Bargaining With Physics (Thunberg): Twizell Burn Woods Spring

The understorey plants are growing as fast as they can hoping to flower before the canopy leaves block out too much light. Here the late afternoon sunlight was streaming through the oak and ash branches trees casting their shadows onto other trees and onto the understorey of brambles, wild garlic and bluebells.

For these ancient river valleys the web of wildlife struggles to continue because of pollution and significant human disturbances including noise pollution, domestic dumping, stinking sewage treatment outlets, dog walking, trail bike riding and burning the bases of trees as if these activities were a God given right of destruction. This is despite many small surviving woodlands being designated SSSIs or Ancient Woodland. Humans have colonised the surrounding land right up to the steep valley edge with housing estates, trading estates, sewage treatment works and golf courses, degrading and pushing nature out. The Rivers Trusts, Wildlife Trusts and other nature conservation organisations do their best to monitor and protect nature but against the totally overwhelming demands of ‘Economic Development’ as if natural development wasn’t a essential investment for our children’s health and future well being.

Sitting here as one of those humans, drawing in what should be a very beautiful place feels sad and almost an intrusion. Drawing nature however is a non-destructive behaviour so in my own small way I feel I am helping to restore nature by revering it.

I also worked with two different groups of local primary school kids to help them do the same through sketching the woods and making artworks in the classroom. Although County Durham funded this work, both Defra and Northumbrian Water both declined to invest in the post-covid pandemic project we were so keen to develop. 30 or so years ago Natural England (English Nature as it was then) invested heavily in a similar idea at Castle Eden Dene NNR also in County Durham (see separate album). Some of the work done then was displayed alongside this new work in Hartlepool Art gallery in 2023 as part of my Revering Ancient Woodland exhibition and youth art project.

Painted from sketches done on location at The Middles, Stanley, County Durham. First exhibited at Hartlepool Art Gallery Jan- June 2023.