Tools to carve out time 

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Installation
Sandstone pebbles, fabric, wooden laths, embossed haikus, wooden labelled drawers.
2025

Sandstone pebbles, found on the shores of Hilbre were used to shape the sculptural installation ‘Finding Solitude: Island’. As each of these pebbles wore down to a more solid core, Claire kept each one. They are presented here as relics of the time spent working as an artist – each stone, worn down, marks a visit to Hilbre. Time that has been considered with and around her family, fitted in alongside work commitments and shared with the other artists in residence at BADA. 

The stones are presented alongside a collection of wooden laths, salvaged from the walls of the Buoymaster’s House on Hilbre during its preservation and renovation. Each of these laths has been shaped by the sandstone rock that forms Hilbre which are a record of a geological period of time that now connects to this human, (m)other-artist experience of time and space on the tidal island.

The Haikus read as follows:

Time, carved out with tools / Fashioned from the habitats / We explore together

I comb sea-groomed lines / Bellies up, claws not clinging / Empty purse vessel protrudes

A seat for watching / Sunrise as the bell tolls five / Silver moon falling behind

About the residency

These works were created as part of the (m)other collective residency titled (m)other Wild, based on Hilbre Island during the Summer of 2025. Drawing out Hilbre Archipelago, in partnership with Independents Biennial Liverpool, features artist residencies, workshops, exhibitions, and performances that delve into key themes, including:

  • Engagement with Nature: Fostering outdoor participation and artistic interaction with the island’s natural environment.
  • Ecological Interconnections: Examining the relationships between different species and their habitats.
  • Cultural Heritage and Community Narratives: Celebrating the history and stories that define Hilbre and its surrounding communities.
  • Sustainability and Self-Sufficiency: Emphasizing practices that promote ecological balance and resourcefulness.
  • Time and Tides: Investigating the impact of changing tides on the island and its ecosystems.

Drawing out Hilbre Archipelago is a project delivered by BADA projects and CASS: Centre for Arts, Science & Sustainability.