ta es over.

Conceived during the summer last year, Felicity’s new collection draws on time spent in the studio, seeing, feeling, reading and listening to the impetus all around her that is uni ue to her working space above the sands of Porthmeor, beside the rolling Atlantic, and amongst her books on art and poetry. “I may be triggered by words, lines from poems and certainly by music, but what excites me is to ma e an e uivalent of my e erience in visual terms, to have the freedom to express emotion and beauty in a non-literal way through the purity of colours and marks, which do not need an explanation but nevertheless communicate to people who are open to them. Although I developed

through gurative wor , my art has been predominantly Abstract for some years now. In the end, though, isn’t all painting abstract? The marks you make with a brush may or may not suggest things to the viewer, and you always want them to be able to experience a painting in their own way.

Matt’s own description of Felicity’s wor reflects that idea s the light changes, or as you move around her paintings, each seems to unfold and reinvent itself, and your eye is constantly surprised by new interactions of colour and form.

In terms of the artists who have lived and worked in Cornwall before her, Felicity tells me she is especially drawn to the work of Sandra Blow and Patrick Heron, “to the different ways in which they handle colour and scale with such freedom she says. Like Felicity, both artists worked at Porthmeor Studios. “I guess that adds to the sense of connection, she tells me, “although once you are in the studio, you are very much on your own, immersed in your own work and its challenges. I feel a particular connection with Sandra Blow, not only for her work’s strength and originality but also because we shared a

© Nicola Montfort

INSET

Ondine, 2025, 183x168cm

Flashe on unprimed canvas

© Steve Tanner

© Nicola Montfort

mid-European heritage. I have deep roots in Britain, but I do feel that my work is robably more uro ean in s irit. ther artists who remain important to her include the great American Abstract artist elen ran enthaler, and urner, she adds, who thin of as the rst ritish artist to e lore bstraction .

Matt is one of many to consider Felicity’s work an important continuation of Europe’s Abstract tradition. “Her work is very im ortant, he says. t always has been. She produces paintings that are unmistakably her own, and I’m always drawn to artists who bring something fresh and compelling to the table, and Felicity absolutely embodies this. My role, as curator, is simply to present Felicity’s exceptional work with clarity and care, while leaving space for discovery. I try to let things unfold in the space, to explore the choreography of placement, the rhythm

of the edit, but the nal arameters are always open, and that’s exactly how I li e it. elicity s ho e is that the show will reflect the act of ainting itself, how paintings manifest themselves, despite all one’s conscious wishes. I’ve always felt that painting shouldn’t have to shout about its intentions or be over-analysed. or me, the best ainting is uiet and lives within a language of its own, which anyone can access by ust loo ing.

See Before Summer Rain from 4th July to 6th August at Projects Twenty Two, St Minver, Rock, Cornwall, PL27 6PY, open 10am-5pm Mon to Sat, and Sunday by appointment. The show is accompanied by a limited edition of 100 signed and numbered catalogues, including an essay by Dr Matt Retallick.

felicitymara.co.uk projectstwentytwo.co.uk

© Nicola Montfort

Moor LANDS

WORDS BY ALTAIR BRANDON-SALMON

A solo exhibition of Jethro Jackson’s recent work at Projects Twenty Two, will reveal how his elusive gestural painting finds a rhythm with the landscape.

Deeply embedded within the sublime, harsh atmosphere of north Cornwall, Jackson’s work rhymes with the shifting layers of colour and texture that mark the land. His practice, bringing to mind the work of modernist painters like Peter Lanyon and the severe confrontation with nature found in the work of Winslow Homer, reveals a Cornish world that is haunted by ghosts and animals. He makes us see the world anew, as though he has the agile, hovering perspective of a buzzard.

show how his process responds to the weight of paint and the pull of graphite and show his engagement with the elements of an ever-ﬂuctuating landscape.

Drawing together new work alongside drawings and prints, the exhibition will show how Jackson moves across diﬀerent media where he ﬁnds the space between representation and abstraction. It will

These responses to nature place Jackson in the lineage of modern British artists, whose work is suspended in the ambiguous zone between representation and abstraction: from the painting of Frank Auerbach to Leon ossoﬀ, to the inscrutable marking of the land by Richard Long, British artists since 1945 have been drawn to environments which are jagged, a little edgy, a little inscrutable. They draw our attention to the inexplicable already present in the land the megaliths which dot the wild moors, the depressions

PREVIOUS April 10

Jethro Jackson

in the ground where there was once a building, centuries or millennia ago – the landscape is already composed of abstract forms which refuse an easy explanation.

For Jackson, his work suggests the constant movement and morphing of the world, how a beam of sunlight might briefly pass across a field, or how the wind shapes a tree for a moment, so that life emerges when it is least expected. He channels this energy into the restless creases of paint across the surface of his work, where he reworks and then reworks again figures, shapes, and colours, trying to find a pattern that will give expression to his own emotions and ferment new experiences in his viewers.

This intuitive connection to the environment grounds even his most abstract painting, creating a world that his audience can fall into. Art becomes an

engine of feeling – that is where Jackson’s power as an artist resides. From the minute particulars of the North Cornish landscape, he is able to create art that has a far more universal resonance, anchored in the force of colour, the pull of a brushstroke, the twist of a form. The viewer asks, is that a bird Or a ﬁgure A movement in the land? A shadow of what once was? The work yields no easy answers. The pleasure is all in the asking, and the beauty lies in Jackson’s restless curiosity about the world, seen through his distinctive eye.

urated by r Altair randon-Salmon of Stanford niversity Jethro Jackson Moor ands opens on 2th August 2 2 at rojects Twenty Two ock.

projectstwentytwo.co.uk jethrojackson.com

FindingSYNERGY

WORDS BY HANNAH TAPPING

Customs House Gallery celebrates three decades of art, thoughtfully curated.

The Customs House Gallery, on Porthleven’s harbourside, run by Louise and John Winterton, is a calm space in which to appreciate art in all its forms. Their driving motivation is to present high-quality and original art in a friendly environment with a commitment to give artists a viable platform for their work.

They believe a gallery should be welcoming, encouraging everyone to feel comfortable once they have stepped through the doors. Louise, in assessing their modus operandi says, “We feel strongly that each artist that we represent should always have work on display, and always have a presence. So, our walls and plinths are aesthetically curated to oﬀer the best possible opportunity for our artists to have their works seen. We consciously steer away from presenting ourselves as an intimidating space.”

The selection process is organic, with Louise and John often discovering artists during travels, both geographically and digitally. They aspire to create a curatorial balance, exhibiting a diverse range of artworks and artefacts that come together to create a cohesive display. This process aims to reﬂect the gallery’s uni ue vision while supporting artists and fostering a sense of community. The couple love to build close relationships with their artists, fostering mutual trust to ensure a successful partnership. As a consequence, they are fortunate to work with a fantastic group of people.

In a rapidly changing cultural and commercial landscape, with a rise in online platforms and events such as Open Studios, it’s important to Louise and John that the gallery continues to play a crucial role in supporting artists by providing a physical space for art to be appreciated all year round.

TOP

Amanda Hoskin – Pansies in a Vintage Jug

Andrew Barrowman – Mawgan Creek Autumn Low Tide

TOP LEFT

Benjamin Warner – Sunset

Porthleven Harbour

TOP RIGHT

Heather Howe – Set In A Silver Sea

ABOVE

Roger Curtis – Breaking Cloud Godrevy

CREATE

The gallery ensures constant representation for their stable of artists, aﬀording them the advantage of the gallery’s high footfall. As well as being active on social media they maintain a comprehensive and dynamic e-commerce website that supports the gallery space and where the majority of available work can be browsed, purchased then shipped both nationally and internationally.

This year marks Customs House Gallery’s 30 anniversary. A remarkable achievement

in the current economic climate and testament to the couple’s exceptional curation since they took on its stewardship 13 years ago. “We are extremely proud of our contribution to the gallery’s history and look forward to continuing to grow our reputation as part of Cornwall’s rich art heritage,” comments Louise. “Porthleven’s reputation as a creative hub continues to strengthen and we are delighted that the gallery is part of this.”

cornwall-art.co.uk

ABOVE

Phil Ward - Mackerel Season III

TOP LEFT

Robin Fox – Illuminated ingﬁsher

TOP RIGHT

Julian Mason – Evening At Priest’s Cove

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Simon Jewell – Churning Atlantic

TOP Amanda Hoskin – Flowers from a Summer Garden

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Customs House Gallery

Designfinds FORM

WORDS BY JAMIE CROCKER

Colour, clarity and character shape each of Frances Healy’s interiors.

Frances Healy approaches every project as a conversation, not a blank canvas, but a series of cues to be read, understood and translated into spaces that reflect how people want to live. With over 30 years in the industry, her instinct for colour, proportion and texture is finely tuned, yet always open to fresh influence.

Raised in a Georgian house near Penzance, Frances learned early how a home could be transformed through detail. Her father’s approach, layering wallpapers, fabrics and furnishings with confidence, left its mark. Today, she brings that same energy to her clients’ homes, balancing strong visual ideas with practical, lived-in warmth.

in drawing those out, refining them, and shaping a clear direction. Whether working on a boathouse in Rock or a farmhouse inland, she builds colour palettes from observation – a tidal estuary, a garden in spring, a favourite painting – and calls on a trusted network of suppliers, craftspeople and design showrooms in Cornwall, London and Europe.

Each commission begins with listening. Clients often arrive with scattered thoughts or strong preferences; Frances’s skill lies

A handmade, bespoke sweeping staircase runs through the centre of this great house

The result is always layered and specific. Never generic, never formulaic. Textiles soften and anchor, joinery is thoughtfully scaled and furniture feels both placed and correct.

She brings a strong sense of order to the design process, but what stays with clients, long after the furniture has arrived and the curtains are drawn, is a feeling of clarity. Rooms that work. Spaces that speak.

franceshealyinteriors.co.uk

INSET

Patterned wallpaper lifts a chilly cloakroom

ABOVE

TOP

The deep green in the curtains is echoed in the wall colour and the super comfortable seating

The textured fabric lifts the simplicity of these art deco style chairs

TOP LEFT

Clean lines and soft colours in a modern kitchen

TOP RIGHT modern kat cushion lifts an antique chair

ABOVE

soft, green, wool fabric and velvet cushion, makes for a cosy reading spot

ABOVE bespoke deep painted bookcase is perfectly finished with an over-sized lamp and shade

A Sea TREASURE of

WORDS BY HANNAH TAPPING

A jewellery collection that hints of tide against granite and the buried glint of something long lost and suddenly found.

As a young child, and even now as an adult, I have always held a fascination with searching the rockpools and tideline for treasure. Tales of pirates hauling their bounty through secret tunnels, shipwrecks losing their precious cargo to the depths or nature’s own wonderful creations made up the stories of my childhood. The sparkle of mineral mica in granite, bright yellow periwinkles and blue fronds of rainbow wrack made rockpools veritable treasure troves.

While I was never rewarded with ‘actual’ treasure, a mermaid’s purse, sand dollars, a weathered piece of driftwood or, most precious of all, a pale pink cowrie would be spotted with glee and popped into a pocket to add to my collection jars. So, when last year I visited

Justin Duance’s jewellery workshop, I was in heaven. Meeting Justin and fellow jeweller Jamila Hirtenstein, who are part of a team of ten highly experienced craftspeople (many of whom have honed their techniques under Justin’s tutelage), I was immersed in a world of bespoke pieces inspired by nature and the sea.

The Wood Ring Collection was Justin’s ﬁrst focus, over 25 years ago. These rings can be crafted from silver, titanium, gold or platinum and are delicately inlaid with wood sourced from meaningful places. Some contain wood reclaimed from old, storied boats, or from the staves of whiskey barrels. Customers are welcome to bring in their own wood too, adding an extra layer of sentimentality. We move next to a set of rings from the Sandcast collection, where

ABOVE

Sea Foam, Two-Tone and Sea Treasure pieces

RIGHT Sea Treasure Rings

CREATE

each piece is cast directly into a beach sand of your choice. Customers can supply sand from a beach that holds personal signiﬁcance to them or choose from Justin Duance’s vast sand library that includes beaches not just from around the Cornish coastline, but across the UK, Europe and the World. With over 900 sands in their collection, each piece tells a unique story as the texture and details of the sand are captured in the metal, resulting in pieces that are as varied as the beaches they come from.

This isn’t your typical jewellery showroom with items locked behind glass cases. Here, you’re invited to immerse yourself in the process, try on pieces at will and even watch the jewellers at work. While much of the work is bespoke commissions, Justin allows his jewellers the creative freedom to design their own pieces for the Oﬀ The Bench Peg collection. An example of which is a beautiful silver locket, designed by jeweller Andy for precious keepsakes and which received much attention at the recent prestigious Bovey Tracy Craft Festival.

Another such piece, named ea Treasure, was created by jeweller Chloe, and has led to further commissions from customers. Created using ethically sourced as well as vintage gemstones set in sandcast metal, these pieces draw inspiration from the ocean, resulting in organic shapes that look as if they have almost grown on the seabed. There’s a boldness to the simplicity: rings that echo tidal pools, pendants that resemble ancient ﬁnds. They feel like artefacts of imagined shipwrecks, but also of real places – beaches walked, stones picked up, stories half-heard.

The Sea Treasure pieces also work perfectly with heirloom jewellery that is too dated or worn to wear but too precious to part with. Sea Treasure can give new life to old stones and reinvent dated settings, all while keeping those important memories intact. Otherwise, customers can choose from a beautiful selection of mined stones, all traceable to their mine of origin, or reclaimed stones from ages past; their hand-cut beauty harking back to the eﬀortless splendour of the 1930s, with no two the same. Jeweller Sophie’s new design that’s receiving much interest is a two -tone pendant ﬂuidly merging 9ct yellow gold and silver together. Cast in Prussia Cove sand, this small disc pendant has a lovely sandy texture which compliments the tidal-like meeting of the two precious metals. In keeping with the sea-theme, Justin’s own new work is inspired by the patterns in the white water as the wave breaks. The Sea Foam collection begins with Justin’s own photographs and drawings of sea foam, from which the intricate design is then cut out using a laser engraver and formed into a ring or pendant.

It’s not just the collections that are new for this year - Justin Duance is moving into premises on Alverton treet in Penzance. The studio will still run on an appointment basis; when customers visit, they are talked through the diﬀerent collections and then encouraged to try things on. The jewellery is very tactile and so it’s important that they can not only see, but touch and feel the pieces. The aim is to create bespoke items that resonate, often involving a high level of personalisation; the beauty of Justin Duance’s jewellery lies in its customisation.

justind.co.uk

ABOVE

Jewellery cast from beach sand and the Disco Pendant from Oﬀ The Bench Peg

© Sophie Velzian

LEGACY Seaside

Historic family home above Baby Bay with panoramic coastal views.

Whins is a rare o ering a six-bedroom period home occupying an extraordinary cli op position above Baby Bay in New Polzeath. In the same family for over a century, it sits within 1.5 acres of sea-facing grounds that include naturalised gardens, a grass tennis court, a games room, and a private path down to the beach. Built in the early 00s, the house retains many original features – wood floors, slate flags, open fires –and o ers generous living space with panoramic sea views from principal rooms. Though now in need of updating, subject to planning, its location is unmatched 0 yards from aby ay and moments from Polzeath Beach.

urther land with outline planning for four homes is available by separate negotiation. rom surfing and sailing to cli walks and world-class dining, this is a place that brings everything that the North Cornwall coast has to o er right to your doorstep.

SSustainable homes near the sea, designed for modern Cornish living.

eagrass is a refined retreat that embraces the Cornish coastline and a thoughtful, sustainable way of life, o ering the twin attractions of peaceful living with excellent transport links to key destinations.

ust a short stroll from the golden sands of awgan orth, this exclusive collection of homes pairs contemporary design incorporating calming textures – natural stone, warm timber, and bespoke detailing – to create an elegant space. These four bedroom homes are as functional as they are beautiful, o ering a balance of modern comfort and enduring charm.

f you’re seeking a private sanctuary, Seagrass presents a rare opportunity to own something truly special in one of Cornwall’s most desirable coastal villages.

SEAGRASS Guide price: £1.1M

JACKIE STANLEY 01841 532555

sales@jackie-stanley.co.uk

jackie-stanley.co.uk

ELEGANCE Architectural

A sublime Grade II-listed former rectory in the village of St Ewe.

Set in mature private grounds extending to 2.74 acres, this beautifully proportioned character-filled home, is approached via a sweeping driveway, the setting immediately evoking a sense of timeless grandeur as you arrive at the elegant courtyard and distinguished facade.

A classical columned entrance opens welcomes you into the central hallway, at the end of which you’ll find a large and family kitchen. The e ually impressive living room is bathed in natural light from tall sash windows and framed by lofty ceilings. The refined formal drawing and dining rooms enjoy views over the courtyard, while the study o ers a peaceful retreat for reading, working or uiet reflection. The principal and guest bedrooms each enjoy en suite facilities, while three further bedrooms are served by a family bathroom and a separate dressing room.

The main residence is complemented by The Stables – a charming conversion providing an additional three-bedroom residence, ideal for guests, extended family or versatile ancillary use. This is a truly remarkable home that exudes countryside elegance yet is situated only a few miles from the Roseland Peninsula.

Guide price: £2.5M ROHRS & ROWE 01872 306360

info@rohrsandrowe.co.uk

rohrsandrowe.co.uk

HAVEN Country

A spacious main house, a separate cottage and 15 acres of land – tranquillity awaits.

Set in a peaceful rural location, Lower ddicroft near Rilla ill is a beautifully presented country estate that comprises a four-bedroom main residence, a charming detached cottage and acres of gardens, pasture and water. The main house blends character and comfort, with a welcoming hall, generous sitting room, conservatory dining space and a rustic kitchen with slate flooring and pine units. large utility, ground-floor shower room, and stylish upstairs bathrooms support easy family living. The cottage, perfect for guests or letting, features two bedrooms, a beamed kitchen and an independent heating system.

rounds include a river, lake, stream, four meadows, outbuildings, a stable and a uadruple garage. Set seven miles from Liskeard and close to odmin oor, the property enjoys privacy without isolation, with excellent walking and access to local amenities and transport links.

LOWER ADDICROFT OIEO: £1.25M

JACKSON-STOPS 01872 261160

cornwall@jackson-stops.co.uk

jackson-stops.co.uk

AWARDS 2025

Visit driftjournal.co.uk/awards2025 to nominate now, or scan the QR code.

THIS YEAR, WE ARE DELIGHTED TO BRING YOU THE INAUGURAL DRIFT AWARDS 2025, CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE ACROSS THE SOUTH WEST

Nominations are open until the 24th August.

Proceeds from the DRIFT Awards 2025, which will be held in October 2025, will go to Dive Project Cornwall.

The shortlists will be announced on 1st September 2025. Voting will then commence, closing on the 31st September 2025. Make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter to receive regular updates – driftjournal.co.uk/email-sign-up

AWARD CATEGORIES

EPICURE

Celebrating exceptional culinary innovation and excellence. Awarded to individuals or teams who demonstrate outstanding creativity, craftsmanshi or im act in the realm of food, drin or hos itality.

RETREAT

Honouring spaces and experiences a o er reju ena ion re ec ion and renewal. Given to those who create environments –hysical or e eriential that foster rest, mindfulness and well being.

ABODE

Recognising excellence in the design, function and soul of living spaces. resented to those who elevate the conce t of home through architecture and design.

CREATE

Acknowledging exceptional creativity across any medium. warded to visionary thin ers, artists or ma ers who ush boundaries and set new standards in creative e ression.

SUSTAIN

Celebrating impactful contributions to sustainability and environmental stewardship. iven to individuals, ro ects or organisations leading the way in ethical, ecological and regenerative ractices.

INSPIRATION

Individuals and businesses that continue to push the envelope in eir c osen eld. warded to those that u lift, motivate, and em ower through actions, stories or resence, leaving a lasting im act.

The lure of SEA the

WORDS BY HANNAH TAPPING

A stay at the St Moritz Hotel, reimagines what it means to escape.

It begins, as all great retreats do, with the sea. Beyond the hedgerows of North Cornwall, where the Atlantic rolls in with metronomic grace and the land falls away in soft cliffs and secret coves, the white silhouette of the St Moritz Hotel stands sentinel. But this is not some stiff-lipped seaside relic. Instead, St Moritz is a hybrid – a hotel, yes, but also with the benefit of coastal villas or apartments. Even the hotel rooms offer versatility with the option of interconnected room pods. Each pod comprises a suite, a king room, and a cosy room, which combine to create an apartment connected by a private hallway and are ideal for groups or families, offering a blend of bedroom privacy and communal spaces. The coastal villas, houses and sea view apartments are perfect if you prefer the amenities and ease of a hotel stay combined

with a more independent escape – in short t Moritz oﬀers the best of both worlds.

Floorplans are open, sightlines are clean, and the kitchens offer ritualised spaces where guests can gather around bowls of wild samphire, scallops from the morning market and local fizz chilled just enough to catch the light from an Atlantic sunset. And still, it never feels performative. The villas feel effortless. Natural fibres, neutral palettes, raw textures – the aesthetics are as calming as the views. Nothing shouts, everything is considered.

What distinguishes these stays is not just the design, but the detail. Pre-arrival provisioning transforms the moment of arrival into one of immersion. Imagine ﬁnding you fridge quietly stocked with Camel Valley sparkling ros , homemade chutneys from

ABOVE Open-plan elegance

a local smallholding and sourdough still warm from a Rock bakery. Imagine hosting an impromptu dinner party on the terrace, orchestrated with the help of the hotel’s concierge linens, ﬂowers, a private chef and a three-course menu that began that morning on Padstow’s harbourside.

Food, naturally, forms the heart of the experience. The hotel’s horecrest Restaurant serves a rotating menu anchored in what local growers, foragers and fishermen offer that week. On any given evening the delights of peppered hake with chicken butter sauce and oyster mushrooms or Cornish lamb and pressed potatoes with grilled courgette tempt taste buds, or feast on sharing platters and small plates for a more informal take. Whatever dishes you choose at The Shorecrest Restaurant, menus do not dictate to ingredients; they form around them. A dish begins not with an idea but with what is at its peak, what is being pulled from the ground, hauled from the water. Vegetables come from Restharrow Farm, just a stone’s throw from the hotel. Asparagus from t Enodoc, bass and mackerel from Bro Diplock’s boat off Rock, whole Cornish lamb from Kittows Butchers in Fowey. The raw materials are the story, and the chef’s

job is to listen, to shape, to let the produce speak for itself. It’s the culinary e uivalent of slow fashion: local, seasonally dictated and lovingly prepared.

At the more casual easide Caf guests wander up from the beach, sand-dusted and sun-drunk, for steaming bowls of Cornish mussels or fresh garden salads grown just up the hill. easide classics – ﬁsh and chips are always a favourite and the smash’ burger is perfect for hungry surfers.

It’s not about providing more – the location, view, accommodation and food speak for themselves – it’s about making every detail matter more; a mantra we can all learn from. In place of over-structured schedules or themed menus, guests are encouraged to co-create their own experience.

One night may feature a barefoot stroll on the beach followed by dinner at Shorecrest, the next a visit to one of the nearby restaurants, chauﬀeured in the hotel’s complementary electric minibus.

et, when you want a little glamour, it’s there. The main hotel, a gleaming white modernist structure with subtle Art Deco inﬂections, channels a Riviera nostalgia without the pretence. There’s an indoor

and outdoor pool, tennis courts, and the famed Cowshed pa – the only one in the U outside oho House properties which can be found in luxury locations across the U , Europe and the tates. Adopting the original Cowshed philosophy developed at Babington House in Somerset, which was to inject a little country calm into people’s busy lives, treatment-led natural therapies are based on English country garden botanicals to nourish body and soul. There’s also a Wellness Area area as luxurious as the rest of the hotel, where attention to detail is obvious at every turn. But even here, you can step lightly. ou might fancy a cocktail while dipping your toes in the pool, lulled to the sounds of a laid-back summer DJ set. If not, then that’s ﬁne, as on your private patio you’ll ﬁnd space, the scent of the sea and Cornish quietude.

well-versed hosts who can arrange everything from restaurant bookings to watersports. Local adventure partners include Wavehunters and Camel Ski School from which you can choose surf, SUP, water ski or wakeboard adventures. A tour of a biodynamic vineyard one day, a uiet afternoon on the lawn with a book the next. It is, in the truest sense, a retreat – not from life, but toward a diﬀerent pace of it.

The hotel’s success lies in how it sidesteps the usual binaries of coastal accommodation. It’s not simply a hotel, nor a set of holiday lets. It’s a design-led sanctuary where freedom is expertly scaﬀolded by care. elf-catering here isn’t about selfsu ciency, it’s about self-expression. And that expression is uietly, profoundly local.

And perhaps this is what makes t Moritz feel so particular. It doesn’t seek to dazzle in the ways luxury often does. Instead, it cultivates an elegance of choice. Guests don’t arrive for one version of Cornwall, but to write their own. A surf lesson in the morning; a boat to Rock for lunch. The hotel’s concierge service boasts

You come to St Moritz for the view. You stay for the silence, the suppers and the stillness that good design – and good service – can bring. But mostly, you stay because here, at the edge of the land and the start of something else entirely, you feel like your life has room to unfold.

stmoritzhotel.co.uk

A DAY ON THE ISLES OF SCILLY

discover the islands that feel like a world away

Soar over the Atlantic and touch down in a place where time slows and the senses reawaken. The Isles of Scilly, with soft white sands, aquamarine waters, and unspoilt beauty, offer a rare kind of escape—close enough for the day, but far enough to feel renewed.

Fly from Land’s End with Skybus and arrive in just 20 minutes. With more time to spend on the islands, you can

truly settle into their rhythm: wander quiet beaches, swim in glassy coves, enjoy lunch with a sea breeze, or simply be still and soak it all in.

Prefer a gentler pace?

Travel by sea on board Scillonian III, gliding past the Cornish coast with a front row seat to dolphins dancing in the waves, seabirds soaring above, and the chance of spotting whales on the horizon.

Whichever way you travel, the journey is part of the adventure...

SAIL | SCILLONIAN III

Departing from Penzance

FLY | SKYBUS

Departing from Land’s End, Newquay or Exeter

A lap of SUN the

WORDS BY HANNAH TAPPING

The Summerhouse Gallery’s evolving curatorial vision brings the best in contemporary impressionist art to west Cornwall.

Rhiannon Cottam has been the guiding force behind The Summerhouse Gallery in Marazion since 2023. An artist herself, her long-time presence within the gallery’s walls, has created a connection to the space that runs deeper than most. Having worked at The Summerhouse since her mid-twenties, first as assistant, then manager, her recent stewardship feels more like a natural continuation than a changing of hands.

Rhiannon brings with her not only an MA in Illustration from Falmouth University, but also the instinctive eye of a practicing artist. The gallery’s calendar reflects that same artistic sensibility; seven thoughtfully arranged exhibitions form the backbone of each year, punctuated by dynamic mixed-artist shows that mirror the vitality of Cornwall’s creative landscape.

The gallery has a varied and exciting show schedule, showing seven di erent shows throughout 2025 with mixed artist exhibitions in between. These shows include; a spring mixed artist show; a summer mixed artist show; Kit Johns’ solo show; Imogen Bone’s solo show, Nick Praed’s feature show; a mixed artist autumn show and a mixed artist winter show.

Perhaps one of the most anticipated moments in this year’s programme is Kit Johns’ solo exhibition. Known for painting powerful seascapes directly

Memories So Wild, 78x78cm, acrylic & spraypaint on authentic vintage map of the South West

onto vintage nautical charts, Johns’ work carries a tactile connection to the land and sea it depicts. His practice – textured, immersive, and emotionally resonant – has found a loyal following since the gallery’s early days.

This July, his new collection explores seasonal cycles and their interplay with light, tide, and emotion. Divided into four parts, the show drifts through the subtle transitions of the Cornish year, from the coolness of winter shores to the golden saturation of midsummer. Themes of lunar rhythm and tidal movement, long present in Johns’ work, are drawn into sharper focus here, echoing not just nature’s patterns but personal ones too.

As ever, The Summerhouse Gallery presents this story with equal care online as it does within its physical space. Those who sign up to the gallery’s mailing list will be granted early access to the digital catalogue; a chance to step into the narrative before the doors even open.

The public opening takes place on July 4th from pm to pm, o ering a rare chance to meet the artist amid the work. Everyone is welcome.

Kit Johns’ solo exhibition, A Lap of the Sun, runs at The Summerhouse Gallery from July 4th to 25th 2025.

summerhousegallery.co.uk

ABOVE Summerhouse Gallery

TOP Kit Johns

MIDDLE

For A Moment Everything Else Felt

Forgotten 100x100cm, acrylic & mixed

Mmdia on unprimed canvas

Cornwall & Devon’s Premier Kitchen Specialists

CulinaryCULTURE

WORDS BY HANNAH TAPPING

ChefCulture started as a private dining company o ering tailored events and experiences across the South West.

s the business began to grow, anaging irector and ounder, ames, identified the opportunity to grow the business into a larger concept an umbrella company that allows people’s expertise to flourish with the support of the ChefCulture team.

This summer sees the launch of T , which will specialise in a private dining experience that will blend culinary artistry with a sense of occasion and intrigue. Supported by ames and irector of perations ris Speechly, T will o er a bespoke dining experience championing seasonal ingredients and celebrating uality local suppliers, served with a forgotten course’ intended to evoke a sense of nostalgia.

Salted Caramel and Whisky Tart Honey Ice-cream

MAKES: 1 LARGE OR 8 SMALL (AS SHOWN)

INGREDIENTS:

For the pastry case:

300g plain flour g butter

0g caster sugar eggs

For the custard base:

00g double cream

3 g egg yolk g caster sugar

METHOD

For the pastry case:

Rub the sugar, flour and butter together until it reaches the bread crumb stage then add the eggs to form a dough. Rest in the fridge for a minimum of hour. Roll out and line your desired tart case. lind bake with baking beans at 0 C until golden around the edges. Remove the baking beans and continue baking until the case is just golden.

For the custard base:

ring the double cream to a boil. Whisk the egg yolk and sugar and then pour the boiled cream over and whisk to combine. Now make a dry caramel by heating the sugar until the caramel is a dark golden colour.

For the caramel:

0g caster sugar g sea salt

0ml whisky

For the honey ice cream:

300g milk

300g double cream egg yolks

0g caster sugar

0g honey llow to cool slightly then whisk in the custard mixture until fully combined. Next add the whisky and sea salt. llow the mixture to settle, skimming any foam o the top, before pouring the mixture into the cooked tart case. ake at 00 C until the mixture has a slight wobble.

For the ice cream:

Whisk the egg yolk and sugar while you slowly bring the milk and cream to a boil. Next, pour the hot milk and cream over the eggs and sugar and whisk until combined, now add the honey. ut the mixture back into the pan and cook out on a low heat moving constantly with a spatula. llow to cool and mature, then churn and free e.

chefculture.uk

ImprovingWELLBEING

WORDS BY JAMIE CROCKER

The atypical charm of one of Kosel Treehouses’ charismatic hideaways – Daskor.

Known for its dramatic coastline, artistic appeal and a rich history derived from below the surface of the land and the peel of the sea, Cornwall is justifiably a popular spot for holiday makers. Separated almost completely from the rest of the United Kingdom by the river Tamar, whose meandering course from north to south only just fails to make it an island, the county possesses an idiosyncratic character that permeates its residents and structures alike. It is therefore incumbent upon those who seek to make a mark of their own that they embrace this spirit and o er something uni ue themselves. Patrick and Maddie Spink have done just that.

for people, as well as a living, breathing woodland sanctuary. Each tree house was placed with care, built to tread lightly and leave as little trace as possible.

In the 1800s, the area above what is now Kosel Treehouses was steep, worked farmland. By the time it changed hands, nature had already begun its reassertion with wild flowers spreading, birds settling and trees reclaiming space. The new custodians saw its potential as a retreat

Today, Kosel runs entirely on renewable electricity, with plans for solar generation for Skapya and Kalmynsi in the future –Daskor already has solar panels. The work surrounding the three tree houses continues: planting new trees, reviving the older woodland and removing remnants of its farming past. Every step, from clearing rusting machinery to restoring the ground cover that woodland flowers need to thrive, is part of a long-term commitment to protect and enhance this corner of Cornwall.

Set high above the Helford River valley, just beyond Gweek, the curved timber forms press out from the tree line like something grown rather than built. And yet, this is not some back-to-nature o -grid fantasy. They belong instead to a new kind of woodland living architecturally refined, materially thoughtful and very habitable.

ABOVE Curve appeal

RETREAT

Accessed from the narrow, moss-fringed road that rises steeply from the village, winding between twisted Cornish oaks whose gnarled limbs beckon like outstretched arms, you feel as though there is something otherworldly in their gesture, as if the forest itself was ushering travellers toward a place suspended between worlds. Then, the canopy breaks, a shaft of light spills through the parting trees, confirming that you have reached the entrance to Kosel Treehouses. The incline eases, transforms into a driveway and Daskor stands revealed. There’s nothing showy, no grand gates or designer signage, just a smart, timber-clad form that pulls its geometry from the land.

Inside, the design follows the Scandinavian ideal: clean, unfussy, focused on light. Large panes of glass frame the woodland beyond, pulling it into every room. On overcast days, the house holds its warmth; when the sun appears, it glows. The heart of the building is its openplan living area: a handsome velvet sofa, Jøtul wood burner, LP player, Smart TV and dining space that can accommodate painting, reading, or simply staring out. The kitchen is robust, well-stocked with utensils, logically arranged and blessed with a proper fridge, not the apologetic cube so common in other short-stay lets. You do not have to compromise here.

That balance of practicality and atmosphere carries through every part of the interior. The bedrooms, two generous kings, one with a trundle, sit at opposite ends of the property, a ording privacy and calm. They are unpretentious but pleasing: natural fabrics, thoughtful

touches, proper curtains. The bedding, from Piglet in Bed, earns particular praise. It’s the kind of linen you look up when you get home.

The bathroom, too, is no afterthought. Curved walls, underfloor heating, brushed brass fittings, and a rainforest shower come together with a sort of spa-like resolve. Tiles in deep forest hues echo the view outside, creating a through-line between interior and environment. It is not luxurious for the sake of it, it simply works well.

Outside, the terrace is edged in chestnut decking and elevated just enough to make you feel part of the canopy. Children play here instinctively, watching and listening. dults drift to the bath, where steaming water and evening birdsong meet in the hush of dusk. Torches, a fire pit and barbecue e uipment are all thoughtfully placed but never crowd the space.

Behind Daskor lies a generous meadow. Not formal, not landscaped, but open and natural, an untrimmed counterbalance to the tighter grain of the forest. It does important visual work, letting light into the rear of the structure, expanding the sense of space. The forest does not loom; it surrounds. In that, Daskor is masterfully sited. It does not retreat from nature, but nor is it swallowed by it.

What comes to the fore, perhaps, is how the space makes its occupants feel. On arrival, you’re greeted by clarity. Instructions are unnecessary. The area is clean and already warm. There is no scramble to claim a bed, to decode the cooker, or to

locate a corkscrew. Everything works. And that e ortlessness, the absence of friction, is rarely noted in guidebooks, but always remembered by guests.

The layout respects both togetherness and solitude. The long, curving central area creates just enough spatial separation so that early risers and late sleepers can peacefully coexist. Children, often the real test of any getaway, are uickly absorbed by their surroundings, television, a good table at the right height and enough space to roam without anxiety. eanwhile, the adults could indulge in the romance of the setting wine by the fire, shared meals, long soaks outdoors. t is rare to find a setting where those two experiences, family and coupledom, can exist simultaneously and without compromise.

Though there is no on-site reception, communication with addie and atrick is smooth and responsive. uests aren’t left in limbo, nor are they micromanaged. ou’re given just the right amount of distance to feel free and just enough support to feel secure.

This kind of space has a rare ability to sharpen the senses without overstimulating them. To stay at Daskor is not to disappear into some hermit’s hut. It is to take advantage, however briefly, of a di erent rhythm. ou notice what’s near the sound of wind through beech leaves, a s uirrel on the balustrade or the cool breath of air drawn up from the river below. ou sleep more deeply. Eat more slowly. Read whole chapters in one sitting. None of this has been achieved through excess. The palette

is restrained forest greens, stone greys, soft woods, flax. nstead of decoration, there is balance. nd it’s that very economy of style that gives the space its character.

Where some destinations aim to wow, Daskor chooses instead to attune. It meets its setting with a kind of reverence, drawing on the tones, curves and calm that define this corner of Cornwall. ou could easily spend a morning here doing very little co ee on the deck, watching mist rise through trees, children still in their pyjamas arguing about which branch looks most like a dinosaur. Later, you might walk down to the river or across the meadow, or you could drive into Helston or week for supplies. The point is, there is no pressure or programme to follow.

n that sense, askor acts as a lens, narrowing your focus to what matters and uietly removing the stu that doesn’t. ou begin to dwell in detail the shape of the light on the bathroom wall, the rhythm of footsteps across wooden floors, the relief of a sofa that’s actually comfortable. Small things. ut they build, and by the time you leave, they’ve become large.

osel Treehouses may sound whimsical, but the thinking behind them is grounded. askor is not a novelty but a blueprint for something better. ou arrive a little late, a little tired, a little preoccupied and leave not transformed, but re-aligned.

nd that, in the end, is the true measure of a place.

koseltreehouses.co.uk

Hide SEEK and

WORDS BY HANNAH TAPPING

FA new exhibition of wildlife photography showcases the biodiversity of The Lost Gardens of Heligan.

eaturing images taken by Andy Wilson, who balances his time as a wildlife photographer alongside his day job as head of restoration at Heligan, the exhibition 200 Acres has been inspired by Dwell, a collection of poetry by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, which celebrates our wild creatures and the habitats in which they live. The open-air exhibition, named in reference to the size of the Heligan estate, is located in a beautiful outdoor space on Heligan’s west lawn.

Andy has worked at Heligan for 11 years, during which time he has built up an amazing knowledge of the estate and its eco-system, as well as photographing an incredible selection of wildlife. He monitors wildlife movements using trail cameras – static, motion-activated cameras that alert him when wildlife is nearby – and then spends time outside his working day in hides he has constructed in secret locations to capture the shots. Andy shoots on a Nikon Z9 mirrorless camera and takes the majority of his wildlife shots on a NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens.

He has travelled all over the world photographing wildlife including brown bears in Finland and an upcoming trip capturing golden eagles in Norway, but his favourite animal to photograph at Heligan is foxes. Andy said: “I’m chuffed to have my pictures exhibited at Heligan, photography is something I do because I love it but it’s great to have this recognition of my work. Unless they’re very lucky, Heligan visitors don’t often get to see wildlife on the estate so this is a fantastic way for them to see the biodiversity of the site without having to wait patiently for hours in hides.”

Both 200 Acres and Dwell are part of a series of events and installations themed around home at Heligan this year, culminating in the rst eligan Homecoming Festival in June.

200 Acres runs until September 30th –admission is included in the standard Heligan ticket. heligan.com

TOP Barn Owl with Chicks ABOVE old nches alentines eeds

TOP Bee on Flower

ABOVE

Swallow in Valentines

ABOVE

Tawny Owl

TOP

Great Spotted Woodpecker Dinner Time ABOVE

Great Spotted Woodpeckers Bickering

Deer in Bluebells

Into WILD the

WORDS BY LUCY STUDLEY

Photo: Paul Mounsey, courtesy

The Foster Museum

A humble tin of watercolour paints has taken one Cornwall-based artist on a lifelong adventure.

For the last 45 years, artist Tony Foster has embarked on epic ‘Journeys’ into the wild places of the world. Setting out from the village of Tywardreath, this gregarious but unpretentious figure makes his way to distant rainforests, mountains, and deserts, carrying his modest camping equipment and tiny tin of watercolours with him. When he eventually returns home from months in the wilderness, the people he meets walking the lanes and woods of South Cornwall – or at the local pub – would probably be surprised to discover that he is the only living British artist to have a museum in the US dedicated to his work. The Foster Museum in Palo Alto, California, brings together much of Tony’s oeuvre in one inspiring

space, prompting fresh connections to both art and the natural world.

However, this summer Tony’s work will appear in his homeland of Cornwall at the start of a major new touring exhibition. Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery in Truro marks the jumping o point of this particular journey, as Exploring Time: A Painter’s Perspective by Tony Foster shows at the newly transformed museum from 5th July to 25th October. It will go on to the Royal Watercolour Society in London, and then to the Dayton Art Institute in Ohio and other venues across the United States.

Born in Lincolnshire, Tony began painting as a child. Later he moved to Fowey where

Detail of Water Cuts Through Stone, Grand Canyon from Rim to River, 5800 feet_c12-14 Million Years, 2017

INSET

Tony Foster

he taught art, eventually finding the confidence to make painting his career. He discovered early on that watercolour was the right medium for him, a choice that was based on very practical concerns. “I knew the approach I wanted to take with my work, and that it would involve getting out into the wilderness to paint,” he explains. “With watercolours I can use a tiny and very light palette. The paper dries quickly and can be rolled up for transportation. And, because we trek and collect fresh water where we camp, each image is made of water from the place itself – simply with a little pigment added by me.”

The concept of journeys has formed the structure of his entire practice. Taking the notion of en plein air to the extreme, Tony’s process involves trekking, camping, and painting on location in some of the world’s most remote and often inhospitable environments for months at a time; just one large painting can take up to three weeks to complete on site.

Travelling slowly, on foot or by canoe or raft, Tony navigates landscapes of mountains and canyons, rainforests and deserts, from the Arctic to the Tropics. Everest, Greenland, Borneo, Guyana and the Galapagos Islands are among the many locations where Tony has painted over the years, but the American West is his most returned-to destination. Friends join him each time to help find the best places to set up his specially made, lightweight easel and to keep him company around the campfire at night.

The camaraderie is clearly something Tony loves, but his approach to making work has also caused hardship. Frostbite, altitude sickness, tropical diseases and insect bites have all been his bedfellows on these expeditions to remote places, and fittingly his trusty camping set-up itself forms part of the exhibition in Truro – an integral part of each epic ‘Journey’.

At the end of the excursion, paintings are stashed in an aluminium tube and transported back to Tony’s studio in Tywardreath for the finishing touches. Unusually for a landscape painter, he doesn’t take photos or make sketches, but he is an avid collector of ‘treasures’ and each work is anchored to its place of origin by the inclusion of found objects - a feather, shell, leaf, desert sand or melted glacial ice – some lines from his diary, or a small square of a map.

“I’ve always been a collector, ever since I was a child,” explains Tony. “The found objects which inhabit every wall or surface of my studio, and often feature as part of the works themselves, are an important link with all the places I’ve been and the people I’ve met.”

Tony’s watercolours reflect on the forces of nature and change in these wild places he travels to, his powers of close observation resulting in work which is academically valuable as well as sublimely beautiful. Hence his fellowship of the prestigious Royal Geographic Society and a list of international exhibitions which includes

ABOVE Disused Leat in Luxulyan Valley, Mineral Extraction Ceased 1908, 2020

Photo: Paul Mounsey, courtesy The Foster Museum

ABOVE

Rewilding_Minions to Crow’s Nest, Copper Mining, Abandoned 1940, 2023

TOP LEFT

Water Cuts Through Stone, Grand Canyon from Rim to River, 5800 feet_c12-14 Million Years, 2017

TOP RIGHT

Water Cuts Through Stone, Grand Canyon from Rim to River, 5800 feet_c12-14 Million Years, 2017

Photo: Paul Mounsey, courtesy

The Foster Museum

Photo: Paul Mounsey, courtesy The Foster Museum

CREATE

the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington. Indeed, his work echoes the role of historical herbaria held by the museum, in which early scientists like Emily Stackhouse preserved the ecology of a certain place at a certain time for posterity.

The concept for this exhibition, Exploring Time, was conceived as a reflection on the complexity of time and its impact on the planet. The idea came to Tony while painting on Everest in 2007, when a monk handed him an ammonite fossil found near the peak of the mountain. That Everest was once under the sea is well known, but holding the physical evidence in his hands had a profound impact on Tony.

Musing on the concept of time relative to humans, nature, and landscape gave Tony the structure for a new body of work. He considered how a unit of time might

be the opening of a flower bud in the sun, the evolution of a Cornish hedge through the seasons, or a river gradually eroding through layers of rock. He realised that four decades of his particular artistic practice had left him almost uni uely positioned to explore time using di erent frames of reference: Geological, Biological, Human and Fleeting.

In ‘Geological Time,’ Tony shows how the history of huge movements of landmasses can be read in the landscape today – from the Himalayas rising from sea level to Dorset’s fossil-rich Jurassic Coast, and Cornwall’s folded granite peninsula threaded with its precious mineral deposits. Meanwhile, ‘Biological Time’ follows trees, hedges, meadows and woodland through the cycle of the seasons, for example examining a year in the life of a Cornish hedge or painting trees that are thousands of years old.

ABOVE Painting in Ilulissat looking across the angia ce ord, Ilulissat, Greenland, 2001

Photo:

Peter Murray, courtesy

The Foster Museum

‘Human Time’ we might think of as a life span, or ‘within living memory’. This section includes Foster’s Lockdown Diaries inspired by daily walks in Cornwall during the pandemic, as well as images of rewilded places exploring how nature and our industrial past interacts in the landscape. Finally, in the section ‘Fleeting Moments,’ Tony captures brief moments in time, from studies of skies, lightning and weather, to moving water and the appearance of a rainbow. Such moments often hold a disproportionate power – vividly remembered for a lifetime, viscerally connecting us to the natural world, and reminding us of our ephemerality in the context of geological time.

Tony has as much in common with natural history documentary makers as his fellow landscape painters. “If my work helps people appreciate and value these amazing places then I’m using the best method

at my disposal to further the cause of environmental preservation,” he says. “I believe that civilisation would be better measured, not by the area under landscaped lawns and driveways, but by the area we are prepared to leave alone.”

Exploring Time is a collection of work which is both painstakingly observed and profoundly beautiful. oster’s proficient brushstrokes e ortlessly capture extraordinary detail, while also adding sweeping grandeur to his paintings. It’s a combination which perfectly befits the monumental landscapes he paints, and threatens to make rewilding advocates of us all.

Exploring Time: A Painter’s Perspective by Tony Foster shows at Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery from 5th July to 25th October.

cornwallmuseum.org

ABOVE

Mt Everest North Face, From Ocean Floor to Roof of the World, 45-50 Million Years, 2007

Photo: Paul Mounsey, courtesy

The Foster Museum

Eventide

Anew Landscape Vision for Dartmoor sets out a plan to give new life to its wilderness; restoring nature whilst strengthening and protecting it from the impact of climate change and meeting the changing needs of people, place and planet.

Convened by the Duchy of Cornwall and Central Dartmoor Landscape Recovery Project, it brings together dozens of collaborators to propose new approaches to grazing, biodiversity, conservation and hydrological restoration, as part of the largest project of its kind in the UK.

Over the coming years, Dartmoor is expected to face longer droughts, fewer frost days, greater heat stress and increased and more extreme rainfall – changes that not only threaten its wildlife and ecosystems, but also its local communities, cultural heritage, and vital natural services. The eight-month long study, covering 22,000 hectares of land, found that average frost days are expected to half over the next 40 years, and the chances of a dry summer will increase by 30%. Climate scenarios predicting 2°C warming suggest Dartmoor may no longer be suitable for blanket peatland.

environment for the future, based on input from those who know, rely on, and care for Dartmoor, including graziers, foresters, ecologists, farmers, peatland restorers, hydrologists, water companies, soldiers, fire services, conservationists and custodians.

Designed as a 20-year roadmap, the Vision outlines a set of guiding principles to inform the future environmental management of the Duchy’s Dartmoor estate. While specific to artmoor, the ision also lays a foundation for other UK wide environmental management plans. It highlights how wild landscapes across the country and beyond can adapt to climate change, sustain rural life and biodiversity, and benefit from a collaborative approach which builds upon knowledge of a wide variety of stakeholders.

Dartmoor provides essential resources such as clean water, timber and grazing land, with its vast peatlands also acting as an important store of carbon and water. The Landscape Vision has been developed to support the creation of a resilient

HRH Prince William visits Wistmans Wood

Writing in the foreword to the Vision, HRH Prince William, The Duke of Cornwall says: artmoor is a magnificent and complex ecosystem – the balance between nature and people has evolved for thousands of years to shape the landscape we recognise today. To keep Dartmoor special, we must respond to the twin challenges of global warming and the requirement to restore nature, while ensuring the communities on Dartmoor can thrive. The Dartmoor Vision shows us what might be possible and how that might be achieved. It is bold and ambitious and something that I hope, by working together, can be delivered for not just the current generation but for generations to come.”

duchyofcornwall.org

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