the Lost Valley diary...

September 2014...

Thu, 4 Sep 2014 21:19:54 +0100

Looking relaxed in the late summer sun, the sculptures charcoal skirt has blended with the ground with the visitors feet. Moss and fungi are growing strongly and the wood is looking even more weathered now...

Grass snake...

Thu, 17 Jul 2014 11:43:11 +0100

The sculpture sporting its summers growth, a dipping platform in the new pond has been added, as well as an exploration trail through the undergrowth.
The estates manager told me about the grass snake he’d seen sunning itself on the sculpture. I had the briefest of glimpses, as it moved into the sculpture on my approach...

Grey Wagtails nesting...

Thu, 8 May 2014 11:27:50 +0100

Big changes this year in the Lost Valley. The stream by the sculpture has had its course changed and there is now the soothing sound of water tumbling over stones. The rickety bridge has been replaced by laid earth path.
The new pond and the stream probably provided a wonderful real estate opportunity and food source for a pair of Grey wagtails to nest inside the sculpture too. Thet were spotted on several occasions going inside the sculpture with beaks loaded with food...

rain & wind...

Thu, 6 Feb 2014 21:36:31 +0000

Winter 2014, rain soaked moss, a flourishing beautiful carpet....

two years old...

Wed, 23 Oct 2013 20:04:50 +0100

It’s alive!!!
Two years old this October and GD really is alive with life. Riddled with beetle holes & wasp wood scrapping’s, spiders webs hanging across exposed weathering bare wood and lady ferns tickling her toes... The photos below really do show how much she is changing!

Whilst I did study biology, my moss and fungus identification is far from perfect! There seems to be three species of moss growing, two are difficult to identify as they look like several candidate species, possibly springy turf moss & silky wall feather moss. However definitely one appears to be Fire moss, Ceratodon purpureus. A beautiful coloured moss that often grows on land after wildfires. (5th & 6th photos...)

I’m fairly confident that the bracket fungus is Turkey Tail or Rainbow fungus. As well as there being purple jelly fungus and a type of Coral fungus on GD, there are Earth-balls and Octopus stinkhorns sprouting around the base of the sculpture.

weathered wood, August 2013...

Wed, 28 Aug 2013 11:24:05 +0100

August amidst a throng of visitors to the gardens. The weather has air dried parts of the wood a silver stoney colour and the sculpture has grown a living bushy tail...

Spring 2013...

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:56:36 +0100

Spring in the lost valley...

Lush new green shoots and the timbers have weathered...

beautiful fungus...

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 15:16:12 +0000

A selection of close up photographs, showing the fungus and moss species that are flourishing on and around the sculpture. The beauty of many small and subtle changes...

Winter 2012...

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 15:12:55 +0000

This winter it was decided the base of the sculpture needed a bit of a refresh. The principle of the work is to allow the wood to decay, to grow moss and fungus.
However it was felt that the annual plants that sprout up around the skirt of the sculpture should be dead headed and tidied up occasionally. Stopping the plants obscuring GD’s form and in effect letting the sculpture be a part of the yearly cycle of growth and decay....

One year on...

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 17:43:47 +0100

It’s exactly a year today since finishing work on ‘GD’, the charcoal sculpture, and autumn has come again to the Lost valley. The sculpture is looking completely at home, it’s black timbers amidst the backdrop of red and yellow autumnal leaves, still a very relaxing and special place to be...

Some of the changes to the sculpture have been quite subtle, more and more small spots of bright green moss, patches of small brackets of fungus on branches, white mould and signs of lichen starting to appear. Today watching an Ichneumon, (wood wasp), laying eggs in the wood, realising that beneath the surface of each piece of timber there are changes one can’t see. Beetle larva living and fungus growing....

Other changes are not so subtle, bits of bark have fallen off revealing the wood beneath, grass has grown through the charcoal fringe and tall herbs have swamped the back area. An Ash sapling has grown two foot this year. Today was like seeing an old friend, lovely visit, looking forward to what unfolds over the next year...

Summer Growth...

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 12:47:38 +0100

Growth!!!
Summer has come and the plants have grown up around the sculpture. Mushrooms are blooming and moss is starting to spread on the wood. Insects have made their homes in the nooks and crannies. ‘GD’ seems alive, flowing out high from under the growth...

Spring sun...

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:07:00 +0000

A wonderful sunny day at Heligan, documenting the changes in the sculpture is a great excuse to visit the gardens on such a beautiful spring day!
Simple, small and gradual seasonal changes, can’t help wondering what it’ll look like in a few years time...

moss...

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 18:19:27 +0000

More signs of change of the sculpture, moss starting to grow on a few logs. An absence of vegetation gives the sculpture a little more presence in the wintery valley...

A new addition to the site, a beautiful path marker by James of the estate team...

mole hills...

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:38:27 +0000

The gentle changes of nature are starting to occur. Mole hills have appeared...

“growth & decay”, painting...

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:42:07 +0000

Painted in November 2011, an expressive oil painting based on the series
“growth & decay” charcoal drawings....

link: “Charcoal drawings...”

morning mist...

Tue, 8 Nov 2011 16:05:21 +0000

November, “Growth & Decay” sculpture shrouded in mist. Early morning sun evaporating the dew from the woods black surfaces....

“Growth & Decay” charcoal sculpture...

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 14:48:28 +0100

you tube, Heligan sculpture 2011...

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 19:23:29 +0100

You Tube Video by ‘Heligan Wild’, of the sculpture opening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ2Nd8OApHMl

Paths, “finishing the Site”...

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:08:14 +0100

Very grateful for the efforts of the estates team,
putting in benches and helping create a path
around the site..

The wood chip path contrasting with the
charcoal, making it stand out and defining
a clean edge to the sculpture.

Bringing the site together in its wholeness
is vital to the creation of a place to sit and
contemplate the beauty of the valley.
Creating a “place of silence...”

Charcoal, ‘finishing texture’...

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:02:49 +0100

Over the week a few bags of freshly
prepared charcoal were delivered by the
estate team...

A day of finishing, providing the final
texture and grounding the sculpture...

At the same time the estates team
worked to place two new benches...

fifth day, ‘flowing nature’...

Sun, 9 Oct 2011 13:40:36 +0100

A day of much final effort to complete
the body of the sculpture, working to create
the spine at the back of the curve, making
sure all the parts flowed together.
Ensuring gaps were complete and the
lines of flow of the branches provided
the sculptures movement.
Up and down the sculpture, to the sky and
back to in the earth.
The flowing movement of growth & decay.

Making sure each piece of wood had a place...
Finished work as the sun went down...

fourth day, ‘height’...

Thu, 6 Oct 2011 13:30:22 +0100

On a ladder,
Out on a limb,
Arms aching,
Stretching,
To finish the peak...

Sculpture Revealed...

Wed, 5 Oct 2011 13:38:26 +0100

third day of construction, ‘depth’...

Wed, 5 Oct 2011 12:44:19 +0100

In the morning I added a little charcoal
to the completed section, just to see how
the overall finish might look..

A day of keeping working around the
sculpture, filling in gaps, creating the
depth in the body. Each piece making the
form a sum of its multiple parts...

This filling in process provided the
support for the upper parts of the cone,
allowing the sculpture to grow taller.

In growing towards the sky,
each branch I chose and added to the
top of the cone, seemed to have a curve.
And like a jigsaw puzzle, each branch had
a natural place where it wished to be
added.
By going with the flow and trusting
to an intuitive process, the individual
characters of the branches naturally
grew the sculptures overall shape and
a striking, organic curve...

second day of construction, ‘weight’...

Tue, 4 Oct 2011 12:23:58 +0100

Starting to give the sculpture weight,
its sense of being, its presence.
And starting to grow the height of
the form.
Constantly moving and working
around each part of the frame,
keeping the balance,
mostly on a ladder...

Ending the day by getting one
section of the section filled in to see
how the rest of the sculpture
will look and feel...

first day of construction, ‘strength’...

Mon, 3 Oct 2011 12:00:32 +0100

The first day of construction, first job,
to find the centre of the sculpture..
Then to some how find a starting
point, the first important piece of
construction that decides the strength,
scale and basic shape of the sculpture.
The first piece also gets the flow of my
work going, the hardest part is
to get going!

From this point an organic flow
begins, working around the form,
adding each piece to keep the balance in
360 degrees. The wood I have collected
and shaped, intuitively speaking about how it wants to
be built and grow into the final form...

the last fire...

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:06:13 +0100

The last big task to char the three
huge trunks, brings to an end the long
charring process. And the start of the
final construction phase...

This part of the journey ends soon,
the Sculpture is to be unveiled on
Wednesday 12th October..

autumn...

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:05:48 +0100

Last week of burning process,
a long process but hopefully the effects
will have been worth the effort...

Autumn is here, along with an indian
summer.
The chestnuts, acorns
and beech nuts are scattered across
the ground. The leaves are falling...

Pheonix...

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:04:37 +0100

Today’s fire reminded me of the myths
about the Phoenix...

A bird that was believed to live for up to a
thousand years, yet which dies to be re-born
from its own ashes.
A age old symbol of re-birth, renewal
and immortality, present in many cultures around
the world.

A beautiful symbol of celebration that things
can grow anew after their destruction or loss.
A symbol of acceptance of the natural cycle of
renewal and change.
Growth and decay, spring and winter..

Into the final days of the burning and texturing
process now, construction will begin very soon..

Uses of charcoal...

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 22:19:34 +0100

Many more interesting shapes & textures
have been produced this week, more burning
still to do...

A few people recently have asked what
charcoal was used for in the past. So I thought
I would write a little about what charcoal was
used for in Britain...

Charcoal had been used as a fuel in Britain
for quite some time. But the industrial
revolution created an ever increasing
demand for charcoal. This demand was
underpinned by the practice of coppicing trees,
providing a quick growing source of raw
material.

The main use for charcoal was as a fuel
for metallurgy. First by blacksmiths and then
latterly by industry, until demand outstripped
supply and coal was used more and more.

Charcoal comes in a variety of forms,
being made in several different ways.
Its uses included; as a cooking fuel,
(probably in medieval barbeques!)
by artists for drawing, in medicine,
to make gunpowder and due to its
high surface area, as a filter...

More in depth information about
charcoal and its uses around the
world can be found on wikipedia..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charcoal

Fire in mythology...

Fri, 9 Sep 2011 19:27:37 +0100

Made the mistake of trying to have
a fire in the rain today. Should have
paid more attention to the thunder &
lightning!
Tried to create an umbrella for the fire,
using a few planks, with little effect.
Wet wood made for a unproductive day.

It’s very noticeable on different days
how the wind in the valley affects the fire.
On a still day the fire can be quite slow,
different wind directions create strange
swilling gusts that can be rather unhelpful.
Learnt to adapt how I lay the wood on
the fire in different ways depending on
the wind and weather...

Found a toad nestled in one of the
split logs, will remember to move him on
before burning...

A few more charcoal drawings created
today, see below.
Searching for simplicity...

Fire in mythology...

How humans became able to use fire has a strong
presence in the mythology of cultures around the
world. Various characters play the role of being the
source of how fire came to humans. These characters
tend to be quite cheeky or mischievous, like Coyote
and Crow in Native American traditions.
Fire coming to humans is often described
as the ‘theft of fire’, from for example, a god...

The stories paint a beautiful picture...

In Greek mythology Prometheus a Titan and brother
to Atlas, was a champion of mankind, known for his
wily intelligence. Prometheus stole fire from Zues
and gave it to mortals. Prometheus is credited with,
or blamed for, playing a pivotal role in the early
history of mankind.

According to the Hindu text, the Rig Veda,
the hero Mātariśvan recovered fire, which
had been hidden from mankind.

In Cherokee myth, after Possum and Buzzard
had failed to steal fire, Grandmother Spider
used her web to sneak into the land of light.
She stole fire, hiding it in a clay pot.

Among various Native American tribes of the
Pacific Northwest and First Nations, fire was
stolen and given to humans by Coyote, Beaver
or Dog.
For some Yukon people, Crow stole fire from
a volcano in the middle of the water.
To the Creek Indians, Rabbit stole fire from
the Weasels.
In Algonquin myth, Rabbit stole fire from an
old man and his two daughters.
In Ojibwa myth, Nanabozho the hare stole fire
and gave it to humans.

In Polynesian myth, Maui stole fire from the
Mudhens.
And in the Book of Enoch, the fallen angels
and Azazel teach early mankind to use tools
and fire.

source: adapted from wikipedia articles...

Fire...

Thu, 8 Sep 2011 19:25:38 +0100

Another very productive day on
wednesday, thursday less so, slowly but
surely each days burning gets through
the pile of timber...

Fire...

Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material
in the chemical process of combustion,
releasing heat, light and various reaction
products. Examples of slower oxidative
processes are rusting and digestion...

A flame is a mixture of reacting gases and
solids emitting visible and other types of light..

With the burning of organic matter,
for example wood, incandescent solid particles
called soot produce the familiar red-orange
glow of fire...

The fire tetrahedron is the three elements
needed for fire; heat, fuel & oxygen.
When heat is sufficient and is able to sustain
a rate of rapid oxidation, this produces a
chain reaction. Fire cannot exist without all of
these elements in place and in the right
proportions.
Fire is then sustained by its own heat, as long as
there is a continuous supply of an oxidizer and fuel.

Every natural ecosystem has its own fire regime,
organisms in those ecosystems are adapted
to, or dependent upon the regime. Fire creates
a mosaic of different habitat patches, each at a
different stage of succession. Different species of
plants, animals, and microbes specialise in
exploiting a particular stage, and by creating these
different types of patches, fire allows a greater
number of species to exist within a landscape.

In Britain these fire regimes are controlled by man,
for example, the practice of Swayling on Dartmoor...

source: adapted from wikipedia article on Fire...

Tinder foraging...

Thu, 1 Sep 2011 21:51:39 +0100

Starting the day with something different. The daily morning fire lighting using a different skill and material. Willow bay herb..

Willow bay herb is a pink flowering annual plant that flourishes in one area of the valley, (see above and below photos). At this time of year it produces its seeds. A white cotton like fluff that is well known as a source of excellent fire starting tinder.
So in true foraging mode I noticed an opportunity to stock up on a source of tinder for winter fires. Having only taken what I needed, leaving a plentiful amount on the plants for other foragers and the seeding of new plants. I used some to light the days fire..

The photos below show the process, of showering the tinder ball with sparks until a sizeable ember is created and starts to smoke. By blowing the ember until all the tinder becomes bright, glowing enough to ignite the next grade of fuel...

In moving a few logs today I found a awesome toad in a hole, the toad was about a year old, measuring around 2 to 3 inches long. What was amusing was that the toad was sharing the small hole with a huge slug almost twice his size! (you can see the slug in the bottom right of the photos, under the side of the hole...)

Split timber, after burning....

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 22:07:34 +0100

More fire and splitting. Another
day of the continuing process of texturing
each piece of timber .

Some of the effects of burning
the half split & wedged logs can be
seen below...

A sum of multiple parts...

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 21:50:34 +0100

The continuing sculpture process
of carving and texturing each piece of timber
with tools and fire. The process may take a
few more weeks. Todays work was
watched by a curious Squirrel and a
male pheasant...

In giving a unique texture, form and
colour to each individual branch and log,
I am hoping that this will give the overall
sculpture its character.
A complex pattern of unique textures
and forms. So that the overall shape
of the sculpture will be a sum of its
multiple parts...

After charring in the fire some of the
branches burnt bark fell off to reveal
unburnt wood. A lovely colour and texture
contrast...

Charcoal Drawings, (leaves)...

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 09:30:05 +0100

a few more charcoal drawings using charcoal from the fire on site...

Still aiming for simplicity in my drawing, in doing these sketches I am practicing simplicity,
hopefully achieving it in future paintings, drawings and sculpture..

Texturing of logs...

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:29:28 +0100

A key element of this sculpture is texture,
the texture of timber. Charring gives the timber
the effect of being enormous pieces of charcoal...

The beautiful forms and textures of the overall
sculpture created by first selecting interestingly
shaped timber, to be split or carved and then each
piece to be effect by fire. Its a lengthy process to
treat each piece of wood in this way, possibly taking
a few weeks, but hopefully the effort will be worth it...

Rain in the fire bucket...

Butterfly...

Communal Fire...

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 09:28:39 +0100

Another few days of rain, sun,
log splitting and charring timber...

Continuing to meet and speak to a
many wonderful people. Many thanks
for the words of support, it has really
helped keep motivation high on such
a long project.

Since starting the charring stage
of the sculpture process, I have had
a fascinating reminder in observing
how much most people are drawn to
the fire and how long people will stand
watching the fire, often in silence.
The other interesting observation
has been the amount of comments
about fire. Ranging from how people
love the smell of the smoke, to
questions about what wood is being
used and how charcoal is made.

These comments and observations
have reminded me of how important
fire is to people, how there is a certain
cultural memory invoked by a fire.
A good fire provides people with
a strong sense of community, in the
sharing the warmth, cooking together
and how the shadows and shapes in
the fire provoke our imaginations.
A good fire gives us a deep satisfying
sense of identity. It is such simple,
basic and effective reminder of what it
is to be human.

Play & exploration in art...

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 14:58:29 +0100

Play & exploration in art is important,
finding new ways of understanding a
technique, a medium or an idea.

Today in splitting the wood in the rain,
discovering new shapes and textures in
how different shapes of log react when
using the splitting wedge.

The beautiful colour and shapes of the
grain in the wood when exposed,
curves, patterns, natural growth around
where branches have formed.
Looking forward to bring these textures
and shapes together, using their
combined effects in producing the
overall character of the sculpture.

Lots more lovely discoveries of
insects and fungus. Including the
beautiful beetle above.

Still trying to identity them! The
caterpillar is possibly a Fox moth...

Splitting timber...

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:10:27 +0100

A recent bit of wholesome retail therapy
has provided me with hours of great happiness
today. A new hand forged swedish spitting wedge!

A wonderful sunny day, speaking to a great
many inspiring people. The fire and log charring
producing another batch of textured wood and
a charming visitor, a beautiful young pheasant,
with bright rust coloured feathers, casually
foraging on the site...

Using a sledge hammer with the wedge,
hammering into the end of the wood. A crack
gradually starts with an amazing crackling sound
as the fibres part..

The best way is to use two wedges in
combination. As sometimes a wedge can get
stuck!! So going along gently with one wedge,
only hammering it into the wood so far before
moving the wedge along the log a foot.

Turning the log over and opening the seam
from the opposite side and gradually the creating
enough space to use an axe to sever the
last fibres to produce two halves.
A surprisingly quick process not requiring
too much effort due to good tools...

By splitting wood in this way the fire
produces different textures and shapes...