Artist led Projects II – An Art Trail and a Book

November 20th, 2025

Towner Gallery

Image: Loupe Cooper – Moth wing cape in action in Butts Meadow, modelled by Eastbourne artist Sophie Wright.

For our second November event on Artist-Led Projects—where artists take action to develop their creative practice—we returned to the Towner with two BMN artist-members, Loupe Cooper and Adrian Chappell, who shared their recent projects with us. Adrian shared his journey to self-publishing a book with his words and artworks, and Loupe spoke about her recent work on an art trail for Changing Chalk and the National Trust, working with schools and young people and creating interactive activities on an art trail and making a cloak.  

Loupe has been resident artist on a Downland Changing Chalk and National Trust meadow conservation project since 2021. This year she was commissioned by them to create an arts trail for the meadow, as part of a wider project involving three other local artists. Her project involved engaging with schools and young people, to introduce them to the meadow and to develop ideas and artwork inspired by it. The project culminated in a discovery trail within the meadow and a wearable piece of art in the form of a moth wing cape. Loupe is going to share with us her journey into how it came about, what she created and what she learnt about herself and working with other organisations.  

Adrian has recently been combining his painting practice with his writing. Last year he published a limited edition hardback book with 21 stories and 21 paintings.  The starting point began as an autobiographical journey through his childhood and teenage years (1950-1970). Although part-based on personal memories, the project encapsulates many widely recognisable events of that time. The breakthrough format came with the title Postcards & Postscripts. This led to the publication of a limited edition, hard-back book (21 stories complementing 21 paintings). The hybrid question remains: is the book an exhibition catalogue or an illustrated story? Or something else?

BMN would like to say a big thank you to Adrian and Loupe—plus the supporting acts, Larry and Yayoi—for a wonderfully enjoyable and vibrant evening filled with colour and creativity: from moths to Andy Pandy, collaborations with dancers and writers, poetry and prose, ecology, and popular culture of the 60s. Thank you, as always, to everyone who came along and engaged with the event, and to Kathleen Dawson for checking us all in, as well as Towner for hosting us in their new styled room.

Images below show Loupe and Yayoi wearing their costumes from the workshops and Adrian Chappell sharing his artwork and journey into self publishing.