This playful piece is made from recycled materials or “cuttings” that are metaphorically speaking “hedge cuttings” taken from cut up scraps of previously discarded hedgerow paintings and drawings on both canvas and paper. These “scraps” are the result of working experiments and visual recordings in response to my ongoing interest in Cornish hedgerows. This interest began in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions forced me to look closer to home for subject matter which might otherwise have been overlooked. I began to focus my attention on a particular stretch of ancient hedgerow which bordered the field adjacent to my house. Over the late autumn and throughout the winter months I relished spending time in this damp, earthy, rooty and atmospheric place reflecting upon how sadly established hedgerows such as these are becoming increasingly rare, as are the havens for the wildlife that they support. Through a combination of paint application and mark making I was able to get to the essence of the subject, really teasing out where my true interests lay. In terms of construction the addition of string has brought a more three dimensional quality to the work inviting the viewer to climb inside and explore. To scramble under and over the twisted ivy creepers and tangled webs of undergrowth finding new life within. The recycled nature of this piece creates new and re-energised work from discarded material making a positive statement about renewal and regeneration. It encourages us to consider how fresh, creative and new perspectives can positively breath life into that which was once broken and no longer working, tired and discarded.
44 x 44 cm on canvas.