Perhaps I am being overly negative but it seemed that everything I am doing came into question without receiving any new great pearls of wisdom. I suppose it is useful to gain the insight of others, if only to realise that urbanites have a very different response to the 'wild' landscape. It seems strange to me that woodland could be seen as threatening.
On the positive side being a student teaches me a lot about being a tutor and reminds me that I must always encourage whenever I have to deliver criticism.
As this was probably my last tutorial until after assessment in January I think I will just have to 'dust myself off and start all over again'.
Another thing about being tutor and student is that my students teach me a lot. A French exchange student showed me her beautiful embroideries on Friday and explained they were all done from her imagination without any drawings or designs, just working straight onto the fabric. It reminded me that the formulas we teach need to be broken sometimes. There are many ways to get where you are going if you have the courage to take the first steps alone.
Drawing from memory - remembering the way home and remembering Dad's allotment. I didn't look at the paper, just let myself wander around in my memory.
... but is this just another divergent line of inquiry?
I came across this chaps website and blog this morning "flying shavings" who works his green woodcraft within the woods of Bolton Abbey. Whilst he's not an artist as such, his plein air approach to his craftwork and woodland seems to have resonances with some of the ideas you've been experimenting with. He might be worth a visit virtually or in person.
ReplyDeleteI would have to class myself as an 'urbanite' especially in my childhood years of growing up in a busy town. Yet I have very fond memories of visiting a park called the Hollies which is very much a wooded area or Otley Chevin - also very 'woody' and I always remember these places as somewhere magical, a place we sort of lost ourselves and became something imaginary and exciting. And now I love quiet wooded places as an adult. So I doubt all urbanites have the same feelings towards woodlands. Perhaps you have to question how important is it that other people have the same feelings about the woods as you? Maybe you can talk some of the urbanites round into a new way of thinking? But do you really want them invading the woods! :)
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