ArtWeeks at Earth Trust is back!

Round & About

May

ArtWeeks returns to Earth Trust with pop-up gallery and eight exhibiting local artists

Earth Trust is bringing together an exciting range of local artists for this year’s Oxfordshire ArtWeeks with a pop up gallery open to visitors 19-27 May, situated in the centre’s beautiful converted 19th Century barn.

From ceramics, acrylics and oils, to sustainable fashion and upcycled jewellery, eight creatives will be sharing a selection of their work and talking to visitors about the techniques they use, and the eco themes that inspire them.

Visitors can immerse themselves in beautiful artwork inspired by the natural world while surrounded by the beautiful local landscape of the Wittenham Clumps.

Amy Rowland, Public Programming Manager at Earth Trust said: “Our exhibiting artists are celebrating the role that art can play in our understanding and connection to the natural world. Connecting with nature is not just about being outdoors – it’s about how we engage with nature while we’re there. It’s about noticing, feeling, beauty, celebration and care. We’re delighted to be exploring this once more with such a fantastic line-up of talented creatives.”

Included in the exhibiting artists are Earth Trust’s previous and current Artists in Residence, JC Niala and Nicola Fielding. Also exhibiting are Caroline Butler, Jessica Farrell, Jayne Ford, Helen Grimbleby, Paul Whitehouse, and Emma Williams. From Caroline’s emotive reflections of the Chilterns to Jessica’s sustainable pieces integrating nature, each artist offers a unique lens into the natural world. Nicola’s residency work, inspired by local wildlife, stands alongside Jayne’s serene landscapes capturing fleeting moments of light.

Helen’s sketches evoke nature’s tranquillity, while JC’s collaborative prints celebrate Earth Trust’s landscapes. Paul weaves tales of human connection with the environment, and Emma’s colourful images reflect the sea’s allure and prehistoric landscapes. Together, their art invites visitors to connect deeply with nature’s beauty and stories, fostering appreciation and awareness of our environment.

“Throughout the week, visitors can engage with JC’s legacy artwork installation and visit Nicola in her open studio, experiencing first-hand the profound influence of nature on artistic expression.”

The gallery is open Sunday 19th-Monday 27th May daily from 11am-4.30pm, excluding Saturday 25th May. Part of the Oxfordshire ArtWeeks Wallingford Art Trail.

Ideal for families and anyone interested in art. Children and dogs are welcome. Refreshments will be available from our friends at Horsebox Coffee.

“After a visit to the gallery, visitors can head up to the Clumps for spectacular views, explore the serenity of Little Wittenham Woods or discover Broad Arboretum, and experience the green spaces that have inspired some of our artists.”

Springing into life

Round & About

May

Artist & tutor Helen Grimbleby takes much of her inspiration from nature for her artwork from her studio in West Berkshire

Like buses, you wait for ages and then Easter and May bring bank holidays a plenty!

Whilst many bank holidays are centuries old workers’ holidays, May Day Bank Holiday was a late comer in the 1970s. Even so, May celebrations have a long history and are entwined with changes we can witness in nature.

Our distant ancestors lived necessarily in close rhythm with the seasons. The month of May for the Romans brought a festival for Flora, the goddess of flowers, fertility and spring. For the Celts this was the time for summer pastures to open. For Pagans, celebrations were about fertility and new life.

Birds carry this heritage too and sing of new life. The musical dawn chorus peaks around now.

In spring, birds’ hormones change to enlarge the parts of their brains responsible for song. Bird song functions as a declaration of territory and to attract a mate. When the air is cooler in the morning, birdsong carries much further allowing males to broadcast to more females.

Only around 50% of our birds are resident here all year with spring and autumn migration bringing variety which changes according to the time of year. When some birds leave our shores, others return.

Spring migrators have been in decline but if we’re lucky we may still hear the sound of a tuneful cuckoo or the false cuckoo, the unassuming looking blackcap who visited my bird feeder recently.

Swallows and swifts fly elegantly, weaving intricate patterns in the air as they search for insects on the wing. Despite a long migration from Africa, their streamlined bodies are perfectly shaped to execute their aerial manoeuvres which continue until they leave us again in the autumn.

At the this of avian courtship and union, nature braids fine veils for spring brides and white blankets for newborns, dressing her hedgerows in Queen Anne’s Lace, hawthorn blossom and oxeye daisies.

Helen Grimbleby is a West Berks/North Hants based artist who is inspired by the natural world’s changing seasons. After exploring outside, she enjoys writing, illustrating and painting larger landscapes at her home studio (@helengrimblebyart).