Devon, How Trees Talk, Coombe Farm Studios

This residency took place over the Easter period, when spring was beginning to blossom across Devon. We titled the project How Trees Talk, a name that reflects the importance of listening - to each other as artists, and to the natural world around us.

This residency was part of a four-artist week away. I was one of the four female artists, all of whom I had studied with at the Royal Drawing School, and it felt really special to come together again in this way. The location was near Dartmouth, in Devon, and throughout the week we immersed ourselves in the lush countryside—surrounded by rolling hills, winding lanes, and the shifting coastal light that makes this part of Devon so distinctive.

We spent a lot of time together as women artists, discussing ideas, sharing work, and building confidence as emerging practitioners. Staying at one of the artists’ homes created a relaxed and supportive atmosphere, and each day we travelled out to different parts of Devon to draw and respond directly to the landscape. We also visited local sites, gardens, and areas of natural beauty, drawing inspiration from both the coastal and rural environments.

A key part of the residency was a group exhibition in collaboration with Coombe Farm Studios, a well-established artist-led centre in rural South Devon. Coombe Farm Studios is set within a working farm environment and offers immersive residential courses and workshops in drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, and other studio-based practices. It is known for bringing together artists of all levels in a supportive, hands-on setting, with a strong emphasis on process, experimentation, and slowing down to really engage with materials and ideas. The studios also provide professional printmaking facilities and dedicated spaces where artists can develop work in depth over time, often responding to both the landscape and the rural surroundings.

Working there allowed us to bring our drawings back into the studio and develop them further in the print room, translating our observations from the landscape into new works. I am now also a tutor at Coombe Farm Studios, where I teach a drawing and colour week course, which has been a wonderful way to continue developing my connection with the space and its community.

Although this was a short residency, it became the beginning of lasting friendships and future collaborative projects. It gave us the opportunity to bond not only through shared experience, but also through the rhythm of working between drawing on location and developing ideas back in the studio.