Veronica Pock | Handwoven textiles

Azure, cerulean, lapis lazuli, cyan, aquamarine

If I had to choose a colour for July, this year it would be blue. Sky blue, azure, periwinkle, lapis lazuli, cyan and sapphire, aquamarine. This holiday season led me to southern climes – Italy and Greece and their warm languorous seas. Travelling through brittle and burnt landscapes, scorched and resinous, rich with agaves and olives, bright with Bougainvilleau and laced with upright cypress trees, ringing to the sounds of cicadas.

It was a month of travel and exploration, of visiting galleries, and very little actual weaving. That will come later when I’ve absorbed what I’ve seen, had time to process it, and am able to return to my studio.

Henry Moore and Steven Wilks

The gallery Beelden aan Zee sits set back from the main promenade of Scheveningen, a haven of peace and contemplative space alongside the hustle and bustle of the seaside resort. This summer as its main exhibition, it’s showing a collection of Henry Moore sculptures, together with a thoughtfully curated collection of objects from which he drew inspiration. These found items, stones, pebbles and shells, give a true insight into the natural origins of Moore’s work.

Also on display is the expansive ceramic installation ‘Bottle River’ by UK artist Stephen Wilks: ‘This powerful yet poetic work reflects the delicate balance between nature, humanity and our environment and is made up of more than 1500 glazed ceramic vessels. 

The bottles, each unique and individually shaped, are suggestive of the human form, and appear as if part of an exodus or migration. On the other hand, they also resemble the empty plastic bottles that wash up everywhere on our beaches and thus evoke the association with our environmental challenges. Both themes are ever present and urgent. 

The deep blue, azure, off-white and turquoise forms flow from within the Cabinet from a central source and out into the Zeezaal towards the sea – some appearing to flow through the glass walls and beyond.’

Colour inspiration: a Greek and Italian odyssey

It was with trepidation that I ventured south on our family holiday this year, made wary by headlines of record-breaking temperatures, wildfires and a continuing heatwave. Having decided to avoid flying, the trip was made by train and boat, setting off on the overnight sleeper from Utrecht to Zürich, and continuing on via Milan down the east coast of Italy to Ancona. The heat on arriving there, stepping out of an air-conditioned train, was overwhelming and it took some time to acclimatise. The boat took us from Ancona to Patras, another overnight passage of more than 24 hours, followed by a bus and another train, before arriving in Athens. The landscapes we passed though grew more and more arid, the vegetation changing accordingly; the sky and sea became bluer. The island of Spetses provided much-welcome access to the cool water for swimming, and hilly inclines abundant with vegetation adapted to the heat, and many lime green pines providing shade.

On our return leg, we passed again through Italy, a country that effortlessly appeals to the eye. Pausng for a few days in Ancona, I was very taken with the man-made caves dug into the limestone cliffs at Spiagghia del Passetto. These were once used as storage by fishermen, but now function as beach huts for locals. Each cave and doorway has been made completely individual – some bright and colourful, others fading into gracious disrepair, and others again decorated with vibrant and personal murals and artworks. Tiny jewel-like lizards flicker in and out of the cracks. The light at sunset was incredibly special, reflected off the sea and the pale limestone, sculpted and smoothed into sinuous curves by the action of the sea.

Beeldentuin Clingenbosch: a very special garden

Hidden behind an unassuming fence in the leafy suburb of Wassenaar lies a treasure – the Beeldentuin Clingenbosch is an estate comprising sprawling tree-filled grounds littered with iconic sculptures collected by the owner, Joop van Caldenburgh, also the founder of Voorlinden museum. Visits are by guided tour only, but this ensures that on your visit you see the maximum number of works, taking the most logical route. The grounds are home to Anthony Gormley, Anish Kapoor, Guiseppe Penone and Henry Moore sculptures, as well as those shown below: ‘Lost in lead’ by Berline De Bruyckere, ‘Zonder titel’ by Joel Shapiro, ‘Imagine you can order these’ by Julian Opie, and ‘Van 1 naan 4’ by Waffemius.

Studio view

New paintings on canvas were the inspiration for me to paint this linen and cotton warp (top left). In addition, paper weavings and a ‘remnants ‘ piece using ‘waste’ warp provide inspiration for new projects, and some interesting handmade and printed papers are ready to be woven when I return to the studio in September. For the moment the loom is empty and the studio lies quiet until my return to work in September.

Thank you…

…so much for your support and for joining me on my creative journey through the seasons. Your support and interest really does make a difference. If you’d like to see more of my work and inspirations, I post regularly on Instagram @veronicapock and my work is available online at LiminalWEAVE on Etsy and Saatchi Art. I also have a mailing list; if you would like to keep up to date with latest events and updates you can join by clicking here.

Looking forward to seeing you again in late August,

with warmest wishes, Veronica