My Life in the Undergrowth project will be showing alongside some of my other mixed media artworks in my studio and garden during Somerset Open Studios, open 19 Sept - 4 Oct. Visits are welcome by appointment. This sunny start to autumn is perfect for a wander in the fresh air of my spacious sculpture garden, and safe measures will be in place in the studio:
Venue 70, West Cranmore, Somerset BA4 4RH
Bookings T: 07515537224 or E: fionacampbell-art@sky.com
For further information visit: www.fionacampbellart.co.uk
Life in the Undergrowth is a project I developed during lockdown as a response to the covid pandemic - exploring my experiences in isolation. One of the outcomes is a short film - my first serious experiment with film-making, and the result of a 5 month engagement with the nature in my garden.
In isolation, I began taking life at a slower pace, sowing veggie seeds, and mending things. Appreciating, observing and attending to nature seemed vital. Life in the Undergrowth was inspired by small hidden worlds in my garden that often get overlooked. It became a circular process - garden feeding art and art feeding garden.
While resurrecting my veggie patch, a fascination with the entanglement of roots, worms and shoots in upturned turf led to experimental responses using to-hand materials and found objects. I drew knotted clumps of turf; dried duckweed, sunbleached, became paper; handmade tools from plant debris generated drawings and sculptural works evolved.
The project was supported by the Art Council England/National Lottery Emergency Response Fund.
NB: Visits need to be booked in advance please.
