Nothe Fort
Weymouth
2026
April - September
The Setting
In the spring of 2025, I was appointed as Artist-in-Residence at Nothe Fort in Weymouth, Dorset, to last 6 months. I worked at the fort twice a week, from April until the end of September. This was my first residency and the objective was to to see how this new environment inspires and influences my work.
The Influence
What struck me over the first few days was how much the weather was adversely affecting the fort. The Portland stone that was used for many sections were 'roach' stone, which is porous, letting in water and staying damp for much of the time. The maintenance team constantly battle decay and erosion.
However, there is beauty in this decay - the myriad shades of rust have inspired me to try my own experiments with rusting and how it interacts with different paints.
The Output
My artist’s response to Nothe Fort was inspired by the physical condition of the fort, layered by the weight of time and isolation. I wanted every canvas to be imbued by some part of the fort.
I experimented with bits of rusted, brittle caponiers on canvas, spraying them with vinegar to encourage further rusting and staining of the canvas, using the collected rust as pigment in some paintings. This way, Nothe Fort itself lives in each of them.
The paintings from this series are now part of the permanent collection at the Fort.
