“Nida is located on a remote long spit of land stretching out with tall pine trees and rolling dunes, accessible only by boat from the Lithuanian mainland. The wilderness of the location made a big impression on me. The light in Nida was really clear and crisp. As the sun went down long shadows cast long shapes through golden pines. I was blessed with very sunny and windless days so also took advantage of taking time to work outside in the woods, dunes and painted pathways that link the colony to Nida to the Baltic Sea.

I was lucky to work at a spacious studio space at the Nida Art Colony with double height windows looking out across the woods and dunes. The three things in Nida that really inspired me were; place, nostalgia and form. In my practice I am inspired by a lot of things which feed my practice and these are incorporated through my process. I drew a lot while I was on the trip producing hundreds of collages and sketches, all of these drawings were consolidated into this print.”

Travel diary

Monday, September 17, 2018

No. 49 Nida, Lithuania by Stephen Smith / Neasden Control Centre

We are here in Nida exploring the pine forests and sand dunes of the the Curonian spit which is nearly 100km long between the Baltic Sea and Lithuania. It’s quiet here, the tourist season is ending and people are packing up their summer homes for winter. There is a sense of The Shining about it. People are airing mattresses and washing down drives. Silent forests surround us on all sides where wild boar, elk and moose roam. Beyond that huge sand dunes. In the next few days I will be working from the Nida Art Colony.

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

The Curonian Spit

Parnidis, the valley of drifting dunes where heavy footsteps displace one tonne of sand beside the impenetrable Russian border. Trees signal painted in orange and watch-towers raise high above the tree tops in wait for roaming wild boar, elk, moose and drifters. Prehistoric sundial displaced by hurricane feathers. The veins all point in the same direction. The work is coming faster now. A navigation is found and a routes decided upon. The painted coloured card prepared in the studio seem to have sub-consciously resonated with the local territory as if i had been here before. 

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Nida Art Colony

Final day in Nida working at the Nida Art Colony who have generously provided a studio for my stay here. One of the most peaceful and serene studios I have worked in. I have been blessed with very sunny and windless days here so also have been taking time to work outside in the woods, dunes and painted pathways that link the colony to Nida to the Baltic Sea. We are heading back to Kaunas where I will be showing works made on this residency at http://www.nycesusai.lt/