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