The Wildart Trail

Working with Living Willow

A couple of weeks ago during the UCA residency Kent Wildlife Trust organised a working with live willow workshop. This was to create living willow archway approximatley half way round the trail.


The day was very well attended with several groups working on other sculptures as well.



So...yeh...no...thats got to go...thats on ...yeh ..there




under-over-under- under-no-no over.



its coming together now - looking good

this will grow into a little house.

reminds me of 'how many people can you fit in a
telephone box or a mini? I think we can get at
least a couple more in there!

the finished arch



finished arch with the Radfall behind

  I hope it rains soon as the willow needs it now to establish properly, we had the same problem last year with no rain. We cut down the one made the previous year and you can just see it about knee height to the left of the new one.

Wildart Drawing Day

To see the UCA WildArt Space Residency

developing  on their blog....... click here

Here are some photos from the Wildart Drawing Day



ooh......... they look good



bark rubbings

even  'Dexter the Doodle' was involved



water colours always good for woodland scenes

 

it turns out sticks are better than brushes
when it comes to painting trees

it was a busy day and very enjoyable



and..........I had to use those nice chalks!



UCA Art Students in Residence at Blean Wildart Trail

Proposal for the second year Ateliers Unit:

BA (Hons) Degree UCA

We intend to make site specific sculptures and land art installations using natural materials found in the woodland.

We will reflect the natural history and local culture of the Blean Woods.

We will engage with the local community encouraging participation in Wildart Events and Happenings in the environment of the woods, challenging traditional relationships and aesthetics.

As man and nature intervene, new work will evolve, others disappear.

The perfect work of art will be irrelevant given the variables; any assemblages will become empheral happenings, and happenings tempural.

Look forward to seeing you in the woods

Louisa Love

Janet Wells-Cutler 

                                          Penny Murchison

Happy Xmas



Someone dressed the 'Drover' especially for Xmas, and his pigs!
(willow sculpture by Alan Sage) 



The Best Bits



Raptor: a symbol for the Wildart Trail and the wider Blean Project 


So the Wildart Trail has officially opened now and vitually everything is installed.
So this post is a small selection of photos showing the finished works.



 detail from the woodland workshop

unusuall to see th konic ponies here

is this guy whistling as he takes his pigs to market
walking along the Radfall on his way to Canterbury



Bugton Underwood; where the insects live

  

counting tree rings



Heron



A Totem Post (pupils at Herne Junior School)

woodpecker



lady of the Woods



these are now known as the 'stump routings'



The Arch



the Sparrow Hawk and Konic Pony Totem Pole



A day alongside KWT Volunteers

I spent the whole day working alongside the KWT Volunteers, I had my agenda and they had theirs. They were clearing areas of trees along the path improving the habitat by breaking the path corridor effect, which can act as a wind tunnel not so good for insect type wildlife.

 

fire: always an event even if just burning waste



I was stripping leaves from branches and was glad of passing converstion. Interesting hearing about peoples different backgrounds and walks of life. This band of helpers rotate around various KWT sites during the week. Focus on the Bidbury site one guy was telling me. Another lived in London (all be it on the wrong side of the river) but plenty in common to talk about. Others had foriegn holidays, amusing dog stories and I enjoyed my day with them. They made me tea, and shared chocolate cakes and this is welcome as the work is fairly physical.

 




















In the afternoon one volunteer was kind enough to find time to help me and Kathryn fill one of the insect homes with sticks and twigs etc which helped a move things along for the opening event on Sunday.

These log cabins take quite alot of material and we spent the whole afternoon sawing wood to the correct length. One passer buy suggested we set up a xmas nativity scene in there, which would work. It might mean changing the accepted characters and replace them with wild life ones.

There's no room in the car park, 3 owls for the wise men, bringing acorns, chestnuts and wild mushrooms who were guided by the red lights on wind turbines on the horizon. We got ponies and highland cattle to watch, we might have a woodpecker as Joseph the carpenter. But I'm struggling to find replacements for Jesus and Mary?