‘Life in the Slow Lane’
We are back! With another one of those series of insightful blog posts, where we talk to artists and creatives about strategies for managing their wellbeing and how their art practice supports this. Jackie Ward of TreeHuggery “creates special gifts that make people smile” and her unique pieces certainly do have the power to do that.
We first met over a stall table at a bustling Remarkable Recycling Gala, an annual event that was sadly cancelled in 2020 and never returned. We bonded over our love of all things analogue and an appreciation for each other’s recycling adventures. The fact that she had developed a range of artwork from out-of-date tax discs made perfect sense to me - they were quite beautifully printed after all.
Not only is a “no waste” policy important to Jackie, making art became the antedote to the daily grind, which really had begun to wear her down. We are truly grateful for this change in direction. Her creativity diversified over the years, the “little people” she has become renowed for releasing into the wild are incredibly appealing. They are a shining example of sustainable art and there really is something for everyone.
I felt it was high time I caught up with Jackie, to chat about her creative journey.
Silver Birch Cushion by TreeHuggery
It all began with scrap paper
“I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t arty - I was always drawing and asking my dad if he had any scrap paper at work that he could bring home. I would watch Paint Along with Nancy with my mum (anyone remember that?) and I was always designing my own tapestries and cross stitch panels. My grandma was a huge influence, she was always going off to evening classes; learning new skills.
Fast forward to the time I got made redundant. It was, and still is, both the best and the worst thing that happened to me. I was Nottinghamshires’ Teenage Pregnancy Co-ordinator, and I hated it. I used to cry in the car going to work.
I decided that I had nothing to lose and so instead of looking for another job, I would see if it was possible to ‘live the dream’ and earn a living from doing what I loved. I’d been doing a textile degree part time with the Open College of the Arts and through that fell in love with working with recycled bits and pieces; that took me on such a tangent.”
Swim, Bike, Run by TreeHuggery
“It just really appealed to me. The fact that there were so many things that would potentially end up in landfill, if looked at differently, could be given a new lease of life. It gave me the nudge to think about upcycling things, with a nod to their previous use or in amusing ways.
However, the degree course wanted to close that door, move on and open new ones. I just wanted to stay with this world of upcycling, so I never did finish it. I just took what I was doing and stubbornly kept at it, trying to up my game at every opportunity.
So… it’s possibly pertinent to point out here, that the old television programme The Good Life has always been my life goal - we grow our own veg, keep hens, don’t have a telly, have solar panels and generally try and be as self sufficient as we can.
My business name TreeHuggery came about because wherever we have worked, we’ve both always been called ‘tree-hugging hippies’, so we decided to embrace the name.”
A love of texture and form
I’ve gone from textiles bought from the shops (I was making gnarly silver birch trees, burning and scratching fabric), to old papers (vintage bus tickets that became people waiting at bus stops, tax discs that became cyclists, maps that became walkers {you get the idea} ) and back to textiles. This time with an emphasis on upcycling old fabrics and incorporating them with other bits and pieces - eg parts of a bicycle chain make great swimming goggles, old paint brushes are great props for artists.”
Favourite piece
The dawn of the “little people”, a new direction for TreeHuggery
“Favourite piece?
That’s probably the hardest question - I think it’s possibly “Get a dog, go for walks, it will be fun they said”. It was possibly the first piece that had movement in it, yet it’s nicely simple, and even now - especially with a new puppy - it still makes me smile.”
Being in the moment
“Art allows me to focus completely on being in the moment, instead of worrying about the things that I can’t change, and gives such a feeling of satisfaction. I’m a massively unconfident person, who never quite feels good enough. So, when people interact with a piece, it means the world in a way that I can’t quite explain - it is really validating.”
Tips for new artists
“Find your own voice - your own style is everything - and its ok to be Marmite. Not everyone will like what you do, but it’s far better for your work to be loved by a few people, than thought as ‘ok’ by everyone.”
A Grand Day Out by TreeHuggery
Wellbeing matters
“For me, self care is linked to being outside and doing things, wherever practical, in traditional ways.
I start every day with a dog walk - (my best moments of inspiration have come when I’m doing nothing but walking the dog).
I’m lucky that my workspace is a building in my garden. I have the radio on for company and have a view across my garden. I do have my phone with me, and I know I look at it far too much. But I try to do most things in the simplest way; water the garden with a watering can, make bread by hand, simple things that slow life down.”
Well we love your attitide to life, slowing down and making art Jackie! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and inspirations with us.
You can find more TreeHuggery goodness by clicking on the links below. Look out also for a stall stacked with her remarkable recycling around the East Midlands area, in the coming months especially - check Jackie’s socials for events.
Peace and arty bits!
Debra Thortify
