Here's a few...
from the underground Seed Lab...
There were drawers and drawers of these old seed specimen cases.
I seemed to spend the whole 3 week worrying if i was getting enough photos.... documenting enough as I went! One does have to fight that feeling a bit lest it cancels out one's capacity to be in the moment and just doing what is possible.
So... after three weeks of drawing some amazing species I didn't go for something new and risky to pull together in a couple of days... variation on a familiar theme it was. I had a good time working with some new ink and pushing aspects of it in new directions. I used a pen nib towards the end and got some wonderful textural layering that way... impossible to see here.
I think I must finish with this one! On the train trip back to London yesterday afternoon I thought about the good people I was in residence with over the last three weeks ...and with my laptop open as the train sped along through the Sussex countryside I looked through all the images of my time at Wakehurst Place.
Cheerio my friends from Brazil, Sardinia, Sicily and Pakistan ...and of course all the lovely people who are permanent on the site.
from the underground Seed Lab...
Yesterday was my last day at the Millennium Seedbank...
and it was quite sad indeed to say farewell! I feel as though I made some very good connections ... such warmth through sharing time in close circumstances without the usual distractions of regular life.
I wanted to post a few images that were special and speak to time and a certain continuity...
stored seeds up close
archival material
This book were quite a find... the earliest records were from about 1910. The writing was very appealing BUT hard to read.
This typed record was from 1956. Its interesting to note that
records in herbariums and seed banks etc are approving to be
critically useful in the process of observing climate patterns
and much, much more.
I seemed to spend the whole 3 week worrying if i was getting enough photos.... documenting enough as I went! One does have to fight that feeling a bit lest it cancels out one's capacity to be in the moment and just doing what is possible.
Last week I started working on larger paper ... this was on a lovely water-colour paper and I gave it to my delightful contact person Wolfgang Stuppy who is quite familiar with Australian seeds in his work as a Seed Morphologist.
This one below is not a great photo.. its about a metre square ... on Swedish natural linen ... I stitched the edges using a strong brown linen thread that I was glad to find in Brighton the previous week. Given I was travelling light the challenge was how to create a large work I could give as a gift to the Seed Bank Partnership that would not require framing and yet could be hung and also be long-lasting.
This is effectively a wall hanging but it could be framed at a later date. I had two days to start and complete this 1 metre square work .... a huge task for me because my work takes longer to physically paint most of the time and I personally like a lot of time for the work to mused over, possibly modified, before I sign off. So... had I not been so tired from the frenzied final weekend of painting I guess Id have spent more time worrying would it work...what will it come across like etc.
So... after three weeks of drawing some amazing species I didn't go for something new and risky to pull together in a couple of days... variation on a familiar theme it was. I had a good time working with some new ink and pushing aspects of it in new directions. I used a pen nib towards the end and got some wonderful textural layering that way... impossible to see here.
Guseppe, Marco and Gisele in Brighton recently |
Cheerio my friends from Brazil, Sardinia, Sicily and Pakistan ...and of course all the lovely people who are permanent on the site.
Efisio... telling Gisele a story at the pub last friday night! |
8 comments:
This has been quite a historical journey you have been on,so many possibilities and numerous inspirations. Well done! Peace, Mary Helen
it all goes by so fast, doesn't it? lovely place, lucky mr. stuppy!
we look forward to the other pics!
mmmm lovely seediness!(I especially love the journal and the seed book...)
Wonderful! WOW! That was an amazing experience and an amazing trip. Felt like I got to be there for some of it and am truly thankful! Safe journey home!
Hi! I am going to brew a pot of coffee, add some sugar and cream, make myself a sandwich and enjoy it all while I read this post slowly!
Oh time goes so fast when you are enjoying yourself. Love your metre square piece... a lot!
this gives a sense of the scope of your work there.
all so wonderful :)
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