All the Little Details

As I travel around from town to town, garden to garden, its lovely to be able to share in people’s pride for their little plot of land. We sit outside and talk about how our week has been, about the weather and the birds that we hear singing or which visit the bird tables.

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The first visit is generally about starting to get to know each other and the materials on offer, whilst in the second or third session participants often start to identify a focus, whether a particular media or technique that’s sparked their imagination, or an area of the garden.

‘You’ve introduced me to a media which I love… I’m definitely going to continue with it.’

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Often it’s the little details that we start with, the patterns on the underside of a leaf, the seeds on a dandelion clock, or the colours in a flower. Some people opt to draw, others to make rubbings or prints. Some are keen to make their own sketchbook and to create a cover for it too, while others prefer to use a readymade one.

‘You’ve got my creative juices flowing!’

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This last week I’ve been in the Calne and Chippenham area. Soon I’ll be moving on to a new part of Wiltshire. Included here are some examples of of the artwork we have made together in the Calne and Chippenham sessions.

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The project sessions aren’t about making a perfect piece of artwork, although much of what has been produced has been beautiful, they are about being playful, experimenting with what works and what doesn’t. As we explore the garden or make marks on a page, we also take time to talk and to share. The conversation that happens while we make together is a key part of the project for all of us, especially after the isolation of lockdown.

‘Rubbing this dandelion leaf makes me remember my mum making dandelion wine… this little leaf has brought back so many memories…’