It would be lovely to see you at my forthcoming 'Company of Cranes' exhibition in Langport from 21st September to 5th October, where I will be exhibiting Crane inspired zoetropes, praxinoscopes and other artworks! Click on link below for further details. SAW Projects - The Company of Cranes
'The Company of Cranes' - Part 2 is Melanie's second exhibition of pre-cinema objects including zoetropes, revealing through illustration and the moving image, the story of the re-introduction of Cranes to the Somerset Levels.
Venue 45 of Somerset Art weeks: Levels Basket Centre, Amphora House, Westover Trading Estate, Langport, Somerset TA10 9RB
Directions: In the former River Parrett Visitor Centre building, by the bridge as you enter Langport on the A378 from the West. http://www.somersetlevels.co.uk/
Today I went to Slimbridge to walk the Cranes. It was a lovely sunny day and I was eager to see them again as they were very small on my first visit. I was not prepared for the amount they had grown in a month. Such beautiful birds and of course they are the new love(s) of my life!
Here are a few humorous photos from the day and a short film.
Photo on left taken today and a month earlier on the right. Me feeding the Cranes!
Pickpocketing Crane and a new style of Crane Yoga (or in training to be a pianist)!
The patterns and colours of the feathers were stunning. Some Cranes were a silvery grey and others contained a touch of red.
L-R:
Making the zoetropes, a finished Beetle zoetrope ready for spinning and a
butterfly sequential image.
Recently I had the pleasure of delivering a two day workshop at Ash School with the fantastic and talented pupils in year 5. Our objective was to make zoetropes based on the Cranes living on the Somerset Levels and their wonderful habitat. Zoetropes invented in the mid-19th century were a spinning drum with slots in the side, that when spun caused a sequential image inside to give the appearance of movement.
It was a wonderful couple of days - each pupil made their own zoetrope that they tested on a variety of record players I borrowed from my Dad. Dad went into the loft at home and dusted off a record player he had from 1965 (the cream one below) and I found two more in the garden shed from the 80's, on which I used to play my Duran Duran records at full volume!
Ash School pupils test their zoetropes out on the record players and film them themselves too!
The oldest record player had three speeds, 33, 45 and 78 and the pupils worked out that depending on the sequential image they had drawn (the detail and complexity had to be taken into account) - meant different speeds had to be used. A Crane flew better at 45, whereas a beetle scuttled more effectively at 78!
Ash School zoetropes in action!
As well as making their own cardboard zoetrope by hand - the pupils also filmed their zoetropes spinning on the record players using new camcorders. So we actually ended up using three forms of technology to bring the artworks to life - the zoetrope - the record players and a brand new camcorder bought this year! Great to see these different pieces of technology that all share the same 'family tree' being used by the pupils in the creation of such beautiful work!
Year 5 pupils with their zoetropes, spinning them on a pencil!
See the pupils work on show at Slimbridge as part of ‘The Company of Cranes Part 1’ until 5th August and then again at the Levels Basket Centre in Langport from 21st September until 5th October, where I will be showing ‘The Company of Cranes Part 2’.
On Friday 5th July, I went into the BBC Somerset studios to do a radio interview with the lovely Emma Britton! You can listen to me talking about the 'Company of Cranes' with Emma on Catch Up until the 11th July. Fast forward to 1 hour and 8 minutes!
Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve Zoetrope' - depicting the forest, nesting Cranes, the mill and various animals sharing the habitat.
'The Company of Cranes - Part One' is the first of two exhibitions showcasing my artwork commissioned by Somerset Art Works and The Great Crane Project. The exhibition currently running at Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust until 5th August, presents my hand-printed, narrative, steel zoetropes depicting the 'Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere' in Brandenburg and the 'Somerset levels'. I am also delighted to be showcasing the work of pupils from Ash School in Somerset, who created their own fantastic zoetropes! A screen shows images and short films of wildlife from the environments of both Somerset and Brandenburg and the creation of the artworks themselves. In addition I present a series of dioramas inspired by bird species from around the world. Above and below are my finely detailed and colourful gouache illustrations, created for the zoetropes. Also see below a short video where I make a zoetrope in my Birmingham studio in 80 seconds!
'Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve Zoetrope' - depicting Cranes in meadows, blossom trees, marsh frogs and may bugs - all of which I was lucky enough to observe whilst in the reserve.
Somerset Levels Zoetrope' - I wanted to paint the Cranes against a backdrop of vivid red accompanied by local flora including water parsnip, dandelions and bulrushes.
Making a Zoetrope in 80 seconds!
'The Company of Cranes - Part Two' will be presented during the Somerset Art Weeks festival, 21 Sept - 6 October 2013.
The beautiful Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve, Brandenburg
The experience of being in Germany was so emotional and
moving, that I have found it hard to put into words.Walking through the forest and hearing Cranes
calling in the distance moved me deeply.The vibrant biosphere was full of life from irridescent blue beetles carpeting the floor of the forest to the amazing variety of birds darting in and out of the
tree tops.I imagine it is like being in
a fairy tale – only it was not a fairytale as everything was very real and
alive and calling it a fairytale takes away from the very normality of how
things can be if protected and cherished.My life in inner city Birmingham is a world away from such epic
beauty.I value nature be it
buttercups trying to grow along the dusty industrial streets of the Midlands or
bees trying to make their home in the side of a terraced house.I look for signs of flora and fauna
everywhere and value it even though it might be a small patch striving to
survive.
The Cranes and the forest were very special and I know I am very privileged to have had the opportunity to have been part of this year’s Great Crane Project trip to Brandenburg. It was also wonderful to have met Beate and Eberhard, the conservationists from the biosphere reserve whose passion and knowledge of every inch of the area was infectious.(More on Beate and Eberhard in another post).
Cranes and a Thunderstorm
About 10 minutes after I took this quick video the sky opened into a heavy rain storm.It was one of the most vivid and intense nature experiences of my life and one to remember forever.Eberhard had taken filmmaker Sasha and myself to a tall hide in the forest where Cranes roost at night.We sat high up watching the Cranes walking amongst the trees and calling to one another (play with sound on to hear the Cranes).The landscape was still and quiet apart from the birds themselves and for one moment I felt like I could disappear into the landscape and leave the modern world behind.Nothing seemed as real and vital than that moment in time – the feeling was so intense you could almost reach out and touch it.
A Rich Colour Palette
Me about to enter a swamp! My desk back at 'The Mill' where the team stayed for the duration of the trip.
During breaks from wading through swamps, tracking Cranes and collecting eggs, I managed to do some painting in gouache of small miniature scenes from the forest. These paintings will form part of my work for the Company of Cranes exhibitions - part 1 at Slimbridge in the summer and part 2 in Langport as part of Somerset Art Weeks, in September.
Forest Jewels
A short film I took of this beautiful beetle crossing the forest path. The irridescent blue colouring was so vivid - like jewels scattered across the floor.
More forest jewels and a tree covered with fungi that looks as if it is straight from the pages of an Eastern European folktale!
My new gouaches, Damon Bridge checking eggs in Brandenburg and the first chick hatched at Slimbridge on 4th May. Photos courtesy of Damon Bridge.
On the eve of my trip to Germany with The Great Crane Project to collect Cranes eggs for rearing and release in England, I am busily packing my art equipment and my brand new, fresh gouaches (purchased specially for the trip)! Gouache is my preferred medium and one that I've used for 23 years. I love it's smoothness and vibrancy and when painting minute and intricate details - there is no rival in my opinion. I travel to Brandenburg with the Crane team, stopping one night on route and arrive at the 'Mill' on Tuesday evening, where we will stay and work for a week. I'm hoping to set up a mini art studio in a corner if I can, as I am so excited and eager to get started on illustrations for the zoetropes. As of yesterday the first chick from this years egg collection has hatched at Slimbridge (there are two trips to Germany and I am on the second leg). So a good start for this years new flock of Cranes.
Flying Cranes Zoetrope - work in progress
A short experimental video of my zoetrope, depicting cranes in flight - illustrated in gouache and fine pens. I am making a series of zoetropes for my forthcoming exhibition at Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre, illustrating my time with the Cranes.
Barn Owl at Stathe Bridge, Somerset
A spontaneous video of a Barn Owl that surprised me whilst looking for Cranes at Stathe in Somerset. I managed to capture a short flight on my camcorder as it flew very close to me. Such a beautiful and bright bird and a wonderful surprise.
The Beauty and Fragility of Somerset Hedgerows
During the recent bad weather a couple of weeks ago, I managed to capture some of this icy beauty on camera. A morning walk down foggy lanes revealed withered and delicate plants whose beauty was only highlighted by a covering of frost.
