The very earth we come from… I have been in the studio studying the drawings and photographs I took while in Spain, the experience has haunted me and influenced me far more than I expected. One intensive week of a residency has resulted in a huge amount of drawing, reading and learning.
I was intrigued by the soil patterns, by the deeply furrowed soil, almost entirely bare in February before the summer heat was due. I wanted to understand why, and what I was seeing so I took an online course on Sustainable Soil Management with Wageningen University. It gave me a vocabulary to understand what I was seeing and to be able to describe it. I learnt about compaction of soil through the use of heavy agricultural machinery in this case. It gave me the tools to read the landscape.
My response is drawn, it comes from my emotional reaction to what I saw but it is reinforced by more knowledge than I had before.
Two tracks divided: soil paint on paper