Michaela Johnston

Saturday 1st March, I arrived in darkness at Mawddach Crescent. I was greeted by Scarlett and Jay my studio partner to help carry everything but my kitchen sink to the top floor. After working up an appetite we all shared an extremely yummy curry, where I was introduced to Toby, the resident cat. My room was beyond comfy, I immediately felt at home.

In the morning I rolled out of bed to see the most beautiful view of the estuary with towering mountains in the distance. I went with no intentions of making anything but to let the space, and local geography inspire me. I walked most days through woodland, up waterfalls, over hills and along the beach, unlimited access to all terrains. It was beautiful. I reintroduced myself to what made me want to weave when I first learnt how. I had a small inkle loom that I played on for the first few days, weaving simple wool ribbons with little thought of how they would be used. After finally picking my favourite walks and finding the best sitting spots I decided to get on the big loom.

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Exploring the variety of landscapes and being inspired by the enormous selection of sheep, I wanted to pick a material that drew on these elements. Black Mountain sheep wool arrived a couple of days later just in time for my warp to be wound and loom set up. I wanted a thick cloth to provide warmth and strength, a simple design that celebrates the natural colour of wool. As I wove, ideas came to mind, looking out at a continuously changing landscape, my weave started looking like windows. After this, I wove a cloth opposing this one, thin, floaty, almost transparent, to experiment with the qualities of the welsh wool.

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I shared my residency with Jay Caskie, a fabulous printmaker based in Cornwall. Working alongside him in the studio was a joy, and an inspiration. By the end of the residency, we had shared our crafts, and built a friendship – Thank you Jay.

During the 2 weeks I had the pleasure of taking part in SGWRS BACH – ‘The small things’ at the local community hall arranged by Scarlett. It consisted off a 7-minute presentation with 20 images showcasing my practice. Alongside other makers also presenting, I met several locals, artists, and past Mawddach residents. Followed by lovely chats over some yummy cakes, it was a special night giving me more inspiration to take away.

I signed up to partake in the life drawing session as a participant and model. I can’t say I’m confident at drawing, but it was so much fun to play and experiment with different ways of interpretating human features. Posing for the class was even more exciting, getting to see versions of you on paper felt grounding and lovely.
 
Me and Jay had the honour of being toured Jake and Scarlett’s new venture at the school, having an insight into their ideas for the future. Looking forward to revisiting and seeing the progress. I really felt lucky throughout my time at Mawddach residency, and still now. It was a magical time which will not be forgotten.

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Michaela Johnston
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