During the first London lockdown, I looked after a friend's narrowboat on the Regent's Canal, King's Cross. Normally I'm running around getting things done - I hadn’t painted for about fifteen years - but on the boat, I had time to myself, time for myself - time to look around, to think, to sketch and then to paint. It was a struggle, getting my eye in, becoming fluent again - finding my style. I befriended some of the boaters, including another artist and we followed each other on Instagram and talked from the huddled boats, about art and light and reflected sky, shadows and the spaces in between the boats. We talked about how the boats had faces, how they were so individual and quirky but also sometimes tethered together as a group - they looked like they were friends, talking to each other. We talked about how the boat was a safe space and you could be either tethered and connected or free to journey on. The boaters are a special community, the people I met were very friendly and welcoming. I loved my time on the canal. I'm loving the small adventures in art and life. I hope you enjoy coming with me on my journey. Cx
