I spent the first year of the course in the forest. As a child I loved the stories that were set in woodland and forests, and I was lucky enough to have a mother who read them to me. I was also lucky to have my grandad’s smallholding beside Towneley Woods to play in and explore without the grown-ups! I suppose we were a bit feral, but I think we were just the lucky generation.
I’ve always loved the changes in nature, the seasons and the cycle of growth, decay, and renewal. I discovered the Underground Fungal Network and became somewhat obsessed with what was happening in the underground world beneath our feet.
Trees were often personified in my favourite stories. Hiawatha asks permission from the trees before he takes their bark and sap to make his canoe – and they answer him!
Peter Wollheben confirmed what I already believed; that trees live in family groups, communicate with, and care for one another.
So, my intention was to create a birch forest installation which would immerse the viewer in the forest. I’d been excited by some large scale works by Penone, Brzeznski and multiple large forms such as the one in Warsaw’s Jewish Museum. I made lots and lots of tree forms and did lots and lots of exploratory work with size, shape, texture, decoration etc. etc.
Then, I realised I had got myself lost in the forest and that a birch installation was not a realistic proposition, in terms of the making of it and the timescale. Rob had to let me down gently and encourage me to make things smaller and convince me that smaller work could still be immersive if it were eye height.
I hit a big low, where to go with the work? THEN I had a 'ding!' Moment as I was writing a blog on trees in art and found this beautiful painting by John Nash, “Wood on the Downs.” This inspired me to move out of the woods and into the landscape. On my doorstep is the beautiful Cliviger Gorge, formed during the last Ice Age, full of amazing dramatic features below which are hidden, underground seams of coal, lead, and limestone.
THEME GOING ON HERE – UFN in the woods and hidden strata beneath the landscape.
I made a maquette inspired by “Wood on the Downs” which was a disaster; second maquette is an improvement but still needs work. I may or may not follow that through.
There is a local walk in Cliviger, “Scarlett’s Stride”, which takes you past some striking features which are the inspiration for the next stage of my work.
Thievely Scout
An almost vertical escarpment. During the summer months it’s completely green, but during winter it’s bare millstone grit. I want to show it in springtime when the rock is partially visible, need a good green glaze to run down the grooves.
Hanging Valley, Black Clough
These pieces are based on the effect of the glacial melting streams which dropped dramatically to the valley floor and are often hidden within the landscape. These will represent wintertime. I need a glaze to reflect the freezing water gushing down the rocks, found one or two shiny ones with pinky lilac tints.
Fireman’s Helmet
A hill with a crest of trees on the top, like the plume on a fireman’s helmet. Not so far along with this. Made a couple of maquettes which should reveal the strata below, but they are too fussy and I haven’t worked out how to get the trees right, work in progress. Looking to Nash again for inspiration. This piece to represent summertime.
Towneley’s Medieval Oak
Back to the woods for autumn! I wanted to make a tree with the earth beneath showing the hidden world of the underground fungal network. I was congratulating myself on this until I found exactly the same piece (well, a more professional version) on Pinterest, so I have decided to make some maquettes using cloche shapes.
This is the exciting part, mocha diffusion! This is what happens when an acid (tobacco juice and added oxides) is poured on top of a wet alkaline slip-on top of leather hard clay. This creates fabulous tree-like patterns reminiscent of the UFN but you only have seconds to get it done before it hardens! The logistics are difficult, getting the timing right is crucial, but should be a lot of fun.
I’m hoping that when these pieces come together, they will give an immersive experience of the visible and hidden aspects of the woods and landscape of Scarlett’s Stride.
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