Good news! I'm delighted to share that I've been awarded the Visual Artists & Craft Makers Award (VACMA) by East Lothian Council. The award is a devolved funding scheme in partnership with Creative Scotland to support artists' creative practice.
The funding will allow me to join a short intensive contemporary drawing and painting course (online) at the University of the Arts London (UAL)—a fantastic opportunity to delve deeper into my practice.
Following the course, I'll immerse myself in learning how to hand-mull my own pigments (watercolour and oil), which I can use as part of my workshops and overall VACMA project, Cry of the Curlew.
The project will be a series of original artwork to inspire a fine art print, a poem and a new song titled, 'Cry of the Curlew'.
Curlew watercolour study, Kat Healy 2023
I can’t wait to get started!
“Society is becoming ever more detached from the natural world, we are less connected to nature than at any other time in history. This has to change.” (www.curlewaction.org)
I’ll share regular updates with notes from my sketchbooks, including colour mixing and palette curating and drafts of the poem and song.
I’ll also invite summer and autumn workshop attendees to try my hand-mulled watercolours and reveal the names of each colour as well as the inspiration behind them.
The VACMA project will allow me to share my work in a multi-disciplined way, which was always the intent when I stepped back from performing acoustic shows and moved to the beautiful coast of East Lothian.
When I finished my MA in creative writing, I returned to the easel, hoping that one day, I would blend my creativity together and find new ways to share it with a fresh perspective.
I'm pleased I made the necessary changes to enrich my work, breathe new life into my practice, and embark on a new artistic adventure.
I'm grateful to everyone who's supported me over the past few years. If you've attended a workshop, read and guided my poetry, listened to my music, bought a watercolour painting or print...THANK YOU.
You encouraged me to keep going when I needed it most.
I will never stop believing in creative practice as a path to well-being. I will keep showing up, and I hope you will feel inspired to do the same.
Wishing you a happy and relaxing Easter weekend! Kat xo
