Ash Dieback and Others

A collection of ash bark removal. At this time of year removing the ash bark is easy because of the sap beneath the surface, but as I started this project I became aware of Ash dieback, here the tree is dieing from its tips down the tree, the bark can't be removed and the dieback is very noticeable.  This was shocking I was seeing more and more ash trees affected by the disease, a fungal attack that kills the trees and will eventually kill lots and lots of Ash trees, it will be as devastating as the Dutch Elm Disease.  Imagine the country without ash trees or very few that are resistant, its shocking, the beauty of the tree, its wood, the leaves, the ash keys forever part of my life.  This is a small series of works that will tell that story, I will continue working on it alongside other projects.

There are other projects I have been working on.  More cloud/star benches

The Nature Shrines for Tadpole Village near Swindon.  These are to be sited soon, this picture is taken at my Hurstone studio.  they will be sited along a nature walk in the village are are for people to  place natural things they collect whilst walking or to decorate as they wish.

And a project for myself, a fresnel lens held in a structure just for fun.

More playing in the studio

Various playings in my studio, as ideas float in and float out, later to be pursued or not.

These are special moments, moments I love when I have that luxury of playfulness.

Charred oak and pressed flowers in perspex

Carved oak apples

band saw playfulness in oak

Charred lovelies in larch

Charred oak with pressed grass

Charred lovelies in larch

Bronze etched apple

Charred oak, acorn galls, pressed daisies in perspex

Detail: Charred oak, acorn galls, pressed daisies in perspex

Bandsaw playfulness in oak

Charred oak dish

Oak apples on wire and charred oak

Charred oak with pressed ferns in perspex

Charred Lovelies in larch

Charred Lovelies in larch

Charred Lovelies in larch

more recent comings and goings

Charred wood with pressed flowers, and beech nuts as an idea for a project in Tadpole village near Swindon where I am creating a series of way marker shrines which will incorporate collected items and pressed items.  Plus a series of workshops in the primary school with Jo Hartas (gardener) who will be overseeing the pressing and creating of lanterns, wreaths and other decorative forms for the project.

Leaf and Lichen Stick

Another idea for the way marker shrines

Teasels held on a marker

Knoppler oak galls inserted in charred wood

Acorns

Nettle leaf between two layers of perspex

Burning

the result

Lots of projects in the pipeline, for way markers, nature shrines, sculptures and the like.

Natures Shrines

In Young Wood in Somerset, I have created a structure to collect and hold all the bounty of the forest, be that acorns and seeds to lichen and moss, bones and hairs.  The idea is that everyone visiting the wood can collect and collate, store and notate the finds in the woods.
As you can see from the photographs I had a good deal of help install the main structure from the Neroche Woodlanders Volunteers, a big thank you to them and of course Gavin Saunders who not only commissioned the piece but cut wood, cleaved, lifted and helped throughout, it would not of been possible without him.  To Jo Hartas who is the spirit behind the shrine collection and will soon go deep into the wood and do the first ordering of species and decorative art.

splicing the rope

manhandling the main piece

more manhandling

checking the inside