in spring to wild camping in Scottish forests in the heart of winter . We ’ ve downsized the amount of “ stuff ” we take with us so we ’ re now lean , mean travelling machines .
I walked away from the corporate world determined to find a better way to make a living in the spring of 2014 and we headed out on our first real UK “ expedition ”: 12 weeks in the Western Highlands of Scotland . It was the first time I ’ d been further north than Edinburgh and I fell madly in love with the place . We both did . We focused on a little area called Glen Affric , which has two roads – each not longer than 10 miles with the Glen . We had intended to stay for a week and ended up staying for five !
Everywhere we looked there was something to photograph . Every 10 yards one of us said “ wait , I need to get my camera ”. Rivers , raging with meltwater from the forbidding munros , ran through ancient pine forests thick with usnea , a tribute to the clean air . Young birches , reflected in the morning stillness of the lochs , stood out against the dark of the pines , their young bright green leaves almost shimmering . Birds called , lambs baaed , leaves rustled in the winds . Water on the rockfaces glistened in the sunlight , unmasking all kinds of faces hiding in the textures of the hillsides .
Excited by our discoveries , we loaded the iPad with our images and went into the nearby towns to share what we ’ d seen , hoping to get more tips on places to go . I was surprised and more than a little saddened when I found that many people , living not more than 15 miles away , didn ’ t even know the Glen was there . So , I resolved to do something about it . I decided to hold an exhibition in Drumnadrochit , 12 miles from Glen Affric and invite everyone to see the immense beauty on their doorsteps . sand dunes . We spent up to three weeks in each location , returning the following month to show what we ’ d seen . It was heartwarming to see people rediscover their back yards , and a few even grabbed their cameras and smartphones after the exhibitions to explore for themselves .
What I now call On Your Doorstep : Phase One finished in October 2015 and I struggled to find a way to carry the idea forward . Doing exhibitions was fun and rewarding , but I didn ’ t feel like we were reaching enough people that way . Months went by while I tried to find my way to the next part of the path . I exhibited at art fairs , spreading the message that way , until I stumbled across the idea of a magazine where artists of all sorts could share their message of love for Mother Nature , using art to inspire her protection . The first issue came out in June 2016 and here we are , at Issue Three already ! This magazine is the embodiment of my beliefs that :
( 1 ) People care more about what ’ s on their doorsteps than what ’ s across the world
( 2 ) Highlighting the plight of our planet is important in the fight to save it , but positive messages showing her beauty and the great work being done to protect her are more so . People are less likely to feel overwhelmed by the size of the problem , and are more likely to want to join the battle . After all , who doesn ’ t want to be part of a happy ending ?
( 3 ) Art for its own sake is fine , but art for a greater cause is better
( 4 ) Artists make great warriors and leaders
Never one to make life easy for myself , I thought “ Why stop at one exhibition ? Why not do eight ? Eight ’ s a lucky number !”. And so On Your Doorstep was born . Over the next 16 months we went to eight non-iconic locations – chosen by sticking a pin in a map – and captured the immense beauty of local parks , woodlands , streams , beaches , hills and
So , this was the story of a girl who grew up urban but fell in love with nature , who grew up corporate but became an artist , environmentalist and publisher . I hope you enjoy a small taste of what Mick and I saw during 2104 / 15 , right here on our doorsteps .
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