Seaweed Pressing

Seaweed Pressing

My piece, before pressing

I signed up for this rather interesting sounding workshop, not knowing really what to expect.  I've done a fair amount of flower pressing in my time, but certainly not seaweed.  The only thing I used to do with seaweed, is bring it back home as a child, when we had been to the beach for the day. Why? Well to be able to forecast the weather of course, but I don't remember it ever working!!

The workshop was held at Lepe Country Park, and run by a local artist Jane Cartwright.  In a portacabin classroom we were introduced to the art of seaweed pressing, and shown that just like land plants, seaweed has it's seasons.  Jane had a folder of various pressed seaweeds, and it showed the sorts of seaweeds we could expect to find each month.  The autumn and winter pieces were a lot darker in colour, browns and reds. When you started moving into the spring and summer months, reds, purples and acid greens were in abundance.

So after being given our short introduction we all headed out to the beach, and up onto the spit, thankfully the weather was holding.  Each of us had small containers to collect interesting seaweeds that caught our eye.  Obviously the only seaweed we were allowed to pick was drifting and not attached to anything, or rooted in the seabed.

I was really amazed to find that there were so many different types, shapes, and colours, all within one tiny area of the shallows.  I collected as many different pieces as I could, emptying the pot several times as I went, as often wildlife was hooked up in the seaweed.

So back off then to the classroom, for the art to begin.  No sooner than we all piled in and sat down, did the heavens open, flashes of lightning, claps of thunder, torrential rain and hailstones, I think we timed our foraging venture just perfectly!!

Jane showed us then how to create art from seaweed, just with some simple tools - some small knitting needles, some mesh, a tray, watercolour paper, and a glass jar of seawater.  The mesh was placed over the tray, and watercolour paper on top, then a pipette was used to drop a very small amount of water onto the paper....this would allow you to move the seaweed about on the paper with relative ease.  So that's what happened next, a piece of chosen seaweed was placed on the paper in the water droplets and the knitting needles were used to tease the seaweed into the desired shape, obviously the more natural it looked, the better.  It was explained that seaweed doesn't stay in form for very long, out of the water, and within an hour would start to disintegrate....so you had to work fairly quickly.  Once you had your seaweed placed as you liked, you could drain off the excess water,  into the tray, and it was ready for pressing.  This is where it is exactly like flower pressing.  Some nice thick sheets of blotting paper were used, in the press, and once screwed down it is left for 6 weeks. After which you then have wonderful, underwater art.

I'm looking forward to picking my pieces up, but in the meantime I'm going to have another go at this art.

Exx

Land Art Day

Land Art Day

Don't ask me where I got the idea from....it just popped into my head, the evening before.  A day of land art creating, but doing it on the move, so there was a trail.  I planned a trip to Southampton, but not a direct route and the trail had to be circular. I decided I would walk, bus, then ferry, walk a lot more, and then finally catch a train home....I didn't want to use the same external mode of transport twice, or more. 

So packed my camera bag up and set off in the morning, I started off in my local town and visited 3 different places here.  I created 5 pieces in total in this area before moving on.

No.1 Oak Star - Oak leaves and Ornamental Cherry berries (Eling Rec), this wasn't too difficult to plan and make, as I already had the idea in my head.

No.2 Grass Spiral - Grass on grass (Goatee Field), would have love to make this a lot bigger, but the grass was too spread out!

No.3 Beach Rings - Shingle (Goatee Beach), this was harder than it looked, as the shingle wouldn't stay put! It was difficult to photograph too, as there wasn't much contrast.  I did like this one and would have loved to make it bigger!

No.4 Sticks and Fir - Sticks & Fir (Rum Walk), this was a tricky one to do, I had no plan and the ground, although wet, was still quite solid.  Graced with the presence of a Kingfisher, whilst making this.

No.5 Snaking Leaves on a wall- Leaves (Rum Walk), this was simple to do, and I would have loved to make this more elaborate but, there wasn't the room, and it was tricky to photograph too.

I then took a short bus trip to Hythe to pick up the ferry.

No.6 Rose of Sharon Mandala - Rose of Sharon leaves and flowers (Hythe Marina), this was quite easy as the colours the bush provided, gave me the idea.  This was the first piece of land art create in a BUSY environment, plenty of quizzical looks, appreciative ones too though, I'm glad to say.

I then enjoyed a 10 minute ferry trip to Southampton, the weather and visibility was good, so it was a really nice voyage.

No.7 Geranium, Cherry & Bindweed Mandala - Leaves of all 3 plants (ruins of Holyrood Church, Southampton), this one kind of created itself, and the contrast in colours was good.  The only problem was trying to get it to stay put, as the breeze kept lifting the leaves up.

I then headed for Southampton city parks.

No.8 Stick Pyramid - Sticks (Hogland's Park), this was one of the hardest to create!  There was nothing much in the way of plants in this park, lots of trees, and lots of fallen branches and sticks.  So I set about collecting them, whilst trying to see if I could conjure something up. As they were led out on the ground, Jenga sprang to mind, so I set about building a tower....which soon changed into a pyramid.  I can't tell you how many times I got close to finishing this, and then the whole thing would collapse,  I would have to start all over again.  Still, I made it in the end, standing about 70cm high.

No.9 Pebble Stick - Pebbles (Houndwell Park), this was small compared with the last one, but just as tricky.  This too was made over, and over, and over, until the right points of balance were found.  This stood about 20cm.

No. 10 Daisy Wreath - Daisies & tree debris (Houndwell Park), this was another that made itself.  I tried to fan the tree debris out into a circle, but it was too messy, so I went with the messiness.  I built a nest!! I wasn't sure what to do next, but my eyes were caught by the beautiful daisies all around.  I pick them, and placed them randomly around what was becoming a wreath.  All done and pretty as a picture.

No.11 Yellow Loosestrife Mandala - Yellow Loosestrife and other bedding plants (East Park), this was a hard one to do, because I couldn't visualise it.  I had collected the materials, but it wasn't really saying anything to me.  Managed to accomplish though.

No, 12 Yellow Sunflower - Leaves from a tree (yet unidentified, they looked like Laurel, but it wasn't) (East Park), I loved creating this one, and I think it shows.  Found lots of fallen leaves from a tree, and they were either brown or yellow, so I collected lots of each.  I felt an impulse to create a brown circle, to which I immediately started fanning out the yellow leaves, around the brown, and Voila - a sunflower.  This mandala was about 1m across.

I was well and truly hungry, hot and thirsty by this point, so I took a break and went and had some rather yummy lunch at the Art House.  Refuelled and refreshed I travelled on...only one park left before the train station.

No.13 Lime Tree Mandala - Leaves & flowers of a Lime tree (Watts Park),  this was a nice little mandala to make, as it all came from one tree....yet there was a contrast in colours.  The acid green and yellow leaves and flowers, made this quite a zesty mandala.  Had a Red Amiral butterfly on my arm for a few moments, whilst making this mandala.

No.14 Fuchsia Pentagram - Fuchsia and other bedding plants (Watts Park), this was another difficult one for me.  I tried several different placements with the materials, before giving up trying to make it round.....it obviously didn't want to be round!! It wanted to be a pentagram!  This was the last one made in Southampton.

I headed for the train station, bought my ticket and jumped straight on the train, which was waiting to take me back home.  The ride home gave me the time time reflect on the days events.  After I departed the train and walked the rest of the way home, I realised I had one more piece to make, the piece that would mark the real end of my journey, and also the piece that would make the count 15......I didn't want it to be an even number.

No,15 Mallow, lavender & cotoneaster mandala - Mallow, lavender, cotoneaster and other leaves and flowers (Home - front garden), this was a poignant one to make, because is was the last one, the final piece.  It was possibly the most colourful of them all, due to the fact that I was using garden flowers rather than wild plants......and I join by bees for this one, the colours I guess.

So there it is a rather mad, messy, fun, and challenging day!  I may do it again, but it would have to be a different journey and a different season, I think......

Just before I go....someone in Southampton got in touch and said that they'd seen a little mouse run across and sit dead center of a mini mandala, in Southampton Park.....I wonder if it was one of mine...........
Exx

Summer Moon Lodge

Summer Moon Lodge

Last Sunday's Summer Moon Lodge was beautiful, and so different in feel to the spring one.  It is held in the roundhouse at the Minstead Study Centre, and ran by a good friend, Heidi. 

She opens the circle......a fire is lit inside and we are all sat around it, a circle of women, being led through a beautiful guided visualisation. 

Afterwards we learn about the 'mother' aspect of the goddess, and of the goddesses Isis and Mother Mary and their roles as mothers and nurturers, and we all had a chance to talk about how this aspect effects us...our thoughts and sometimes emotions.  It is always interesting to find that although we are all different, there are a lot of common understandings and feelings between us...linking us.  The fact that all women have the ability to mother whether we can have children or not, for mothering can mean a great many things...like caring for those in a community, nurturing the earth, loving animals etc.  Also that it is important to look after ourselves....to give to others, means we must also give to ourselves! Certainly made me think!

A joined healing session followed, as we stood in a circle holding hands, we sent out love and healing to all.  The feeling inside the roundhouse was amazing, there was an intensity, a generating of power. Afterwards was just as powerful...we were asked to hug a person standing next to us, and see if we were better at giving or receiving.  It was quite an emotional exercise, and most people said that they felt that, 'when you give, you receive also'.....it certainly felt the case for me.

We moved outside for a beautiful chanting session under the slowly setting sun, followed by a hypnotic and rhythmic drumming session. We were taught a Senegalese drumming song and the story behind it.  Each different type drum and drummer had a different beat to play, and when put all together, it was mesmerising.  I could feel my body pulsing with the beats, I just wanted to abandon the drum, and get up and dance, and afterwards I found I wasn't the only one!!!

We broke then for herbal teas and home made biscuits (orange crunch full moons & chewy date and honey flapjacks - made by me).

I did a bit then, on foraging, and what is available now, to eat for free.

Last, but not least was story telling, and we were transported off to the world of myth and magic.  Delighting in the tale of an old midwife, whose good deeds and kindness given to all, were repaid in full and then some, and she was able to out her last years in in comfort.

Before the close of the circle we were treating to some lovely and haunting flute playing, and also some fantastic hang playing too.

The end of the evening came all too quickly and the circle was drawn to a close. 

It was an amazing evening and an interesting journey.  There were lots of laughs and hugs, love and happiness.....and gratitude....gratitude to all who to part, to make the evening what it was, and gratitude to Heidi for making it all happen.

Exx

So looking forward to the next one, in Autumn.