🌊 Cabin Views: July Tides, Open Doors & New Beginnings 🌿☀️✨
Hello from the Cabin! 😊
July always seems to slow the clock just a little. The workshop doors stay open for most of the day, letting the sea breeze wander through while the sounds of summer drift in from outside 🌊. Gulls wheel overhead, boats drift across the Solent ⛵ and the occasional pause for an ice cream rather than another cup of tea becomes part of the creative rhythm 🍦.
This time of year feels wonderfully unhurried. Rather than rushing from one project to the next, there’s time to step back, look at what’s been made and notice where the next ideas are beginning to appear. Inspiration has a habit of arriving when you least expect it – often during a quiet walk along the shoreline rather than while standing at the workbench 🚶♀️🌿.
I’ve always found that making sculpture is as much about collecting ideas as collecting materials. A weathered piece of driftwood, an unusual twist of rusty steel or a shape revealed by the tide can sit quietly in the workshop for weeks before suddenly finding its purpose 🪵⚙️. There’s rarely a fixed plan from the beginning; the pieces seem to reveal their own stories when the time is right.
🌾 The Colours of July 🎨
July brings a different palette to the coastline. The fresh greens of spring have deepened, wild grasses dance in the breeze and patches of sea lavender begin to colour the salt marshes 💜🌾. Even the sea seems to change from one day to the next, shifting from rich blues to soft silvery greys depending on the light and the weather.
It’s remarkable how often those colours find their way into the workshop. The weathered greys of driftwood, rusty oranges of reclaimed steel and faded blues from old marine equipment all quietly reflect what’s happening outside. I never consciously try to match the landscape, but looking back, I realise the coastline has always been the quiet collaborator behind every piece I create 🌊✨.
Every walk offers something new. Sometimes it’s a beautifully shaped piece of timber, sometimes it’s simply the way the evening light catches the water. Inspiration doesn’t always arrive as a finished idea – it can be a colour, a texture or just a fleeting moment that quietly stays with you.
☕ A Moment to Pause 🌊
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that creativity doesn’t always happen at the workbench.
Some of the best ideas arrive while I’m doing something completely different – walking beside the sea, enjoying a coffee overlooking the water ☕ or simply watching the tide slowly come and go. Stepping away from a piece often allows you to return with fresh eyes and a clearer perspective.
It’s easy to feel that we should always be busy, always making or always moving on to the next project. But sometimes the most productive thing we can do is simply slow down, breathe in the sea air and notice what’s around us 🌿.
Summer seems to encourage that gentler pace. The longer days invite us to linger outdoors just a little longer, and I’ve found those quieter moments often become just as important to the creative process as the hours spent cutting, welding and sanding 🔨✨.
🔧 What’s on the Bench? 🪵
Although many of this year’s sculptures have now found their places outdoors, the workshop itself is already beginning to change again.
The benches are gradually filling with fresh collections of driftwood, weathered metal and those curious little objects that most people would probably walk straight past. Around here, nothing is dismissed too quickly- sometimes the smallest or strangest find becomes the most interesting part of a sculpture 🐚⚙️.
At the moment there are more sketches than finished pieces, and that’s often my favourite stage. Ideas are explored, reshaped and occasionally abandoned before finding an entirely new direction ✏️. It’s the part of the creative process that visitors rarely see, but it’s where so much of the excitement begins.
The workshop remains reassuringly untidy, with projects at every stage spread across almost every available surface. Somehow, amidst the organised chaos, everything still manages to find its place! 😊
🌊 Looking Ahead ✨
Although I’m not quite ready to share everything that’s taking shape, new ideas are already beginning to gather momentum.
One sculpture often leads naturally to another, and it’s surprising how a single piece of driftwood or an unusual shape in a piece of reclaimed steel can spark an entirely new direction. Some ideas develop quickly, while others are content to wait patiently until the right combination of materials appears 🌿.
That’s one of the things I enjoy most about working this way. Nothing is rushed, and very little is planned too far in advance. The materials usually have the final say, gently guiding each sculpture towards the form it was always meant to become.
For now, I’m happy to let those ideas evolve quietly in the background while enjoying everything July has to offer. After all, inspiration has a habit of arriving when you’re not looking too hard for it 🌊✨.
As always, thank you for following along and sharing this creative journey with me. Whether you’re spending July by the sea, exploring the countryside or simply finding a quiet moment in the garden, I hope you discover a little inspiration in the everyday.
Until next time, wishing you sunshine, sea breezes and plenty of moments to pause and simply enjoy the season. ☀️🌿🌊
— Kim x 😊