These are such unusual times, here in the UK we are in our 5th week of lockdown, it feels like everything has changed so quickly; it's leaving many of us in deep contemplation about all sorts of things. There are layers upon layers of worry, fear, uncertainty, panic and anxiety and then this is all layered together with a different way of looking at and connecting with the world immediately around us and right on our doorsteps. It's definitely giving me huge amounts to contemplate, much of it very mixed things (as it will be for so many) and through it all I'm daily finding myself thankful for the "everyday" connections with nature immediately close at hand. Birdsong, spring flowers appearing, new vivid green leaves, insects feeding, dusk light, buzzards soaring and calling over the garden...
Local footpaths are proving a real escape for so many people at the moment and I think lots of us are discovering paths that we either didn't know about or have forgotten about; or we are using familiar pathways in a different way and stopping to really look and notice things. I've been isolating at home for a while and it's only been in the past few days I've been able to get out for some daily exercise and find a bit of strength to explore some of the paths right on my doorstep. I pass the trees in the above photograph (they are on the road into my village) all the time but it's only been this week I've looked deeply at them, from the footpath, with a new way of noticing.
The verges are full of amazing wildflowers at the moment, with so many pollinating insects which is wonderful to see. The intense greens of these early spring leaves are really powerful and right now this feels an incredibly strong soothing tonic. I'm letting the dandelions bloom in my garden and I've been watching so many pollinating insects visiting them, the seed heads are really beautiful (and good food for some birds) and I've been looking really closely at the tiny intricate details in those.
I should have been back working in Koli in Finland for most of April, continuing my role as artist in residence in the studio at Kolin Ryynanen and working throughout the village and the vast forest surrounding it. I was meant to be in Koli for most of April, exploring the forest to gather impetus for my work, collaborating with the lovely tiny village school and with others in the community there. It was intended to be a really valuable and much needed time for artists development, reflection, gathering ideas, developing and testing new ways of working. Instead, with lockdown and illness I've been at home in Derbyshire, closely exploring the wildlife and plants in my own little garden, looking at tiny details there and gathering impetus which can hopefully feed into future work.
These are really complex and difficult times in so many ways. I'm incredibly grateful for having a little wildlife friendly garden and for having footpaths I can access straight from home. I can't get into the ancient hilly bluebell woods that I usually would visit and walk miles in at this time of year because they are a 20 minute drive from home and right now that's not feasible, but at the moment I've been delighted to find clumps of bluebells in the hedgerows and in the village nature reserve. There are very many things we are all struggling to process at the moment but I do think so many of us are finding renewed connections and soothing from the nature on our doorsteps.