It’s hard to believe I’m already over a quarter into my Biosphere Artist in Residency and in that short time we have made the dramatic shift from summer, straight through autumn and into what definitely feels like winter here on the Isle of Man.

Nature has taken a step back from the flurry and outward movement of the warmer and lighter months, and with the winter solstice approaching it feels like a good time to also take a step back and reflect, take stock, and begin to sit with what’s next.

The residency has been a wonderful opportunity so far. Getting to spend time connecting with two of my favourite things (nature and art) and sharing some of that journey with the world has felt like a real privilege. The past few months has seen the development of a first body of work in the form of a collection titled 'Birds of the Isle of Man’, which is currently available in the MWT Gift Shop in the form of greetings cards, posters and coasters.

I’ve also created a new clothing range from the work, in both English and Manx, on the MWT TeeMill page that you can visit here. A highlight for me has been seeing the Manx tote bags (Eeanlee Vannin means Birds of Mann) flying all the way to London to be showcased at a big event run by Enable Foundation, a social design collective based between London and Honk Kong.

From a public engagement perspective, I have very much enjoyed talking about the residency to some of the many many people I met at the Christmas markets I recently participated in, and alongside MWT Education Officer Beth, the running of an Eco Christmas Crafts workshop for the Wildlife Watch kids. It was great to see how they took the style of the birds artwork I created and made their own illustrations and products inspired by it.

Turning back to nature, this time of year the signs of decay are evident: fungus and rotting leaf matter appear everywhere and I was particularly struck by a leaf I found on a recent walk that was in the process of turning into a skeleton. It reminded me of how nature ages and recycles itself with such grace and ‘is-ness’. There is no resistance to the cycles of life, no story behind ageing or fighting against endings. It just happens.

This time of year can also appear so busy, with the pull of bringing work to a close before Christmas, extra social events and preparations for the holidays, making time to pause from the busyness of life and breathe-in the turn of the season is something easily overlooked, but there is always something to gain from taking those moments.

I’ve certainly appreciated taking a deep breath in as I write this and look back over the past few months. There is so much still to come for the rest of my residency and I’m excited to share more soon. In the coming weeks you’ll see myself and MWT Community Ranger Hannah Phillips take on the #12DaysWild challenge, so make sure you follow our escapades on MWT’s social media, and do join in and share with us if you can - it’s going to be fun! And of course I’ll continue to share my art and reflections on my own social media channels on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Have a great Christmas and New Year - Nollick Ghennal as Blein Vie Noa!