“Woman is by nature a shaman” – Chukchee Proverb
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*** PLEASE BE AWARE that this site contains ADULT THEMES beyond the ’HOME’, ‘ABOUT’ & ‘CONTACT’ pages ***
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I am a Professional Artist with numerous interests and talents - most are ART & NATURE based. I love all aspects of self-expression through art of all descriptions. I find it very healing and cathartic. I have a natural gift for making things happen and people hire / borrow me to assist with their artistic ideas… especially when what is holding them back is themselves. I am what my friends have dubbed me – a LIFE SKILL LIBERATOR!!
I have a passion for working with organic materials, which include animal parts. For me there is a spiritual connection to the life cycles of the environment and the animal itself when I use these materials. As with much of my work, I aspire to gently push the experiencer, including myself, to question preconceptions and socio-cultural taboos by creating something beautiful and compelling, often from something dead and/or socially repulsive.
My love for Nature includes all aspects of it, even the squeamish and uncomfortable ones. I use only what objects Nature puts my way. I work mainly with ‘road kill’.
I DO NOT CONDONE ANIMAL CRUELTY!
I’m passionate about being a wild food forager, cook and adventurer. I immerse myself in local food and culture – the more bizarre, interesting and informative the better. I am a seasoned worldwide backpacker with a keen interest in Anthropology.
I am clearly a meat-eater and I am comfortable with that. I question always what I do and where my food comes from. I then try my best with the knowledge and level of awareness that I have to live as ethically and as peacefully as I can within this world. I am nomadic and my home is on wheels. I practice ‘simple living’.
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“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” - J. Krishnamurti
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Vocational Highlights - 2013 News
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“PREOCCUPIED WITH PLACENTAS”
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My Experimental Adventures Making Beautiful Things from Placenta
NEW NOTE! … COMMISSIONS NOW BEING TAKEN!!
I have enjoyed this process so much I am offering my services as a ‘Placenta Artist’.
Anyone wishing to preserve their placenta can contact me using the ‘Contact’ page or use this highlighted link.
What I would like to make for you are completely unique and personal ’objet de’art’ using your placenta, what you want is your choice and I am open to suggestions.
I will not however be producing items that are meant to be ingested.
Prices are negotiable depending on what you want and to be discussed privately.
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Please enjoy the multiple emotions you will encounter by continuing to read…
“My Experimental Adventures Making Beautiful Things from Placenta”
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“BEYOND BELIEF” – Scottish Foraging Adventures and Roadkill Collaborations for Beyond Productions and the Discovery Channel – “EXTREME WORLDS”
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Date to be Aired Not Known Yet…
Februrary 2013 - 13 Collaborators make a program for Australian Production Company ‘BEYOND’ and the ‘Discovery Channel’.
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Click here to see some amazing photos taken by fellow collaborator Jonathan Mcgee!
(Some show senes of butchery and are quite graphic, you have been warned!)
The series is shooting across the globe, and will comprise of 12 one hour episodes featuring three or four stories each. It will air in 209 countries and territories across the world, reaching an anticipated audience of over 1.3 billion. Each episode will have a theme that looks at subcultural movements and exciting, unusual and enlightening belief systems or ways of life. This story explores the phenomenon of eating wildfood and roadkill and certain attitudes towards the self sustainability aspects of being nomadic.
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Vocational Highlights - 2012 News…
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Nomadic Village 2012
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- NOMADIC VILLAGE 2012
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ARTISTS RESIDENCY
From 21 May to 3 June 2012, County Durham housed a village within a town, when a ‘Nomadic Village’ of over 30 international artists made its temporary home in Wolsingham. The artists lived and worked in camper vans, caravans, marquees, a converted police bus and even an adapted milk float based at the Desmesne Mill Picnic Area in Wolsingham. The 10-day project provided space for professional artists working in a variety of mediums to live and work, engage and interact with the local community and produce work that responds to the location and situation.
The artists came from as far away as Australia and as near as Tow Law, and the work varied from photography, film and digital media to 3-dimensional sculptural pieces. Participating artists were selected based on the quality of their work as well as their commitment to gaining inspiration from their temporary location and their artistic practice of working as nomadic artists.
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NOMADIC VILLAGE 2012 – Project 1 of 3 – SHAMANIC ROADKILL CAPE
NOMADIC VILLAGE 2012 – Project 2 of 3 – PLACENTA PABULUM – ART, COOKERY & CANNIBALISM
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7th March 2012 - Had a good interview with Micheal from “Adventure Journal”, an American website with a focus on the outdoors. They cover hiking, skiing, biking, climbing, backpacking, etc. Dirtbag Gourmet is a column he writes that focuses on all aspects of outdoor eating.
Dirtbag Gourmet: Eating Road Kill
by Michael Frank
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20th February 2012 – Had an interview with Ben, writing from the Ecologist magazine, as part of a feature on eating roadkill as part of a sustainable lifestyle choice.
Roadkill: sickening or sustainable?
by Ben Martin
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The Cosmic Stork delivered a Norket!!
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This is the best news by far – our son was born!!! – 18th February 2012 -
Maximus Vladimir Speer
MAXIMUS VLADIMIR SPEER, aka Baby MAX and NORKET to his nearest and dearest came into our world at 15.15 on Saturday afternoon – 18th February. An Aquarian Water Dragon!! He weighed 3.33kg or 7lbs 5oz. He was born at the Mistal, a home-birth, in our nest, in the water pool…. No drugs or pain relief and no stitches – none were necessary…
He was ROARED out!!!
Birth Story coming soon…. (click on his name link for a slide show of birth pics)
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My roadkill pies make the ’Come Dine With Me’ Top 10 Weirdest Dishes ever… Click here!
24th May 2012 …An interesting claim to fame, lol.
“Waste not, want not! Nomadic eco-warrior Alison Brierly redefined the notion of fast food with her optional starter of pheasant road kill pies – fresh from the tarmac”.
To see CDWM “Roadkill Thrills” clip again Click here or see Full Episode on the old blog.
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Wild Food Foraging and Roadkill! BBC Radio York 12th January 2012
12th January 2012 – A very entertaining discussion LIVE on air with DJ Jonathan Cowap and fellow guests Chris Bax who is a wild food forager (www.tastethewild.co.uk) & Stephanie Moon who is a well known chef and food consultant (www.stephaniemoon.co.uk).
The full show is 3 hours long, so start the sliding bar at 1.08.28. Click here & Enjoy!!
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Vocational Highlights - 2011 News…
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The True Story of the Roadkill Cook…
28th December 2011 - I had a lovely interview with Sarah, a food producer with TakePart.com, from Beverly Hills, California. We chatted about extreme foraging, roadkill recipes and taxidermy art. She did really nice follow-up piece called ‘The True Story of a Roadkill Cook’. Click the link above…
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Due to an explosion of recent and slightly inaccurate stories about me, I have posted a blog in response.
Pregnant Woman Develops Sudden Bizarre Craving for Roadkill – What tosh!!
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Earlier this year, after encouragement from friends, I put myself forward as a contestant on Come Dine With Me. “Nutter!!” I hear myself say. lol. They must have thought so too … nomadic, shamanic artist and road kill recycler??? Hmmmmm. “We’ll have her!”
…short 3 min trailer…
Hairy Harrogate & Road Kill Thrills
…blog…
Come Dine With Me
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