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I must learn to say no – problem is so many interesting projects in work that I really want to be involved with (pedal powered film screenings, touched talks, seminars and I’m helping co-ordinate a visit/lecture/series of workshops by Bruce Mau!) but I also need to do my own work – so I have taken the rest of the week off and I’m getting stuck in so’s to speak.

It’s all going really well, the artists have all been down and 2 have finished.

Emma + Chris have made a test piece for their percussion installation, a much smaller version and are coming back Thursday/Friday to go large!

Karon brought her new sculpture based on a Peacock Butterfly Pupa and an older piece that I had specifically asked to be included, an iron chair that looks fantastic in the space. My project will involve providing seating in the park in various forms so this piece was chosen to represent the future. Nobody can actually sit on it but the idea will be in their minds at least. I can’t post the photo today as it wont let me rotate it but watch this space!

Hayley (with husband Roger in tow) has been and made a veritable Housing Estate of Multi Storey flats for insects. Housing Market Renewal at it’s greenest.

They all look amazing, I’m so pleased with how it’s come together and think the right places were chosen for each piece.

My own work is so much slower, the bench is being made by my husband and a metal fabricator. It has been a very strange experience to design an artwork and have it completely made by someone else. I can’t even lift one of the railway sleepers let alone 3! and the metal work has to be laser cut so I don’t have a say in that.

Hope it works, it’s an odd feeling though, I feel rather detached from it.

The Botanical Illustrations are being laser etched by someone else too but it’s different as the actual drawings are taking so much time and effort and so i feel I have actually contributed more to thispart of the project. Hoping to have ten signs made in time for the opening with a further 10-20 appearing over the course of the summer.

Organising an Open day has been a good experience but who’s to know if it works, I might get 20 people over the threshold or maybe 100 – we can only hope the weather is beautiful so the locals arrive in droves.

I feel like it’s a finale even though it’s just a beginning, a quick presentation of what can be achieved over the next 12 months, the promise of more workshops and more artwork.

I’m looking forward to getting in touch with the local schools and youth groups and might invite some of my old college down next term, it would be good to see what type of land art they could come up with in a day.

But for now…I must carry on drawing or there will be none of my artwork on the day!


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Had a painful weekend, have somehow managed to crick my neck to such an extent that I can hardly move, happened Friday but eased off a bit, went out to a concert Friday night (had already paid for the tickets) managed to dance a bit, whilst holding my neck but I was ok-ish.

Then Saturday – agony and today just as bad.

Have achieved absolutely nothing and am really annoyed with myself!!!

All the posters are printed and ready to be handed out but I couldn’t do it and I had planned to spend the majority of the weekend at the Butterfly park installing work, so fed up!

In work this week and back at Uni Thursday crazy busy with that so have no idea when I’m going to fit it all in now. Think I’ll have to drop some posters off on the way to and from work each night and just be there all weekend too.

Best laid plans hey?


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Paul from the Butterfly Park has been very busy promoting the Open Day, the Cheshire Wildlife Trust are now taking a table with us and we’re on the BBC Breathing Spaces site (you have to scroll down to the second entry for New Ferry Butterfly Park to see it) http://www.breathingplaces.org/public/search?hasjs…

I’m going to deliver posters over the weekend, asking local shops, cafes, libraries etc.

I had an in box message on facebook from the Butterfly park fan page, a teacher at a local school has asked if she can bring a class of children to the park one day to study mini-beasts, I was really chuffed that the facebook page works as it’s only got a few fans so far. I’ve suggested she might like the kids to make some Butterfly Bunting too, then they get to see their own art work at the Open day if they come along.

I have had a conversation with Matt from Heritage Stone, who has the laser etcher, he’s certain now he can get my small signs made and in time, he’s just got to source the perspex and price it up. He’s also suggested I do some etching for them as a skills swap to save on costs – hoorah!

Things seem to be hotting up :)


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Poster for Open Day done, don’t know how good it’ll look on here as a jpeg but it’s ok – does exactly what it says on the box…so’s to speak.

Very hard to not go too arty, have to keep remembering it’s a nature reserve not an art gallery :)


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I’m 40 – I need to keep reminding myself of that as I usually don’t feel anywhere near 40 but at the moment, I am feeling more inline with my Mum.

My Laptop had/has a virus – such a pain it’s untrue. I was up until 4am last night trying to re-do the Open Day Poster and Press Release, still not finished the Poster…maddening.

4am and the up at 7am getting kid ready for school is NOT a good mix.

Today I shall be mostly cursing computers.


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