The Shores We Return To
There are places that stay with us. The curve of a shoreline. The scent of salt on the breeze. The soft crunch of sand underfoot as the tide retreats. For many of us who live in or love Cornwall, the beach isn’t just a backdrop — it’s a grounding force, a sacred space, a source of clarity.
This summer, Ocean Connection returns to Porthleven — a joint exhibition between myself and fellow artist Sophie Bagnall — and our theme this year is simple but deeply personal: The Shores We Return To.
We’ve each chosen to spotlight the beaches that hold meaning in our lives. Not just the dramatic ones — though there’s no shortage of those — but the quiet, familiar corners too. The ones where we walk the dog. Where we’ve dipped in cold waters. Where we’ve sat with a coffee, watching the horizon. This collection is a love letter to those places.
Bringing New Materials, New Meanings
For my part, this year’s work goes deeper than just visual storytelling. I’ve continued to explore texture as a way of conveying movement, memory, and mood — but with a new layer: repurposed clothing and fabric.
Some of the pieces in this collection feature classic shoreline scenes, while others dive into more abstracted underwater compositions or rich sunset colour palettes. What ties them together is the tactile element: layers of upcycled materials, often garments that once held their own stories.
Why clothing?
Because fashion waste is one of the biggest environmental challenges we face — and because I know, from my own past in fashion buying, how fast and disposable it can all become. There’s enough clothing in the global ecosystem right now to last six generations — yet we continue to over-produce and under-reuse. Millions of tonnes are dumped in landfill every year, with an estimated 35% of ocean microplastics coming from synthetic textiles (source).
By working these forgotten fibres into my art, I’m reclaiming them. Giving them a new story. Turning waste into beauty, and texture into truth.
Why This Matters?
I hope these works stir something in you. A memory. A place. A moment you return to — whether physically or in your mind.
And I hope they invite reflection too: on what we consume, what we discard, and how art can offer not just escape, but connection.
If you’re in Cornwall this summer, come and experience Ocean Connection for yourself. The exhibition runs at The Old Lifeboat House in Porthleven, and includes original artworks, prints, and the stories behind them.
Let’s celebrate the shores that hold us — and imagine new ways to care for them.
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