Dec 12, 20222 min read

Creative Idle...

A look back at our time at Northmoor House, Exmoor, September '22

Mid winter is a time for reflection, and so we thought it fitting to share the visitor's book created by our guests at Nortmoor House.

In September, Seven Fables and Jackie Morris invited a group of artists, writers, editors and publishers to join us for a brief moment of idle creativity - no deadlines, no pressure, space to just be, contemplate, read, converse, share ideas, favourite poems and food.

Seeking a project to explore and play, Christopher decided to build a large format camera entirely from scratch. The prototype was literally made from cardboard boxes, with lenses borrowed from a pair of vintage binoculars and an ancient overhead projector. These were then incorporated within his more sophisticated build with which he managed to capture the most beguiling images, forming a focalpoint with which all guests became involved...

Of course, creative guests are rarely truly idle, unless sleeping, ideas are always surfacing, and Jackie is always writing, sketching whether in her mind or on the page. At Northmoor she was able to spend time gilding 'House Martins,' one of the spreads for her and Robert Macfarlane's Book of Birds, now due to be published in 2025, and we seized the moment to film the book's progress.

Catherine Hyde explored the house with her mirrorless camera, Rob and Jane wrote, Kalina and Dot cooked their socks off but found time to join us for evening readings, I got to play with my oil pastels, Rebecca was embroidery queen, while Jackie and Tamsin got to chat tentative ides about the book they have always wanted to publish together, and John Mitchinson from Unbound listened...

And the corridors resonated to Julia's cello...

We look forward to being able to return.