Brackish - S6 E4 Kirsty Tanner & The Kitchen Windowsill

 In this episode, Katie Treggiden speaks with Kirsty Tanner, a Scottish multi-disciplinary artist, designer and maker, living in Liverpool. She runs design studio Tom Pigeon alongside her personal practice working across paint, textiles and collage. Kirsty's childhood in rural Scotland meets her love of Modernist design and Brutalist architecture, combining abstract expressions of nature with strong architectural line and negative space. Kirsty has worked on collaborative collections with clients including Tate Modern, The Barbican, V&A and Team GB. When not in the studio Kirsty can usually be found in the garden, at a flea market or in the sea! 

“I love my brain. It goes in all these different directions. I'm not going to beat myself up about it anymore. This is just the way I am.”

“I crave being by the water... There is something special about the way you see the land when you're in the water. There's a sense of isolation, a disconnection that I absolutely love.”

“My own creativity is giving me joy and hope. The new relationship is exciting. There are possibilities.”

"Curiosity is the antidote to hopelessness."

What we cover:

– Kirsty discusses her childhood growing up in a small town in rural Scotland

– What led Kirsty to start exploring painting and the draw to have your hands in nature

– The Call of the Wild, when mid-life is cracking you wide open – we reflect on the challenges and opportunities of navigating midlife transitions, including coming to terms with neurodivergent traits, and the creative strengths that a non-linear thinking style can drive

– The importance of self-compassion and finding ways to reconnect with nature and creativity.

– The power of artist residencies - carving out time and immersing yourself in unfamiliar spaces and locations

– Strategies for finding hope and optimism in difficult times, including the power of small daily pleasures.

More from Kirsty:

Website: https://www.kirstytanner.com/ and https://www.tompigeon.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirstytanner_studio

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tompigeonstudio

Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/tompigeonstudio/

More from Katie:

Instagram: @katietreggiden.1

Website: https://katietreggiden.com/

Blue Health Coaching: https://makingdesigncircular.org/

Nature-inspired poetry: https://brackishbykatietreggiden.substack.com/

Resources mentioned:

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Wyl Menmuir – multi award winning author based in Cornwall