Purbeck Jurassic Coast raw pigments. Photo courtesy of Jackie Yeomans.
JACKIE YEOMANS
I live, work, create from and love the border of Wales and England. I have been painting solely with soils, clays and raw earth pigments, thoughtfully foraged from the UK landscape, for the last 15 years.
I am a member of Soil Culture and I helped deliver International Year of Soil Forum 2014 at Falmouth University, alongside artist Pete Ward for CCANW (Centre for Contemporary Art & the Natural World).
I returned to my ‘home’ landscape 4 years ago, after a spell living on the land and sea edge of the south coast of England; home is my grounding familiar and ancestral belonging. My name Yeomans derives from the old English word geo-man, meaning man of the land in a stewardship context and my family goes back many generations as land guardians and farmers of this locality. It is in my DNA! I have a history of working with soil, advocating organic and sustainable farming practices, growing your own, and my promotion for good soil health is translated into artworks. Since childhood, soil has been under my fingernails, my children’s and my grandchildren’s, as we feel, explore and hold connection to the lay of the land and maintain being nourished by it.
As an Earth Artist, my predominant terrain is Soil & Seed; embodied to explore issues of relationship between humankind and the natural world motivated by environmental health and mental health. Using earth pigments as paint or clay and seeds to craft 3D and installation pieces, my practice is a sensory support in a meditative, holistic, therapeutic aid to personal and world loss and grief; related to the viewer in quiet and aesthetic forms of engagement. On occasion I seed the community activist field, as a deeper connective messenger in workshop settings.
Since 2020 lockdown, METAearthPAINT germinated. I have developed my handmade artist quality paints, made with refined pigments from soils and clays, making and trading eco friendly, artist quality paints. METAearthPAINT continues to slowly evolve, as does my delicious collection of pigments from around the world.
I aspire to know that whatever I create is in reciprocal exchange with our precious beautiful Earth and can be received and gifted back to Her our Mother without causing damage.
Seed Guardians. Each one is made with recycled clay harbouring a single gifted, saved or swapped seed. Photo courtesy of Jackie Yeomans.
METAearthPAINT box set. Photo courtesy of Jackie Yeomans.
Seeds of Hope series. Raw earth pigments on 180gsm paper. UK & US collection. Photo courtesy of Jackie Yeomans.
Seeds of Hope series. Photo courtesy of Jackie Yeomans.