FINAL REFLECTIONS

The Sculpture installation, Art display and Open Morning on Saturday (25th September) were a great success! Plenty of visitors came to the Centre throughout the event - cars overflowing all the way up the road to the compost zone - many with positive comments about the work produced. The day was really helped with glorious sunshine to make the sculpture sparkle and delight! Various Press arrived for photo shoots and we hope the results will lead to increased awareness of the great work at Carymoor and Somerset Art Works.

I've loved being a part of this project. So many wonderful people have contributed and it's been fantastic to experience such a wealth of caring, generosity from individuals who want to nourish our world - and I'm not just talking about Julia's cakes!

Original templates on show

Participants' wirework on display - above and below

Photographs and drawings illustrating the project's development

Three of the major contributors to the project - Mario, Teresa and Debbie

The Dragonfly and Nymph sculpture installed by the pond in Carymoor's sensory garden

Lift off!

The sculpture has now been delivered to Carymoor. See images below of final stage...

Finally, the Dragonfly is in position - so far balancing on just two legs - but it's up!

Close-up

And at its destination - after a hairy journey!

COME TO THE OPEN MORNING AT CARYMOOR ON 25th SEPTEMBER TO SEE THE FINAL PIECE IN SITU!

Day before installation - the sculpture's nearly complete!

The Carymoor sculpture has taken longer than anticipated to complete, but almost done now! Here are a few snaps of the last stages. Working night and day, I've added layers of wire netting to the Dragonfly's eyes and body, finished the Nymph's head, shaped both bodies more and made two bulrushes for the stand. I will be up early tomorrow morning to weld on the last legs, ready to deliver in time for the Open Morning on Saturday.

I hope we have plenty of visitors!

Building up the body

Detail

More focus on the eyes with layers of wire and netting

Wings now welded on!

In position with the bulrushes - no legs yet...

Night-time welding up a ladder! The Nymph and bulrushes are now on their base... more to do early tomorrow morning!

OPEN DAY TO VIEW THE ART WORK!

On Saturday 25^th September, Carymoor Environmental Centre will be holding an Open Day featuring the exciting premier viewing of the newly installed Carymoor sculpture, an exciting intergenerational art project which has been running over the Summer (details of project below). Art work from the workshops will also be on display at Carymoor’s Open Day as part of Somerset Art Weeks. Combined with one of Carymoor’s quarterly nature days, entitled ‘Goats, Tigers and Elephants – a celebration of Somerset’s Moths,’ it promises to be a fun-filled event for the whole family.

Initially instigated by Somerset Art Works via ‘The Company of Voices’ project and inspired by the magic of Carymoor, I led a series of taster, workshop and sculpture sessions involving groups of volunteers from different age groups. In addition to making individual pieces, all participants contributed to the creation of a large recycled steel and wire sculpture depicting a dragonfly emerging from a nymph cast. This 3 metre piece will be suspended over the beautiful pond area in the Carymoor sensory garden. The sculpture will not only be a visual delight but will also help to educate future visitors of all ages about sustainability and the benefits of recycling that are at the heart of Carymoor’s philosophy.

The day also offers a beginner's exploration of the weird and wonderful world of moths and their caterpillars, looking at which moths have arrived in the moth trap overnight, with a walk of the site to highlight the plants most useful to them. There will also be moth-themed family-friendly activities going on in and around the centre and fun quizzes for children.

A wonderful opportunity to visit the Centre, there will be refreshments available, including homemade soup from the gardens and Julia’s delicious homemade cakes. The Centre will be open between 10am and 2pm. For more information email info@carymoor.org.uk or phone 01963 350143.

The site-specific sculpture - later stages

Prior to the planned Sculpture days on 26th and 27th August, specifically to work on the sculpture with volunteers, I spent a day building on the Dragonfly structure with thick copper wire, so that it was ready for participants to work on with more colourful, delicate wires. I adjusted the scale of each piece, as the nymph was looking too large against its adult version, and added sawed off bed springs for the basic eye structure on the Dragonfly. See below:

The designated site (above) - the pond in the Sensory Garden

I had been looking forward to my two final days working at Carymoor with volunteers. I was planning relaxed days of creativity! It was lovely to be back. Driving into the Centre always elevates the senses - it's almost a religious feeling! (In fact, the Chairman who set up the Centre - Hamish - explained that his original concept did arise from his Christianity). The entrance is an unusual one, passing the Viridor waste zones and composting area which both send out their own strong aromas! When you finally turn into the Carymoor Oasis, it seems like Heaven! Bouncing down the recycled tyre path towards the Sensory Garden and Pond on Thursday, I thought how wonderful it must be to work here full-time!

After a quiet start to Day 1 (Thursday 26th) with just three of us working on the sculpture (Julia, Adam and me), Chrisi and Debbie arrived to join us. Plied with more wonderful homemade cake by Julia, we worked hard, with few breaks, so engrossed were we in getting on with it. Working on separate parts - the two main bodies and various wings, we made good progress. With different people working on each wing, it was important to compare and communicate at each stage of adding new colours, veins and wire netting. Chrisi created a very intricate lacework effect with fine copper wire on the nymph body - to capture the transparency of the cast, once vacated. There was much chat about the new bees that have been donated by Chrisi, via Stuart, to Carymoor, an exciting new addition to the Centre. Call it Serendipity, Fate, Karma or the Hand of God , but some very strangely connected incidents led to this, starting with a Bee sculpture I once made as a commission for her. We had a few photo shoots of the work (including some with a visiting Photographer from the Wincanton Window) and left feeling much had been accomplished!

Julia hard at work on a wing!

Chrisi getting started on the Nymph body

Chrisi's progress with her fine copper wirework, creating a lacy transparent effect

The results of our work so far... (above & below)

Intergenerational chit chat!

On Day 2 (Friday 27th), the team expanded as Teresa, Mario, Ginny and Kate arrived in the morning. Ginny and Kate made the Nymph wings - both communicating brilliantly to ensure uniformity. Julia took main responsibility for the shimmer effect on the Dragonfly wings, adding patches of ice blue wire netting and many 'wiggly' veins! Teresa built on these with additional fine gold wires, and once Debbie arrived again in the afternoon to help, the wings were finally completed. Mario, Julia and I worked in turn to build up the structure on both Dragonfly and Nymph bodies and Mario made the most beautiful Nymph eyes (though he doubted they were as beautiful as Teresa's!)

All get going earlyish on Friday morning!

Mario adding green wire to the main steel and copper Dragonfly structure

Ginny on a Nymph wing - working alongside Kate who made its twin

Kate adding fine, delicate wires to a Dragonfly wing

A real nymph cast - very useful whilst creating the form. These were the inspiration for the film 'Alien', apparently! And if you press it's jaw down it opens up to a HUGE diameter to swallow tadpoles!

Having a look at our work before Ginny and Kate had to leave

One of Mario's Nymph eyes

Debbie holding up two finished wings

The Nymph has eyes!

The end of Friday... where we are now with the sculpture (above & below)

Although we have achieved a great deal in the past two days, there is still much to do in order to complete the sculpture project. Wirework is time consuming! The legs and bulrushes need to be constructed and both bodies need to have their legs welded on. Colourful wire netting will be added to the Dragonfly body, with final details. The Dragonfly eyes need to be prominent, so I plan to work on them for a few hours.

It will be ready for installation on the Open Day at Carymoor on Saturday 25th September (from 10am). All work created during this project by participants will also be on show that day. Hopefully it will attract plenty of visitors! Julia's homemade cake will feature, in addition to a Moths Exhibition and various family activities. Do please come along!