Peninsula Dreamscape

Exhibition: Woolverstone, 5th and 6th November 2022

I am excited and honoured to be part of a collaborative art exhibition this coming weekend, November 5^th and 6^th at Berners Hall, Woolverstone. It came about, after my neighbour wandered into my art studio one day and said I should exhibit my unusual art pieces at the annual art show in the village. This led me to be invited to join six other established artists, all working in different mediums to explore the Peninsula we live on from their own point of view. 

The exhibition, Peninsular Dreamscape is not intended to be about surface level pretty pictures. Of course, some of the art displayed will be visually stunning, but Peta Hillier who organised this was explicitly wanting something deeper to be conveyed. And although landscape photography is not my first choice of topic, there is something to say about this sacred place. It is after all ancient Viking land, and the wildlife here is abundant. 

My animation is still slightly rough round the edges but has been a hugely powerful learning curve for me. I have re-learnt Photoshop and Final Cut Pro -  same same but different versions of software I used 25 years ago. Animation is absorbing, even to the point of obsession at times, and it will never be perfect to my standard. So setting boundaries on time was one key lesson learnt during this 6 week project. 

It also requires a story, and that was the part I found hardest with this, as I prefer to tell stories about things that I feel need telling. Anyone who has visited this Peninsula can see it is a blessed place to live, so it was hard to find a story about something that seemed so obvious. However looking at it in a different way, nothing in nature is permanent, or ‘perfect ‘and is constantly flowing and changing. So I focused on portraying that. I looked at the Peninsula through the eyes of a dream. Dreams flicker and can be quite random, shape-shifting through seemingly unconnected events. 

Initially I was planning to structure it around how the five elements work together, in a constructive way. In Feng Shui, water feeds tree, feeds fire, creates earth, then comes metal and from there, water condenses. Interestingly though when out photo and filming, my pictures reflected a deeper complexity. 

So I made the video around the highlights of the recent weeks, walks with my friend, and my beautiful dog loving the freedom of the beach. It was an excellent motivator to get out in all weathers, and I learnt more about the area’s history. I wish my camera could capture the beauty I can see – how the leaves change daily at this time of year and the effect of light in all it stages. 

I am happy with the end result. 

Peninsula Dreamscape Movie

However the exploration of new places, walk/runs, fresh air and working with a talented musician who showed me how combing music and art is a game changer, were more valuable than the piece you now see. 

As some points the pressure was immense. But taking a day out to unplug was another valuable lesson learnt when immersed in an intense project. Completing this has also squared another circle for me, a key theme this year. I am back where I belong, and with time, digital art may well be combined with the other marketing work that I do. 

So I invite you to come and see my Peninsula Dreamscape movie this weekend. I will also be showing a few physical pieces of art that deviate from previous work and am uploading photos to my online galleries. Unlike other exhibitions, this has been a true collaboration between six very different artists. It has caused us to jump out of our comfort zones, work together and I am expecting the event to be more unusual and integrated than people typically expect from a village art show. 

There are a number of aspects of installation involved where anyone who visits can optionally add their input. For example, I am asking people to view my animation one at a time, and if happy to write a few words of feedback. I did this at my last exhibition, and it was immensely interesting to hear different interpretations of a painting I did some years ago. Peta also has a project for visitor participation, optional of course.

Dates and Times

The exhibition will run from 10am – 5pm on Saturday and Sunday, the 5th and 6th November. Admission is free, and there is plenty of car parking at Berners Hall. You will see lots of signs to guide you to find it if you are not familiar with Woolverstone.