West Dean Creative Walk from Parkend Station
14th Sept 2023
Following in the footsteps of broadcaster Clare Balding when she visited the FoD in March to record a ‘Ramblings’ programme for BBC Radio 4, the group assembled at Parkend Railway Station. With uncertain weather members were appropriately dressed with walking boots and waterproof jackets.
At this time of year the colours in the forest are just beginning to change with the bracken in particular many shades of brown and green. The beauty of the forest can never be underestimated whatever the season and sharing it with other people who respond creatively can be quite magical. The heavy rain from two days previously had wet the ground sufficiently to make the wild boar content with much evidence on the paths of earth being rotovated.
We listened to a poem by Forest Composer/Poet Ivor Gurney, read out by Roger Drury, as we looked at the bench on the station in honour of this local artist. St Paul’s Church yard provides masses of inspiration for observing and recording visually and through word. Experimenting with natural colours from blackberries, grasses and flowers some members of the groups were delighted to see the results.
Exploring approaches to drawing and exploring routes around Oakenhill Nature Reserve gave the usual uplift in spirits and excitement these walks so often offer.
One member of the group had travelled from Birmingham and said she was almost in tears she was so moved by the experience of ‘connecting with the range of senses’ towards the end of the walk.
With sketchbooks soon almost filled, brimming with written notes, sketches, rubbings, mark making, poems, stories and masses of photographs taken, not forgetting natural forms collected along the way, the group are enthusiastic to explore the next step – developing these starting points into a piece of ‘art work’ in some way at the Artist led Workshop!!
Sara Rickard – Canopy Volunteer
Canopy Creative Network 