Lucy May Schofield, who obtained a first-class honours degree in Book Arts and Crafts at London College of Printing, had spent two years in Japan studying papermaking and water-based woodblock printmaking prior to arriving at Highgreen.

During her VARC residency, Lucy developed a body of work entitled Nature Caress, focused on Japanese mokuhanga woodblock printing. She closely observed the changing seasons, creating work inspired by the spring and autumn equinoxes and the winter and summer solstices. For the Winter Solstice in December, she created The Last Light, comprising 160 hand-made, light-sensitive papers displayed in a derelict shooting hut. Local residents joined in making paper lanterns, and at dusk Lucy led a lantern-lit walk to the hut, where the pieces were retrieved, later washed, dried, and lightly stitched together for her final exhibition, Blue Hours.

In March, Lucy marked the Vernal Equinox with Awake, a sleep performance on the moors atop a light-sensitive silk sheet. Time-lapse photography captured the sun’s passage, creating a cyanotype film documenting the interplay of light and landscape. On the Summer Solstice, she fixed large sheets of light-sensitive paper to a shooting hut for a daylight display, followed by a community solstice celebration and walk, with the prints later forming part of her exhibition.

Lucy exhibited works, prints, and video during the first six months of her residency in her solo show Light Meditations at The Holy Biscuit, May – June. She also held two open studio events, led printmaking workshops for local groups, schools, and students with special educational needs, and delivered a five-day mini-residency for Newcastle University Fine Art students. Her teaching extended to practical demonstrations at events such as the Northumberland County Show and large-scale woodblock printing workshops, all emphasising traditional Japanese techniques and creative exploration.

Lucy actively engaged with the local community, attending quilting, stitching, and wool gathering groups, and leading workshops for children and adults, sharing her skills in papermaking, printmaking, and woodblock carving. Activities included collaborative walks, creating prints from natural materials, and making hand-made books. Over the course of her residency, Lucy facilitated an immersive, participatory approach, blending art, learning, and seasonal cycles.

Her residency concluded with Blue Hours, attended by around 150 visitors, showcasing installations, prints, and a curated seasonal feast that reflected her deep engagement with nature, process, and local community.