The ritual thing I dont understand.
I have continued with wrapping wool around sticks as a colour summery of the month. So I have four sticks with a lot less mauve in this time, but still green with yellow creeping in as things are just starting to dry out and turn brown.
The selection and collection of sticks followed by wrapping, and the return to the woods and placement of the new sticks and photographing them feels ceremonial and ritulistic. But has no meaning as I am by my self? If I had done this with a class of children or a poetry group I could justify it. Seems unconected without social meaning as if sharing this activity would validate it?
The result will be a calender if I carry on for 12 months round to June it will be, I think its worth doing it for that.
I also found myself running around in this meadow on the fringe of the woods with my camera following a butterfly hoping it would land. You know 150 – 200 yards type of thing. I dont even know what kind of butterfly it was?
The Green Man of Bamberg
He looks so cross with the human race.
I was thinking trees…….. about oak trees and inevitably ended up looking round a book shop for stuff on green men etc and shocked myself as I realised that ‘research’ into this subject had brought me to a very small section of the bookshop for palmistry, alternative therapy, witchcraft and what my mother may have described more generally as mumbo-jumbo.
I cant really describe how odd that makes me feel. Another revelation came my way as I realised bringing sticks home from the woods, decorating them with wool and taking them back to the woods and photographing them is actually some kind of ceremony.
This is a little disconcerting, like you’ve found out that you are addopted or severed human hand rolls out of your bag when you didnt know it was there.
Trying to Establish an Artist in residence position.
I have contacted the Kent Wildlife Trust who own alot of these woodland areas. I have arranged meetings with them and have had success in establishing that an artist in residence at the Blean is good, interestiing and possible. I have been collaborating with the community engagement officer and of course we now need to apply for funding grants etc, As the organisation is already a charity we are unable to apply to the same source twice. The Trust has a section for fund raising bids and their advice to us is get other organisations involved to strengthen our case for funding.
So……..will this be valuable outreach work with engaged stakeholders working in partnership or a set of randoms thrown in. Either way this has got past first base.
I have also been asked to produce ‘something’? for inclusion in a woodland festival fairly soon and I will be paid a modest sum for whatever that may turn out to be. Which is very encouraging and non prescriptive. My Long Horn cattle and Konic Ponies have been requested for display at this event already.
At this point ‘natural habitats’ is a common phrase, running parralell with this I will soon be starting another project in Ebbsfleet where it is all about new communities and human habitation. I’m Balanced…….. sustainable…… venacular ……..harmonious……circular….. and bio diverse at the moment!
A Walk in the Woods
A medley of short videos, taken on a walk through the woods the other day.
Looking out from the edge of the woods across a field of hay bales.
Just Lost
Talking on my phone I was following paths running along the sides of some fields, I knew where I was ..ish. When I finished talking I realised the ‘ish’ was woefully inadequate. I walked in the direction I thought was good but I did not recognise anywhere, guessed it might be this way …..wrong and I am totally disorientated and lost. One field of wheat looks like the next and the next, lines of trees on the horizons all the same.
If I were from an uncontacted tribe in Brazil or an Eskimo then this storey is probably one I would never tell as it would probably make me a laughing stock in my community. ‘Got lost taking the dog for a walk’. loser.
What happened was after walking for a considerable while I recognised a view with a pylon. I had walked in the opposite direction for along time. It was along way back to the car and agonay as I could not confirm that I was definatley right and I had to walk through the woods as well to get back to the car park.
I have never been so overjoyed to see a rusted through wheelbarrow with a flat tyre. This confirmed another five minutes continuing along this woodland path will get me back.
When I got home my wife said ‘you were along time’. I replied ‘The woods …they operate on a different time scale to us’.
