Stewarding the Land and Preserving its Beauty
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In this podcast episode, we meet the wonderful Tamsin Loxley, who has 30 years’ experience working as a designer and a creative director. Tamsin believes that good business can be a force for positive change, and that good design is a powerful tool to help make this happen. She co-runs a design consultancy in London and a land-based project called Trill on the Hill in Devon, a rugged and natural landscape used for learning, sharing and connecting as well as a base for her all-natural skincare products. Tamsin’s aim is to leave the land richer and more diverse than she found it, as well as running her family camps, where young and old get together for wild camping and nature connection. Tamsin also has an artistic practice which is inspired by Trill on the Hill and helps her to deepen her understanding of the land, its future and her role as steward.
STEWARDING THE LAND AND PRESERVING ITS BEAUTY
Tamsin shares how Trill on the Hill came into their lives, and allowed herself, her sister Lara and their mum to set up an exciting project which included sustainable living skills workshops, skincare products, retreats and festivals as well as producing food and using the wool from their herd of Gotland sheep. Tamsin worked close with her mum on the project but after selling the farm, she and Lara wanted to carry on the work that their mum had started. They both felt such a deep connection to the land that keeping it was a way of channelling their grief about losing the farm into a new iteration.
Sibby talks about her wonderful experience at the off-grid Family Camp at Trill, and how much calmer her family felt afterwards. Tamsin points out the difference between her camps and commercial camping, where you are hemmed in and not really able to connect with nature. Tamsin describes the protective and sheltered feeling of the camp and Sally discusses how many of us are seeking to switch off from normal life. We describe the simple joy of having a hot shower when there is a bit of work involved – how putting the effort in makes things feel more special. These experiences can land us back in your bodies and allow us to feel more present. We also discuss the ease in communication which occurs at the camp, combined with the freedom to be on your own.
Tamsin describes how during her art degree she was always inspired by the shapes and themes within nature. She moved more into graphic design in order to support her family but has always loved working and creating with her hands. At first, she created art at Trill for her own enjoyment, and this led her to develop an artistic practice connected to the land: she had something to work with and it felt like a natural place to start (in both senses of the word!) as well as helping her to get to know the land better. Tamsin photographs colours throughout the season, as well as drawing the sounds of the land, weaving with the wool and running other creative and craft-based workshops during the family camps. She finds this two-way relationship to be both functional, educational and enjoyable.
We discuss how walking and sitting in nature remind us that humanity is not, as we sometimes think, separate from Mother Earth but a part of it with an important role to play. We refer back to our podcast with Chris Holland, who works at the Family Camp with Tamsin, and remember how he channels his connection with the land through his music. Tamsin describes her way of observing nature as a mindful practice, which also has an aim. She speaks of the different types of ‘being there’ that she experiences: at times ‘collaborating’ with the land when alone and quiet, and at other times, moving through with a group, and then working on the land with the sheep or planting trees in a practical role. Tamsin shares the importance of stewarding a wild place, which is something human beings can be so good at – and have been in the past. Sibby suggests that perhaps this is why we are here on Planet Earth.
Tamsin talks about how owning land is a strange concept anyway – and how whilst we may not be able to steward all the land, if we have our own patch that we can make decisions on and impact its growth and preservation we can help to facilitate what is best for Nature. We talk about preserving land for the future as well as preserving its history. Sibby describes some of Tamsin’s art which combines geometric shapes with natural colours. Tamsin explains her creative process and how her design background influences her work. She has produced a year of tiles showing the changing colours of Trill – and how this is almost a recording of the changing of time and nature’s cycles. This is like a testimony to the land. Tamsin has also been making ink from the oak trees; which is how they made ink at the time of the magna carta, and what they used to write it. She uses these to create art with more movement, using more of her body to draw and paint.
Tamsin shares with us how time in nature gives her time to reflect and daydream, which allows ideas to come in. Just sitting in nature can create the space for ideas to come, and with new ideas comes change. She also says that looking after the land or farming the sheep can be challenging, which brings about self-knowledge. She describes the importance of taking on the hard things as well as creating space to not think – to allow. It can be through doing things that we get the space – being fully focused on one thing can turn off the distractions elsewhere. Sally points out that for many people, taking part in a creative activity can be easier and more effective than meditating. Tamsin also shares her love of wild swimming and how exhilarating this connection can be. We conclude by discussing how even teenagers can benefit from the Trill on the Hill camp, finding independence and making new friends whilst reconnecting with nature.
To find out more about the wonderful Trill on the Hill Family Camps, use Instagram @trillonthehill, or visit www.trillonthehill.co.uk. If you would like to view some of Tamsin’s work inspired by the land at Trill, you can find her on Instagram: @tamsinloxley.