About Kathryn
Wandering Welsh artist, writer,
ink maker + workshop facilitator.
Currently based in Pembrokeshire, west Wales
Walking, writing and collecting natural materials to make INK; this is joyful medicine to me. It brings me back into connection when disconnection has occured. It helps me to navigate the meaty demands of life. Sacred, spacious and slow, it supports an active engagement in the world around me.
My Story
For the full version of this and audio read-through head over to INKLINGS.
Leaving the city life.
In early 2015 I decided to leave my city life in Bristol. 6 years of enjoying the urban offerings, working as CREATIVE WELLBEING facilitator and event manager. Yet I kept finding myself day-after-day walking to find trees to lean against, and leaves to run through my fingers. I knew I needed to get back to my countryside roots.
I left on Easter Monday, after selling or giving away most of my belongings. Storing some with family, and the rest being put into an old rucksack. The call of the wild led to following the wanderlust to somerset, Devon, mid-wales and back home to south west wales. A 6 month adventure became a 7 year exploration of ROAMING FOR HOME. Living with artists, off-grid communities, in attics, spare rooms, van, sheds, shepherds hut and tents.
A challenging diagnosis .
In the second year of travels I was staying in Hay on Wye training as a sign-writer’s apprentice, with dreams of living as a journeying crafts person, when I was knocked sideways by abdominal pain and a challenging diagnosis.
It was that winter I spent living alone in a shepherds hut on the welsh borderlands, walking, writing, reflecting and listening to the owls. I was in limbo, waiting for doctor’s appointments and medical decisions.
Dead fish. Dead tree.
One day in the sign-writing studio I noticed that the toxic warning symbol on the back of the white spirit bottle (a chemical used for cleaning paint brushes) was a dead tree and a dead fish. This struck me as being at odds with a re-kindling of a love for the natural world and a strongly felt cry from my body to listen and take more care.
I had been learning about land-based living in my roaming adventures, and the thought of my art materials being detrimental to the environment did not sit well. Along with sensing that ingesting these chemicals was not treating my ailing body well, I took a step back.
With some internet searching and conversations with my sign-writing mentor - who had experience of natural wool dyeing with her children and grandchildren - I began to dive excitedly into the world of natural colour. My curiosity was ignited, and the possibilities felt exciting and energising, in a slow, gentle, walking pace kind of a way.
My body brought me home.
Over the following two years I tried all manner of things to avoid surgery, until the pain became too much to bare. I lost my job and burned out with the stress of keeping on going. I could no longer live in the community where I was living, so I fell back to south west wales and into my mum’s spare room before having surgery in August 2019.
There was no way of knowing the outcome of surgery before going into theatre. Preparing to take this step was a great challenge. I am very thankful to be able to say that I came through it as well as I could have done, and the healing continued.
The gold in the sh*t.
Not feeling so at home in hospital waiting rooms and being offered various medications for my mental as well as physical health, I turned to herbalism and my creative practice to support me through this time. With physically enforced slowing down, thinning out and taking stock I returned to what have always been my anchors; walking, writing and collecting things.
I made my first OAK GALL ink in 2017 and not long after created my first pink dye from avocado stones. The satisfaction brought joy to the weight in my head and heart and I was hooked. Over the next few years, I developed recipes and colours, returning home from walks with pockets peppered with new materials to try, and The NATURAL INK Project was born.
Education
BA Hons Art History (2.1) - University of Wales, Aberystwyth
PGCE in Post 16 Ed. (Distinction) - University of Wales, Cardiff
Work
Freelance arts and wellbeing workshop facilitator since 2008. Working with Inside Out, Caerphilly//Craft in the Bay, Cardiff//BEEF Studios, Bristol//
Arnolfini Arts Centre, Bristol//Light Box: The Happiness Project, Bristol//Dove Studios, Somerset// and other community settings, schools and groups.
Find out more + explore
Fun Facts About Me
Current favourite lunch: Oatcakes, chutney, goats cheese, half an apple and a handful of crisps. If it ain’t broke…
The first single I ever bought (on cassette!) was Bon Jovi’s ‘Always’. It is to this day a favourite to sing loudly when driving and at karaoke.
One summer as a teenager I worked as a children’s entertainer which regularly involved dressing up as Barney the Dinosaur.
I once had a very brief and flustered conversation with Eddie Izzard while serving pies at a comedy event.
