Outline of Project
During the last semester I found a clearer direction in my work. Having spent a great deal of time immersed in woodland settings during the autumn, I have concentrated my observations on the trunks of silver birches and their textural features. I have been sketching more and gaining confidence in this area of development, which has previously been my Achilles Heel. The forest floor has been a treasure trove of organic material which I have gathered and added to the clay when building my “tree” forms.
I left behind my comfort zone of throwing and after a dalliance with coiling I settled on using slabs of ES40 clay to create a series of altered cylindrical maquettes representing silver birch forms. The forms were bisque fired at the end of the semester and as I have yet to see them I am unsure of how successful – or otherwise – they have turned out to be.
Moving on
I seem to be moving in the direction of more slender and refined forms, paying attention to the relationships between the forms. Since researching the hidden life of trees and the forest I have come to see the tree groupings as families, the notion of parent trees, their child trees and tree communities. The way the forms interact with one another is becoming important to me.
Through my recent forest experiences, sketching and taking photographs, maybe the season turning from colourful autumn to a more monochrome colour palette, I am drawn to a more sculptural, more dramatic direction in terms of the next set of forms. Rather than attempting to imitate the trees I want to interpret them, through focusing on certain features that draw me in.
· The horizontal and sectional qualities of the trunks and bark
· The clusters of circular cankers on the bark
· The verticality of the trees
· The blocks of colour
· The groupings of trees, their relationships to one another
I now intend to make another set of maquette forms in order to bring out these features, experimenting with form, surface texture and colour. With regard to colour, the initial palette ideas are black, white and shades of grey, browns and creams, with flashes of dark blue and orange.
callouses sectionality groupings verticality
Sketches looking at features on the bark, verticality and groupings
An exaggerated idea of the proposed more slender, refined forms with the emphasis on verticality of form and selective and dramatic surface texture.
An example of a muted colour palette, with flashes of blue and orange
Rationale / Context
My inspiration remains the forest, the trees and forest floor through the seasonal changes of growth, decay and renewal and my personal affinity with silver birches. I was drawn to silver birches in the wintertime several years ago as I walked down the well-trodden paths around Towneley. On dark winter days most trees are dark, yet the silver birches stand out against the wintry landscape and contrast sharply with the red berries of the nearby rowan trees. At the time I had no access to clay but spent a lot of time on knitting and crotchet work. I chose wool in shades of white, grey and red to make blankets. This colour scheme has always delighted me and the silver birches of Towneley and beyond remain inspirational to me throughout the seasons.
My project is underpinned by my sense of place and belonging and my memories. I have an abiding interest in my family history; generations of my father’s family grew up on the smallholding beside Towneley Woods. I am fortunate to have many early film and photographic records of this timeless place; letters and postcards from the trenches and letters from abroad – all of which bring memories and images of family, all centred here on my doorstep. I would love to be able to incorporate some of these images into my work at some point in the future.
The old smallholding has naturally changed over time; the house on the deerpond is gone now, trees have fallen and decayed naturally. We are all part of the natural cycle and realise our own mortality as we too are part of the layers of change in the natural world, the people and the places.
My own memories and feelings are stirred as I walk in the footsteps of my family, some long gone and some more recently passed on. I find comfort and pleasure, and an intense feeling of calm and belonging in this, my place.
The deerpond was part of my grandfather’s smallholding. The photograph above left is of my late aunt on the jetty in the 1940’s with a view of the house and poultry sheds in the background. The one above right is of the deerpond as it is today.
My great grandmother, above left, feeding the chickens on the smallholding and above right, my grandparents in the centre of the photograph in Towneley woods, circa 1910.
My father was born on the smallholding in 1916, pictured above with my grandmother and great grandfather. His own father was fighting in France, sending regular postcards and letters from the trenches.
Key Areas of Research
My interest in - and knowledge of - the life of the forest has been deepened through my reading. In Peter Wohlleben’s book ”The Hidden Life of Trees”, his decades of observation and study reveal his deep understanding of the lives of trees. His findings are truly astonishing and have transformed my woodland and forest experiences. He has worked alongside scientist and founder of the Old-Growth Forest Network Joan Maloof, whose book “The Living Forest” is a celebration of the forest and all the life it contains.
I have been exploring the historical, cultural and religious connections to trees, and to silver birches in particular, across continents, through time and religions. Through the centuries of human existence trees and forests have acquired symbolic meanings. This research has confirmed my understanding of the importance of trees and forests to mankind.
The woods and forests have had a huge part to play in folklore and storytelling around the world. In his book “Into the Woods: How Stories Work and How We Tell Them” John Yorke maintains that in a literary forest:
“There are all kinds of wild creatures; danger is never far away. The nature of the forest is that you are alone in it. There are encounters and what you meet will be tests, which will change you in some way.”
Plan
As I continue to develop my work during this year, I intend to continue to develop my drawing and painting skills which will hopefully give me a more imaginative direction. I have a continued interest in the fungal growths on bark but for now will concentrate on:
FORM
To produce a new series of maquettes, experimenting and improving my hand building skills.
To refine the forms, to make them more slender and sculptural.
To experiment with a small selection of surface textural features, teasing out what, to me, represents the essence of the bark rather than attempting to imitate it.
To see the groupings and relationships between the forms and experiment with that aspect of my work.
SURFACE TEXTURE
Concentrate on, and experiment with:
Horizontal and sectional features. Clusters of circular forms (bacterial cankers) on the bark.
More work on adding organic material to the clay for textural effects.
COLOUR
Build on last semester’s experiments with slips and oxides. (slip cracking? sodium silicate? heated slip? slip over glazes? porcelain on stoneware?)
Ideas on colour palette – white, greys and black. Browns and creams. Flashes of bold colour – dark blue, orange, maybe gold.
N.B. Much of this work depends on access to direct teaching in the workshop which I hope will be the case before too long.
Intended outcomes
To move my work forward with a clear direction.
To create a series of new maquettes which will inform and focus my work.
To further develop my techniques with direct involvement from tutors.
To develop a sense of individuality in what I’m doing.
To find inspiration through interactions with others: peers, artists, tutors.
Future Thoughts
Look at the possibilities of incorporating images (photographs and words) in my work.
Looking closely at cycles, the seasonal cycle through the year and the cycle of growth, decay and renewal as seen in fungal growth on dead trees, perhaps including some representation of this in my work.
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