Started with a June walk in the woods, an ancient woodland in East Anglia and ended in a sensitively converted stone barn in a Kilkenny August.
In between, it was laughter, camping, giggles, barking foxes, smoky fires, and the unutterable silence and beauty of deep woodlands.
Andrew and Alex shouldering on...
We all settled amongst Daphne's shaded shadowy coppiced trees, tripping over medieval ridge and furrows, spilling tea and pee behind the tents, making drawings, videos, painting, casting clay, chopping tree trunks, recording conversations.
Tent? what do you mean, tent?
Sarah sitting by the campfire, waiting for tea...
And to work!- riffing off each other, drawing shades and shadows,
getting up front and personal with earth, trees, branches, trunks, logs...
hmm, just what exactly are these curious bumps?
fire never burned hot enough to do anything but dry the clay, but try we did, Andrew.
Then when the heavens finally broke, we packed the tents and scurried back to review what we had done:
Casper David Friedrich mountain by Andrew
Afterwards, Daph and I went about locally asking people what they thought about trees.
Finally we were off to Ireland. Alex drove accompanied by Sarah and me. Our journey from Richmond took us to a port in Wales for the 4 hour ferry trip.
Then more driving through very beautiful Irish countryside on very bad road (no, Alex, your axle is not going to break - I promise, it's a Volvo)Shankill was an incredible experience. Elizabeth, Geoffrey, Phoebe, Reuben and were all everywhere at once cranking up the efforts and egos of so many artists.
But the C4RD artists serenely sailed in, helping where we could as needed, secretly pleased at our stone barn 'gallery' space - exquisite and perfect.
Fabric draped over upper half of double door to keep the swallows out...
In this double height space the traces of hayloft joists still visible in the stone structure. Glorous light and we were so lucky with the weather...
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Alex, Andrew, Daph and Sarah's works ringing 'round the room
Daphne's beautiful diary of the days in the woodland
Small table and chair with 'Into the Woods' video embedded in The Real Counties of England
Against the back wall suspended from joists Ridge and Furrow:wave form, cast plaster in situ
Then Elizabeth arranged for us all to be interviewed; here is an excerpt.
