Southmere Lake

Art and Photography in South London. Plus, running elsewhere!

A sense of place has been a feature of my work for some time now, and since moving to Thamesmead a few years ago I have created many opportunities to explore the area through the lens. I expanded my skillset with my latest work featuring local landmarks, and created an art installation for Thamesmead Festival which took place on 10th August. For more than two years I have been photographing the scene from my kitchen window at different times of day and in various weathers.

Image from Ever Present which is the name I gave to the art installation.

Each morning when I pull up my kitchen blind this is the scene that greets me. There is something reassuring about this ritual that connects me to my surroundings. When I started documenting the view I had no particular end-goal, but I knew that I would present the images as a set at some point. When the Visual Arts Open Call for Thamesmead Festival came about, I thought this would be a great event to show the images at. I wanted to incorporate the wind within the artwork somehow, and had been looking for a reason to print works onto fabric for a while: a quick swish of ideas around the brain and the idea was born! It was a steep learning curve, from sampling fabrics to re-learning how to use a sewing machine, to a nerve-racking (think 12 hours before the festival started) experience of fixing rivets to the fabric, so they could be attached securely to telescopic poles! The poles were positioned on a plateau, which allowed for a view of the real wind turbines on the horizon; repositioning the artworks firmly back within the landscape.

As well as creating the installation I had some Tote bags made which feature one of the images. These were on sale on the day at the Lakeside Shop stall, and I am still selling them, so shout if you want to buy one!

Just £15.00 + P&P if needed.

UPCOMING EVENT(S)

Lakeside Studios

Open Studios/ Open House event: Saturday 21st September 12 - 6pm

Over 30 art studios open to the public - Open Houses listed building - Painters, textile artists, photographers and sculptors showcasing their work - Free drop-in workshops - Family friendly activities - Interactive art installations - Roni Parker’s The Crony Club exhibition - Cafe on site

My Studio is in Block E on the first floor. I’ll be in my studio a lot of the day, but also taking pictures and having a nose around myself! Let me know if you’re coming down, and want to meet up :-)

Back in August I ran a trail marathon with my mate Charly in north Wales. This was just part of our training for a multi-day run which we will attempt to achieve over three days 16-18th September. We’ll be running from Bristol to Reading via the Kennet and Avon Canal towpath and will amass around 95 miles of running over three days!

Several people suggested this kind of event should be sponsored, and so, I have decided to raise money for Run Free charity, and here’s why…

I love running! The fact that I can pull on my running gear & hit the road whenever I fancy is part of it’s charm for me. This experience, and the feeling of freedom associated with running are not available to everyone... Free to Run supports young women and girls in areas of conflict to help them build leadership skills and improve their physical, emotional, and social wellbeing, through running. We provide the tools to help them become leaders who exercise self-determination, challenge negative norms, and boldly reclaim public spaces. Free to Run members are community leaders, advocates, and role models in their societies, bringing people together across cultural, ethnic, and religious lines. They change views about the roles that women can, and should, play in society.

Please donate if you can, thanks! Just click the 💥








Back to Freelance Photography!

As the sun sets on another chapter, It’s time for a change!

You may have seen my video on Instagram, which was filmed whilst I was in Greece in May. I spent three weeks on a self-styled working holiday with the intention of strategising and getting on top of a raft of admin. I was reminded how time-consuming making thorough changes (back-end/ SEO) to a website is, so you will see that my homepage has changed, but there is lots more to be done!

My plan was to spend three weeks in Greece, and come back to go straight into freelancing as I had handed in my notice for the job I have been doing (Frame Designer and framing logistics expert!) for the past three and a half years. I negotiated helping my Boss out, so ended up working for the majority of June, but now I am back in the freelance market and ready to roll! It took no time at all to wonder how on earth I kept up any creative practice whilst working full-time!

Photo from ‘one hour on Hydra’.

I am finding the key to making this freer model of working work, is to be disciplined without getting annoyed when things don’t pan out, to be realistic about what is achievable in any day, and to remind myself that this is the way I was born to operate! One of the things I will be working on more determinedly is to translate project 4 x 4 x 4 into a book. 4x4x4 has always been the working title of this project, and for those who have read previous blogs about the project and my anecdotes whilst out shooting, you will know that the name derives from the framework I set myself to give the project structure: I travelled in four directions, at four distances, by four modes of transport. This title doesn’t offer any indication of my thoughts and ideas for and around the project, so I am really pleased to say that whilst in Greece I finally decided what the name of the project will be once made into a book, and believe me I have been racking my brain for some time! Readers here will be the first to know, but I am not ready to share that title just yet! I am really looking forward to bringing this to life, and will be looking for a journalist or journalistic writer to do the introduction, so if you have any recommendations please let me know.

Hide & Seek

This summer, as well as settling in to a new work rhythm I will be doing a lot of running! I’ve become good friends with another ambitious female, and we are going to run a marathon in August, which is just practice for a very silly run we intend to complete in September - it will see us run around 96 miles over three days. No doubt you will hear more about this next month!

For now I have a couple of dates for your diary:

Saturday 10th August 12- 7.30pm, Thamesmead Festival

I am part of the Festival Production Group, and here’s an extract from our Press Release:

Featuring a host of talent from Thamesmead, South London and beyond, the community-powered festival will see Park Stage performances by MOBO-winning conscious rapper Still Shadey, award-winning funk and soul outfit Groove 101, Black Wolf Blues, local favourites Old Boy Blues Band and MC Redrum; The shady environs of the Unplugged Stage will host intimate spoken word and acoustic sets from the likes of Brit School graduate Gönül and singer-songwriter Sam Winston. A short walk away through the trees, the Southmere Stage will be the place to see a rich range of dance styles from streetdance by locally-based Dynamix to Bollywood Vibes and Capoeira MuzenzKELE LE ROC & TERRI WALKER will headline the Park Stage.

Produced by partners Serious, the festival is programmed by The Festival Production Group (FPG) a dedicated group of 14 local residents who, in response to an unprecedented number of requests to perform, convened a listening session and a Eurovision-style scoring system to select the line-up. 

As well as live performance there will be plenty of stalls, art installations, the annual Dog Show and this year a sensory tent, offering a calmer environment for those who find festivals a bit too much.

I applied to create an art installation for the festival, and I am pleased to say that I secured the funding, and I am busy pulling it together. The piece is call Ever Present, and here is a video of an early test. No spoilers I’m afraid!


Saturday September 21st, Open Studios

Lakeside Open Studios will again coincide with the Open Houses festival. Last year we had several visitors coming to view the place where the cult TV series Misfits was filmed. Last year I also held my solo show Getting To Know You, but this year I will be in my studio to share my work with you and answer any questions.

Many thanks, and happy summer days to you!

Amanda x

‘Getting To Know You’ photography exhibition. Save the date!

In less than two months I will host my first solo show since 2016, and I am very much looking forward to inviting you all along!