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Project launch
Geophysics surveys
Geological survey Downley Common
Archaeology of Downley Common - photos
Downley School excavation
Bricks and brick-making
Events next in the programme
Art and archaeology on Downley Common
Poetry at Downley School
Maps and archaeology
The 'Big Dig'
Art workshop on Downley Common
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Art workshop on Downley Common
Location: Buckinghamshire
The art workshop was designed as a different part of this mostly archaeological, geological and historical project. The main project is investigating the whole series of events that have shaped the Common. This long history starts during the Cretaceous period 95 million years ago (which gives us the Chalk of the Chiltern Hills), takes us through the Ice Age (which shapes the hills) and then investigates all the people that have ever lived here - from the Paleolithic onwards.
All the exciting evidence of Downley's past is gradually unveiling itself and the end result will be a very interesting book, amongst other things. The art workshop is designed to fill the last chapter in the book - 'Downley today'.
Artists Margaret Merritt, Barry Fletcher and Mary de Jode were enticed onto the Common to help painters to capture the spirit of the place. They brought many items to show and demonstrated many ideas and techniques. Jill (the Project Coordinator) started the day with a walk across the Common and into the woods to show the key project areas and demonstrate all the potentials for artwork in different locations.
All agreed - it was a really exciting and adventurous idea - and such fun! The freedom that painting in the open air gives you is superb and painting so very large and freely - often with sticks and hands only - is a wonderful experience which really has to be tried!
The art will take several forms during this workshop and others to follow - paintings, sketches, poetry and photographs. Although this August 2005 event was the main workshop, small groups will be encouraged to go out onto the Common and capture it in all its glory over the time the project is running. You do not need to have ever painted or written poetry before - anyone can do it - honestly!
Please contact the coordinator with any art or poems you develop yourself (details on the launch page) or see the events page for any future workshops. However, photography is going on every time we meet - so just join us any time!
The main August workshop encouraged people to look at the Common and paint something that inspired and impressed them. A large variety of materials was available and the painters that joined us were encouraged to 'try something they have never done before'. I think the artwork speaks for itself. Only some of the work is displayed here - for more examples look at the photos page where most of the artwork is under 'artworkshop' numbers 1 to 28. 'Artworkshop' 29 to 35 shows some of the people busy at work. There are many more paintings and sketches that I simply have no more room for here, but they will all be on display at our next indoor workshop and other talks or events.
Here is one of the poems that emerged during the day on the Common in August and I admit to being a 'science' person who has never written a poem - but Barry has such a way of bringing things out of you. It may not be perfect or great, but I am quite proud of my attempt!
(It will be helpful to know that 'loess' is wind-blown dust of the Ice Age and 'lede' - pronounced 'leedee' is a local name for the Le de Spencer Arms, one of the oldest buildings on the Common - at least mid-1700s.)
Roots twisted with time
Common time
Time robust as the oak
Fragile as thistle down
Earthy, ephemeral
Time to travel ancient tracks -
the Lede loess
to Saxon soil
to bricks and blue porcelain
The Downley droveway,
a vortex through time
As golden grasses gently bowed
our time dissolves in the breeze
(A poem from Jill)
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