Art and Geology partnership with artist Sara Dudman
Summer 2023
I am collaborating with artist Sara Dudman RWA on the upcoming FLOW exhibition at the Somerset Rural Life Museum in Glastonbury (May 20th - September 5th). The exhibition brings together five extraordinary artists, creating artwork across a range of media in order to celebrate Somerset’s amazingly diverse coast and waterways.
As part of Sara’s contribution to the exhibition, Sara and I are engaging in a dialogue between artist and scientist to explore the landscape in new ways. We have walked along the river Brue and waterways in the Somerset Levels from Glastonbury to Burnham-on-Sea, collecting earth pigments and stories.
Together, we explore the process of making paints from the soils of the Levels, unravelling the stories they contain about the history of the landscape, both geological and human. We are running series of workshops with local community groups and schools. Their experience of their local landscape will be incorporated into the exhibition through their a collaborative artwork which will be on display in the museum.
Film-maker and musician Hannah Earl made this beautiful video of the FLOW project, including nomadic-sporadic walks and studio days.
How to get involved?
Visit the exhibition at the Somerset Rural Life Museum, and join one of our public events!
Sunday 3rd September - 10:30am-4:30pm
Families are invited to an interactive drop-in paint-making session at the Museum.
Get your hands dirty with earths collected from the River Brue and Somerset Levels, learn about the stories of the landscape from the earth, and let your creativity flow.
Share your memories of the Somerset Levels on the collaborative artwork in the Tithe Barn!
Any questions about the day?
Sunday 30th September - 11am-4pm
Sketching walk along the Somerset coast from Highbridge to Berrow, making art from earth pigments and learning about the stories of the land. We will stop along the way to forage for wild pigments, learn about the deep time geology and stories of the landscape, and to sketch 'plein-air' incorporating the colours and textures of the earths collected.
Book your space!
This walk is part of the Somerset and Exmoor Coast Festival. Check out other events and walks here.