Joya: AiR / Tom Nutting / GBR

“With my project an ecopoetic investigation into forest die-back, arriving during a heatwave felt appropriate, and I came to cherish the slightest breeze, the cooler hush of the house’s interior, and twilight dinners alfresco. It was hard to imagine the riverbeds once brimming with water. Though the hills are veined with dead pine, fruit trees still radiate outward from Joya: AiR, and learning about Simon and Donna’s water restoration project was both moving and inspiring.

Initially, I arrived thinking about poetic form — particularly Mary Ellen Solt’s concrete poetry — but the act of gathering clay from the barranco, collecting seeds from dead trees, and working with raw earth gradually shifted my approach. The sensory began to lead: texture, ache, scent, heat, the rhythms of cicadas and birdsong. Through body and place, I found myself connecting to grief and impermanence, while exploring how celebration might still be possible amid loss.

Equally essential was the community of artists — generous in both spirit and skill — whose practices and reflections opened rich conversations about slowness, care, and ritual. I’m especially grateful to Kelli and Philippe whose thoughts and practical expertise enriched my work.

And on a practical note: as a vegan in Spain, I especially appreciated the thoughtful, delicious food!

I’d recommend Joya: AIR to anyone seeking time away from the rhythms of daily life — to reconnect with land, with other artists, and with their own creative practice”.

Tom Nutting

Tom Nutting (he/they) is a writer and psychiatrist from Bristol, currently reading for a master’s in creative writing at Oxford University. His writing focusses on mental health and medical humanities, on nature and environmental damage, and on queerness. He has been shortlisted for the Starkie poetry prize and won the Lisa Thomas poetry prize. His poetry and prose have been published in Magma, The Hopper, Blue Bottle Journal, BJPsych, ORB, The Ash. As an NHS doctor, he supports people with severe mental illness, is conducting research into nature-based care, and also volunteers with Medical Justice.

Simon Beckmann3 August 2025