http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/tags/stick/ Tue, 12 Oct 2010 09:08:31 -0700 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 09:08:31 -0700 http://www.flickr.com/ http://farm1.staticflickr.com/21/buddyicons/96002770@N00.jpg?1301257590#96002770@N00 http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/tags/stick/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/5075116953/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/escher1/">escher is still alive</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/5075116953/" title="Red Oak Leaf Fire Star"><img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4007/5075116953_b9014468ee_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Red Oak Leaf Fire Star" /></a></p> <p>I am coming towards the end of a long weekend. every day of which has had gloriously bright, autumn weather. Saturday I re-did my commission, Sunday we did the workshop. Yesterday we went to Manchester as my partner had a hospital appointment so we went to a gallery too and today I could finally get stuck into some land art for myself.<br /> <br /> I started off with high ideas. I was going to make a disco-dancing-ultra-flashing-multi-coloured-mega-leaf-lantern-in-space but in the end I just couldn't be bothered. Like the Duracell bunny's inferiorly powered cousin I started to fade into slow motion. I was just enjoying taking it slooooowwww far too much.<br /> <br /> I am sure when I have a new set of batteries put in I will wish that I'd made use of the still weather to go all mega-leaf-lantern on you all but there you go. When you want to kick back then why not?<br /> <br /> I still had to make something though just something far less ambitious. I really liked the Holly Star I made back in April and it seemed quite apt to abut the two seasons that bookend summer with green for spring and now red for autumn. I also liked the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/4528509922/in/set-72157614076873857/">Holly Star</a> sculpture as I seem to get quite a few hits from people searching for the name. It certainly isn't anyone looking for my artwork however as there is what is commonly termed a 'news-hottie' called Holly Starr who works in Kansas City reporting on the local news. She is described as an actress/model/presenter and isn't afraid to pose in bikinis. I have tried that approach to further my own career but it seemed it back fired. Apparently you have to look nice in a bikini not just be prepared to wear one for anyone that asks. (Now they tell me).<br /> <br /> The name Holly Starr struck me as one suitable for a porn actress (no disrespect intended) so in an attempt to drum up more hits I thought about naming this sculpture (children please look away now) &quot;Big ***** and ***** love getting *** ****** **** from the guy next door whilst bent over ******* at the **** ******&quot;. or something. Do you think it would be a good idea to name my sculptures in such a way? It'd be sure to get me up the google rankings.<br /> <br /> I am sure someone will see some deep artistic symbolism in the phrase<br /> &quot;Big Terry and Nigel love getting car fixing tips from the guy next door whilst bent over looking at the car's engine.&quot; So perhaps there is more to this idea that at first glance. A new direction for my art?<br /> <br /> No but seriously. I'll go for 'Scarlet Oak Fire Star' it seems more appropriate and if you are starting out in the porn industry then feel free to use the moniker for your name.<br /> <br /> One of the exhibits at the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester, that we visited yesterday, was about outsider art. I thought it was very interesting and I shared some of my <a href="http://jrlandart.blogspot.com/2010/10/outsider-art-comes-of-age.html" rel="nofollow">thoughts</a> on my blog. But what I forgot to mention there was another exhibit by Olafur Eliasson who I had not encountered before.<br /> <br /> His installation consisted of miniature trees from floor to ceiling, made from cut branches stripped of their leaves. A path meandered through the sculpture which was set in a dark room. As you walked through the lights got dimmer until it was nearly dark and it brought forward thoughts of being a child, fairytales and being lost in a dark wood. The smell of the wood and the lighting was very evocative but it did make me wonder what the point was of trying to bring a natural outdoor experience inside and whether you could better achieve the feeling the artist was trying to evoke outside the gallery setting. It is something I've been pondering a lot recently on how it may be possible to bring authentic land art inside a gallery space, and indeed whether you should really try at all.<br /> <br /> At one point I became part of the installation. As I meandered through, it was getting darker and darker and two ladies approached from the opposite direction. The path through the wood was not wide enough for us all so I propped myself up in a corner so that they could get past. Instead of walking past me though they stopped and one peered closely into my face.<br /> <br /> &quot;There's a statue here&quot; she said.<br /> <br /> &quot;No, I'm just trying to let you get through&quot; I replied.<br /> <br /> She leapt in the air like a scalded cat and let out a piercing scream. It seemed the dark wood of fairy tales was having quite a strong affect on this lady.<br /> <br /> I gathered these Scarlet Oak leaves, and many others, from a tree I had noticed by the side of the road. On the way we passed many others and I was amazed that I had not noticed them before. Last year when I made this <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3889998060/in/set-72157614076873857/">ball</a> I managed to find six trees to collect leaves from after searching and searching. And yet this year I keep tripping over them everywhere.<br /> <br /> Just like when you buy a new car you suddenly notice that make and model everywhere and it seems it is so with everything else in life. How much passes us by because we simply take no notice? Even if we are convinced of the contrary. <br /> <br /> I never fail to be amazed at what new and interesting things I constantly find and how I missed so much before despite how hard I was looking. Land art and mother nature are the gifts that keep on giving all that is required is to open your eyes and mind.</p> Tue, 12 Oct 2010 09:08:31 -0700 2010-10-12T17:08:31-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (escher is still alive) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/5075116953 Red Oak Leaf Fire Star <p>I am coming towards the end of a long weekend. every day of which has had gloriously bright, autumn weather. Saturday I re-did my commission, Sunday we did the workshop. Yesterday we went to Manchester as my partner had a hospital appointment so we went to a gallery too and today I could finally get stuck into some land art for myself.<br /> <br /> I started off with high ideas. I was going to make a disco-dancing-ultra-flashing-multi-coloured-mega-leaf-lantern-in-space but in the end I just couldn't be bothered. Like the Duracell bunny's inferiorly powered cousin I started to fade into slow motion. I was just enjoying taking it slooooowwww far too much.<br /> <br /> I am sure when I have a new set of batteries put in I will wish that I'd made use of the still weather to go all mega-leaf-lantern on you all but there you go. When you want to kick back then why not?<br /> <br /> I still had to make something though just something far less ambitious. I really liked the Holly Star I made back in April and it seemed quite apt to abut the two seasons that bookend summer with green for spring and now red for autumn. I also liked the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/4528509922/in/set-72157614076873857/">Holly Star</a> sculpture as I seem to get quite a few hits from people searching for the name. It certainly isn't anyone looking for my artwork however as there is what is commonly termed a 'news-hottie' called Holly Starr who works in Kansas City reporting on the local news. She is described as an actress/model/presenter and isn't afraid to pose in bikinis. I have tried that approach to further my own career but it seemed it back fired. Apparently you have to look nice in a bikini not just be prepared to wear one for anyone that asks. (Now they tell me).<br /> <br /> The name Holly Starr struck me as one suitable for a porn actress (no disrespect intended) so in an attempt to drum up more hits I thought about naming this sculpture (children please look away now) &quot;Big ***** and ***** love getting *** ****** **** from the guy next door whilst bent over ******* at the **** ******&quot;. or something. Do you think it would be a good idea to name my sculptures in such a way? It'd be sure to get me up the google rankings.<br /> <br /> I am sure someone will see some deep artistic symbolism in the phrase<br /> &quot;Big Terry and Nigel love getting car fixing tips from the guy next door whilst bent over looking at the car's engine.&quot; So perhaps there is more to this idea that at first glance. A new direction for my art?<br /> <br /> No but seriously. I'll go for 'Scarlet Oak Fire Star' it seems more appropriate and if you are starting out in the porn industry then feel free to use the moniker for your name.<br /> <br /> One of the exhibits at the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester, that we visited yesterday, was about outsider art. I thought it was very interesting and I shared some of my <a href="http://jrlandart.blogspot.com/2010/10/outsider-art-comes-of-age.html" rel="nofollow">thoughts</a> on my blog. But what I forgot to mention there was another exhibit by Olafur Eliasson who I had not encountered before.<br /> <br /> His installation consisted of miniature trees from floor to ceiling, made from cut branches stripped of their leaves. A path meandered through the sculpture which was set in a dark room. As you walked through the lights got dimmer until it was nearly dark and it brought forward thoughts of being a child, fairytales and being lost in a dark wood. The smell of the wood and the lighting was very evocative but it did make me wonder what the point was of trying to bring a natural outdoor experience inside and whether you could better achieve the feeling the artist was trying to evoke outside the gallery setting. It is something I've been pondering a lot recently on how it may be possible to bring authentic land art inside a gallery space, and indeed whether you should really try at all.<br /> <br /> At one point I became part of the installation. As I meandered through, it was getting darker and darker and two ladies approached from the opposite direction. The path through the wood was not wide enough for us all so I propped myself up in a corner so that they could get past. Instead of walking past me though they stopped and one peered closely into my face.<br /> <br /> &quot;There's a statue here&quot; she said.<br /> <br /> &quot;No, I'm just trying to let you get through&quot; I replied.<br /> <br /> She leapt in the air like a scalded cat and let out a piercing scream. It seemed the dark wood of fairy tales was having quite a strong affect on this lady.<br /> <br /> I gathered these Scarlet Oak leaves, and many others, from a tree I had noticed by the side of the road. On the way we passed many others and I was amazed that I had not noticed them before. Last year when I made this <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3889998060/in/set-72157614076873857/">ball</a> I managed to find six trees to collect leaves from after searching and searching. And yet this year I keep tripping over them everywhere.<br /> <br /> Just like when you buy a new car you suddenly notice that make and model everywhere and it seems it is so with everything else in life. How much passes us by because we simply take no notice? Even if we are convinced of the contrary. <br /> <br /> I never fail to be amazed at what new and interesting things I constantly find and how I missed so much before despite how hard I was looking. Land art and mother nature are the gifts that keep on giving all that is required is to open your eyes and mind.</p> escher is still alive autumn red sculpture sun colour grass leaves scarlet square leaf oak october lancashire lancaster stick thorns ephemeral landart naturalart 2010 enviro enviroart andygoldsworthyhomage landartconnections richardshilling burrowbeck http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/4599515120/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/escher1/">escher is still alive</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/4599515120/" title="4 Holly Stars"><img src="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1196/4599515120_7e907fb27f_m.jpg" width="240" height="167" alt="4 Holly Stars" /></a></p> Tue, 11 May 2010 12:37:48 -0700 2010-05-11T20:37:48-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (escher is still alive) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/4599515120 4 Holly Stars escher is still alive sculpture sun colour green grass leaves square leaf spring may holly lancashire lancaster stick thorns ephemeral landart naturalart 2010 enviro enviroart andygoldsworthyhomage richardshilling burrowbeck http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/4599515454/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/escher1/">escher is still alive</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/4599515454/" title="4 Holly Stars"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3284/4599515454_3860b04c27_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="4 Holly Stars" /></a></p> <p>Quite a few people seemed to like the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/4528509922/">Holly Star</a> and had asked me for prints so I was spurred on to try something else with the spikeless holly leaves.<br /> <br /> I made this on Sunday but the day was shrouded with thick grey cloud and a shivery breeze so all in the land were glum and sad faced :-(, even the chipper land artists were grumpy. <br /> <br /> But praise be, today the curse was lifted and the sun shone brightly across azure skies. The land artists across the kingdom all came out to play and everyone throughout the land rejoiced as escher could once again don his wellies and stand in the stream doing funny things with bits of grass.<br /> <br /> The wandering dog walkers did then look upon this strange sight on Tuesday lunchtime, as the jester of leaves did steal a few minutes of his lunchbreak to photo his sculpture, and they gazed upon him with contempt as this strange fellow stood bent between and betwixt the river banks behaving like a river loon. 'Boo' they did yell but he was not distracted from his task (as his lunch hour did tick past he knew he would soon have to return to work).<br /> <br /> But hooray, the subjects of Flickr did look upon the resultant photo and rejoiced! 'That's not bad' they sang! 'I quite like it' said another!<br /> <br /> And so the kingdom returned to normal, evil was banished from the four corners of the land and escher slept easy once more in the knowledge that the blinking thing he had made on Sunday now had had its photograph taken, and whenever he fails to do that it gets right on his piggin' nerves.<br /> <br /> THE END</p> Tue, 11 May 2010 12:37:57 -0700 2010-05-11T20:37:57-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (escher is still alive) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/4599515454 4 Holly Stars <p>Quite a few people seemed to like the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/4528509922/">Holly Star</a> and had asked me for prints so I was spurred on to try something else with the spikeless holly leaves.<br /> <br /> I made this on Sunday but the day was shrouded with thick grey cloud and a shivery breeze so all in the land were glum and sad faced :-(, even the chipper land artists were grumpy. <br /> <br /> But praise be, today the curse was lifted and the sun shone brightly across azure skies. The land artists across the kingdom all came out to play and everyone throughout the land rejoiced as escher could once again don his wellies and stand in the stream doing funny things with bits of grass.<br /> <br /> The wandering dog walkers did then look upon this strange sight on Tuesday lunchtime, as the jester of leaves did steal a few minutes of his lunchbreak to photo his sculpture, and they gazed upon him with contempt as this strange fellow stood bent between and betwixt the river banks behaving like a river loon. 'Boo' they did yell but he was not distracted from his task (as his lunch hour did tick past he knew he would soon have to return to work).<br /> <br /> But hooray, the subjects of Flickr did look upon the resultant photo and rejoiced! 'That's not bad' they sang! 'I quite like it' said another!<br /> <br /> And so the kingdom returned to normal, evil was banished from the four corners of the land and escher slept easy once more in the knowledge that the blinking thing he had made on Sunday now had had its photograph taken, and whenever he fails to do that it gets right on his piggin' nerves.<br /> <br /> THE END</p> escher is still alive sculpture sun colour green grass leaves square leaf spring may holly lancashire lancaster stick thorns ephemeral landart naturalart 2010 enviro enviroart andygoldsworthyhomage richardshilling burrowbeck http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/4551984426/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/escher1/">escher is still alive</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/4551984426/" title="Laurel Reflections"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3239/4551984426_6fc86f2b69_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Laurel Reflections" /></a></p> <p>I took quite a few pictures (several hundred!) and I don't know which I like best. <br /> <br /> The top one is backlit so the leaves glow and the sun had gone in when I took the bottom one. I'm erring towards not backlit with this set.</p> Sun, 25 Apr 2010 11:54:09 -0700 2010-04-25T19:54:09-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (escher is still alive) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/4551984426 Laurel Reflections <p>I took quite a few pictures (several hundred!) and I don't know which I like best. <br /> <br /> The top one is backlit so the leaves glow and the sun had gone in when I took the bottom one. I'm erring towards not backlit with this set.</p> escher is still alive red sculpture sun lake colour green grass leaves yellow square leaf spring pond university lancashire lancaster april stick uni thorns laurel ephemeral landart naturalart 2010 enviro enviroart andygoldsworthyhomage richardshilling http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/4551347621/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/escher1/">escher is still alive</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/4551347621/" title="Laurel Reflections"><img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4034/4551347621_ddd20e3507_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Laurel Reflections" /></a></p> <p>I wasn't expecting it to have rained overnight but as it hadn't done for quite a while I knew the mixture of warmth, humid air and rain would send my garden into overdrive and mother nature too.<br /> <br /> Went thorn hunting in the park again and already it was full up with dog walkers, push chairs and expectant wedding guests at the Ashton memorial.<br /> <br /> Whilst heading towards the giant chamelia we found a couple more laurel bushes so I took a twig in case I decided to repeat the theme of yesterday, in anticipation of that company I mentioned yesterday wanting some images. <br /> <br /> While we were there two boys came over to us, they were probably 8 or so, and said &quot;there's a dead bird over there.&quot;<br /> <br /> They looked worried. <br /> <br /> &quot;Is it a blackbird?&quot; I said.<br /> <br /> &quot;It's black and white&quot; they replied.<br /> <br /> I wandered over to have a look at it was a juvenile magpie and it had probably been there a while. I told them that and then said that a fox will probably scavenge it and they shouldn't worry.<br /> <br /> &quot;A fox in here?&quot; one of the exclaimed.<br /> <br /> &quot;There's only one thing for it&quot; he shouted &quot;run!&quot;<br /> <br /> And off they went making a very loud aeroplane noises.<br /> <br /> I felt as excitable as they did as the maples had started to reveal new leaves and soon the pallete available to me would be huge.<br /> <br /> We went back home and then onto the University campus as I wanted a good stretch of water to experiment with reflections.<br /> <br /> Down by the lake a lot of work had been done: the lake had been extended, a station for barbecues replete with hobs, taps and bins has been set up, it looked an effort to reduce the burnt patches on the grass, the scattered beer cans, disposable barbecues and general waste. This intention had only been partially successful and the rubbish was now festooned around the barbecue station. overflowing out of the bins, in the lake and all around that area. The amount of rubbish in and around the lake was a real shocker and I tempted to go down there and clean it up myself but I am sure 20,000 students should be able to organise something! Or perhaps not.<br /> <br /> Two groups of ducklings were present, one lot older and twice the size of the other. The youngest group numbered fifteen ducklings and they were the cutest of the cute. Like little motorboats zooming over the water and everytime they went on a excursion the big daddy goose ensured they were protected which was quite interesting to see. Obviously he was not their father but he guarded them wherever they went. <br /> <br /> Later a white duck was desperately trying to get its end away with the mallard mother of the older ducklings. He was extremely rampant in his advances and the poor female was extremely distressed. Soon 10 or so mallard males joined in and tried to attack the white male, whilst the ducklings scattered. I could see why the big daddy goose wanted to protect them, they are some unruly characters amongst the coots, chickens, geese and ducks that live on that pond.<br /> <br /> Three young lads were checking out the bird life and the eldest threw stones at the ducklings and got a ticking off from me. So he then started throwing them at the three territorial geese that had chased and hissed at me when I arrived (to everyone's amusement), so I thought twice before ticking him off again but of course I did anyway!<br /> <br /> They came over to me and asked what I was doing, &quot;making a sculpture&quot; I said.<br /> <br /> &quot;What's a sculpture?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;It is art made out of something like wood or stone or plasticine&quot;<br /> <br /> This piece of information was met with more aeroplane noises and running away. I have that effect on most people.<br /> <br /> After we had been there a while several more barbecues had been lit, not one of them at the barbecue station and all around the field smoke billowed and individual piles of rubbish grew. But of course as we all know fairies/goblins/imaginary friends etc pick up litter so it is fine to chuck whatever you have wherever you want.<br /> <br /> No-one except the aeroplane boys came to see what we were doing, the only visitors were an endless supply of pond scum, lily pads, weed and catkins all of which I didn't want in my shot. Each time I waded back into the water I sunk a little lower into the mud and the water nearly reached the top of my wellies.<br /> <br /> But the more I do this, make sculptures and photograph them somewhere especially in public, the more I don't care what people think. That oft quoted Andy Goldsworthy line (that he said when handling ice in sub zero temps) &quot;good art keeps you warm&quot; isn't apt on a warm spring day. I prefer &quot;my art means I don't care whether you think I am a weirdo.&quot;<br /> <br /> This attitude comes in very handy standing in ponds, retrieving thorns from the middle of bushes and going everywhere with a plastic bag of leaves.<br /> <br /> What won't be evident to you in these pictures is what I experienced with reflections. Through photography you pick out a moment in time, captured in an image. That snapshot can be a millisecond or several minutes. The ripples and reflections of the water left me mesmerised, each moment captured within my camera. I've decided to purchase a pair of waders and I think I will spend a lot more time standing in water, fighting off geese and being mesmerised by the water's surface all around me. Now is that weird?!<br /> <br /> It wasn't over yet, there was more thing thign of weirdness to encounter. 'The tale of the bumless chicken.'<br /> <br /> Whether he had had an accident or was born like I don't know but despite my amusement he wasn't so amused at my attempts to get a blurry shot of his missing bottom! It isn't nice to mock (or photograph) the afflicted! So I left him alone and went home.</p> Sun, 25 Apr 2010 11:54:20 -0700 2010-04-25T19:54:20-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (escher is still alive) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/4551347621 Laurel Reflections <p>I wasn't expecting it to have rained overnight but as it hadn't done for quite a while I knew the mixture of warmth, humid air and rain would send my garden into overdrive and mother nature too.<br /> <br /> Went thorn hunting in the park again and already it was full up with dog walkers, push chairs and expectant wedding guests at the Ashton memorial.<br /> <br /> Whilst heading towards the giant chamelia we found a couple more laurel bushes so I took a twig in case I decided to repeat the theme of yesterday, in anticipation of that company I mentioned yesterday wanting some images. <br /> <br /> While we were there two boys came over to us, they were probably 8 or so, and said &quot;there's a dead bird over there.&quot;<br /> <br /> They looked worried. <br /> <br /> &quot;Is it a blackbird?&quot; I said.<br /> <br /> &quot;It's black and white&quot; they replied.<br /> <br /> I wandered over to have a look at it was a juvenile magpie and it had probably been there a while. I told them that and then said that a fox will probably scavenge it and they shouldn't worry.<br /> <br /> &quot;A fox in here?&quot; one of the exclaimed.<br /> <br /> &quot;There's only one thing for it&quot; he shouted &quot;run!&quot;<br /> <br /> And off they went making a very loud aeroplane noises.<br /> <br /> I felt as excitable as they did as the maples had started to reveal new leaves and soon the pallete available to me would be huge.<br /> <br /> We went back home and then onto the University campus as I wanted a good stretch of water to experiment with reflections.<br /> <br /> Down by the lake a lot of work had been done: the lake had been extended, a station for barbecues replete with hobs, taps and bins has been set up, it looked an effort to reduce the burnt patches on the grass, the scattered beer cans, disposable barbecues and general waste. This intention had only been partially successful and the rubbish was now festooned around the barbecue station. overflowing out of the bins, in the lake and all around that area. The amount of rubbish in and around the lake was a real shocker and I tempted to go down there and clean it up myself but I am sure 20,000 students should be able to organise something! Or perhaps not.<br /> <br /> Two groups of ducklings were present, one lot older and twice the size of the other. The youngest group numbered fifteen ducklings and they were the cutest of the cute. Like little motorboats zooming over the water and everytime they went on a excursion the big daddy goose ensured they were protected which was quite interesting to see. Obviously he was not their father but he guarded them wherever they went. <br /> <br /> Later a white duck was desperately trying to get its end away with the mallard mother of the older ducklings. He was extremely rampant in his advances and the poor female was extremely distressed. Soon 10 or so mallard males joined in and tried to attack the white male, whilst the ducklings scattered. I could see why the big daddy goose wanted to protect them, they are some unruly characters amongst the coots, chickens, geese and ducks that live on that pond.<br /> <br /> Three young lads were checking out the bird life and the eldest threw stones at the ducklings and got a ticking off from me. So he then started throwing them at the three territorial geese that had chased and hissed at me when I arrived (to everyone's amusement), so I thought twice before ticking him off again but of course I did anyway!<br /> <br /> They came over to me and asked what I was doing, &quot;making a sculpture&quot; I said.<br /> <br /> &quot;What's a sculpture?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;It is art made out of something like wood or stone or plasticine&quot;<br /> <br /> This piece of information was met with more aeroplane noises and running away. I have that effect on most people.<br /> <br /> After we had been there a while several more barbecues had been lit, not one of them at the barbecue station and all around the field smoke billowed and individual piles of rubbish grew. But of course as we all know fairies/goblins/imaginary friends etc pick up litter so it is fine to chuck whatever you have wherever you want.<br /> <br /> No-one except the aeroplane boys came to see what we were doing, the only visitors were an endless supply of pond scum, lily pads, weed and catkins all of which I didn't want in my shot. Each time I waded back into the water I sunk a little lower into the mud and the water nearly reached the top of my wellies.<br /> <br /> But the more I do this, make sculptures and photograph them somewhere especially in public, the more I don't care what people think. That oft quoted Andy Goldsworthy line (that he said when handling ice in sub zero temps) &quot;good art keeps you warm&quot; isn't apt on a warm spring day. I prefer &quot;my art means I don't care whether you think I am a weirdo.&quot;<br /> <br /> This attitude comes in very handy standing in ponds, retrieving thorns from the middle of bushes and going everywhere with a plastic bag of leaves.<br /> <br /> What won't be evident to you in these pictures is what I experienced with reflections. Through photography you pick out a moment in time, captured in an image. That snapshot can be a millisecond or several minutes. The ripples and reflections of the water left me mesmerised, each moment captured within my camera. I've decided to purchase a pair of waders and I think I will spend a lot more time standing in water, fighting off geese and being mesmerised by the water's surface all around me. Now is that weird?!<br /> <br /> It wasn't over yet, there was more thing thign of weirdness to encounter. 'The tale of the bumless chicken.'<br /> <br /> Whether he had had an accident or was born like I don't know but despite my amusement he wasn't so amused at my attempts to get a blurry shot of his missing bottom! It isn't nice to mock (or photograph) the afflicted! So I left him alone and went home.</p> escher is still alive red sculpture sun lake colour green grass leaves yellow square leaf spring pond university lancashire lancaster april stick uni thorns laurel ephemeral landart naturalart 2010 enviro enviroart andygoldsworthyhomage richardshilling http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/4528509922/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/escher1/">escher is still alive</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/4528509922/" title="Holly Star"><img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4013/4528509922_20711275d4_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="Holly Star" /></a></p> <p>I'm always saying land art is about the doing and not the viewing of the end result. And you know what I'm dead right!<br /> <br /> If you were to pare down land art into only what you need to do then you wouldn't actually make anything at all. The only important part is the wandering, exploring and appreciation of nature. And so my partner and I (her with a bad back and me with a crick in my neck) set off to the park for a slow stroll.<br /> <br /> Sunshine and blue skies, the birds a-chirping, and new leaves reaching for the sun. What bliss, despite not being able to look left or upwards and my partner only managing to walk gingerly. But the sweet smell of blossom in your nostrils, the buzz of bees in your ears and the wonder of new growth all around, is all and everything that you could possibly need.<br /> <br /> We scooped up dozens and dozens of flame coloured fallen leaves, each one a delight to the senses and many of them met with an exclaim of &quot;wow, would you look at this one!&quot; (I know, but we aren't a danger to the general public, honest). Land art means seeing the world through children's eyes, whether you've lost and regained or always had that ability there is joy to be found in just appreciating the beauty that is all around us. And along with it giving up the necessity to care that you may be making a fool of yourself in other people's eyes and to let loose, be care-free and damn well pick up leaves off the ground while on your hand and knees and in a popular municipal park. Security!<br /> <br /> I pondered a change of career and would offer leaf gathering workshops for those looking for tranquility. I would name my organisation 'Bag-o-Leaves' as that it all one needs to reach enlightenment.<br /> <br /> &quot;Right crew, welcome to the 'Bag-o-Leaves' workshop. I trust you've all brought a bag? Then we shall begin! The instructions are quite simple - just fill yer bag with leaves!&quot;<br /> <br /> I noticed these holly leaves, some of them without spikes, and how they have a white edge lit up by the sun. I took them down to the beck and thought after last weeks shenaningans that this week quick would be ok. A few stalks of grass, a few thorns and hey presto I was done.<br /> <br /> I've had a Giclee print done of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3582594904/in/set-72157613787390157/">Traffic Lights for River Traffic</a>, had it framed and it is now on the wall. I think it looks great and gawping at it has reminded me of the day when I made that sculpture and how a passer-by regaled me with his story of his nephew's motorbike. Believe me his anecdote was a cracker and if you haven't heard it you should go and read my retelling ;-) you might learn a thing or two about mopeds.<br /> <br /> Wellies on and into the stream I set up the struts so the leaves would catch the sun but first I would need to pull out the half-a-motorbike hidden under the silt. First a headlamp, then an exhaust pipe, assorted bits of plastic, some wire, and some drinks cans. Perhaps the rider had downed a four pack of lager and had careered into the stream right here? I hoped I wasn't going to find bones!<br /> <br /> But what did I tell you about appreciating nature? Well unfortunately the human touch seems to be everywhere not all of it artistic! Ho hum. But then again these pieces of moped may have belonged to my passers-by nephew recounted in the Traffic LIghts for River Traffic story, which would make my return to that spot quite apt. Just like my joining of autumn and spring sculptures here I have succeeded in joining two tales of neglected motorbikes. My word, my art is so deep and meaningful, wherever do I get these wonderful concepts from?! <br /> <br /> After I finished with this one and now sporting my 'I graduated from the Bag-o-Leaves Academy' badge I took my 'Bag-o-Leaves (registered TM, Copyright Bag-o-Leaves Academy) and decided to make a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/landartforkids/4528488982/">Dragon</a> for the next kids book and for more how to's on . We're working on the next LandArtforKids book, workshop materials and workshops for kids so I've been making kids sculptures as well as my own, although to the untrained eye (that'll be mine) thre is very little difference.<br /> <br /> It gives me an excuse, as if I needed one, to act even more like a kid. Perhaps you should too?!<br /> <br /> This was made for the Land Art Connections Project April 2010 - Theme Shadows on 17th April 2010 at Burrow Beck, Lancaster, UK.</p> Sat, 17 Apr 2010 08:26:22 -0700 2010-04-17T16:26:22-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (escher is still alive) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/4528509922 Holly Star <p>I'm always saying land art is about the doing and not the viewing of the end result. And you know what I'm dead right!<br /> <br /> If you were to pare down land art into only what you need to do then you wouldn't actually make anything at all. The only important part is the wandering, exploring and appreciation of nature. And so my partner and I (her with a bad back and me with a crick in my neck) set off to the park for a slow stroll.<br /> <br /> Sunshine and blue skies, the birds a-chirping, and new leaves reaching for the sun. What bliss, despite not being able to look left or upwards and my partner only managing to walk gingerly. But the sweet smell of blossom in your nostrils, the buzz of bees in your ears and the wonder of new growth all around, is all and everything that you could possibly need.<br /> <br /> We scooped up dozens and dozens of flame coloured fallen leaves, each one a delight to the senses and many of them met with an exclaim of &quot;wow, would you look at this one!&quot; (I know, but we aren't a danger to the general public, honest). Land art means seeing the world through children's eyes, whether you've lost and regained or always had that ability there is joy to be found in just appreciating the beauty that is all around us. And along with it giving up the necessity to care that you may be making a fool of yourself in other people's eyes and to let loose, be care-free and damn well pick up leaves off the ground while on your hand and knees and in a popular municipal park. Security!<br /> <br /> I pondered a change of career and would offer leaf gathering workshops for those looking for tranquility. I would name my organisation 'Bag-o-Leaves' as that it all one needs to reach enlightenment.<br /> <br /> &quot;Right crew, welcome to the 'Bag-o-Leaves' workshop. I trust you've all brought a bag? Then we shall begin! The instructions are quite simple - just fill yer bag with leaves!&quot;<br /> <br /> I noticed these holly leaves, some of them without spikes, and how they have a white edge lit up by the sun. I took them down to the beck and thought after last weeks shenaningans that this week quick would be ok. A few stalks of grass, a few thorns and hey presto I was done.<br /> <br /> I've had a Giclee print done of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3582594904/in/set-72157613787390157/">Traffic Lights for River Traffic</a>, had it framed and it is now on the wall. I think it looks great and gawping at it has reminded me of the day when I made that sculpture and how a passer-by regaled me with his story of his nephew's motorbike. Believe me his anecdote was a cracker and if you haven't heard it you should go and read my retelling ;-) you might learn a thing or two about mopeds.<br /> <br /> Wellies on and into the stream I set up the struts so the leaves would catch the sun but first I would need to pull out the half-a-motorbike hidden under the silt. First a headlamp, then an exhaust pipe, assorted bits of plastic, some wire, and some drinks cans. Perhaps the rider had downed a four pack of lager and had careered into the stream right here? I hoped I wasn't going to find bones!<br /> <br /> But what did I tell you about appreciating nature? Well unfortunately the human touch seems to be everywhere not all of it artistic! Ho hum. But then again these pieces of moped may have belonged to my passers-by nephew recounted in the Traffic LIghts for River Traffic story, which would make my return to that spot quite apt. Just like my joining of autumn and spring sculptures here I have succeeded in joining two tales of neglected motorbikes. My word, my art is so deep and meaningful, wherever do I get these wonderful concepts from?! <br /> <br /> After I finished with this one and now sporting my 'I graduated from the Bag-o-Leaves Academy' badge I took my 'Bag-o-Leaves (registered TM, Copyright Bag-o-Leaves Academy) and decided to make a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/landartforkids/4528488982/">Dragon</a> for the next kids book and for more how to's on . We're working on the next LandArtforKids book, workshop materials and workshops for kids so I've been making kids sculptures as well as my own, although to the untrained eye (that'll be mine) thre is very little difference.<br /> <br /> It gives me an excuse, as if I needed one, to act even more like a kid. Perhaps you should too?!<br /> <br /> This was made for the Land Art Connections Project April 2010 - Theme Shadows on 17th April 2010 at Burrow Beck, Lancaster, UK.</p> escher is still alive sculpture sun colour green grass leaves kids square leaf spring shadows holly lancashire motorbike lancaster april stick thorns moped ephemeral landart naturalart 2010 enviro bagoleaves enviroart andygoldsworthyhomage landartconnections richardshilling burrowbeck http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3915748065/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/escher1/">escher is still alive</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3915748065/" title="Stone Stick Stack"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2210/3915748065_a6b5ceb565_m.jpg" width="158" height="240" alt="Stone Stick Stack" /></a></p> <p>Do you remember that old parable or kiddies song &quot;don't build your house on the sand ('and the rain comes tumbling down') well rock balancing fans, don't build your balances on springy moss, rotten tree stumps or with rotten wood, they're already difficult enough as it is!<br /> <br /> I went back again to the spot were I made the leaf lightning sculpture and I wanted to make a tornado cairn out of wood, this proved to be nigh on impossible with my current level of skill. I attempted several different ways of doing it and learnt quite a bit but it didn't work the way I wanted it too and so it will become a future project as I really want to make one now.<br /> <br /> I wandered around looking at the rocks and trees and leaves, taking in the atmosphere of the place - and it is very atmospheric - and I had several ideas but not the time after spending several hours trying to make the first idea come to fruition.<br /> <br /> I looked for interesting features upon which I could build a balance but it was all a bit half-hearted as I knew the soft moss would not be stable enough however striking it looked. But I did like the constrast of textures between the stone and the wood so I moved the rocks I had gathered to a different spot.<br /> <br /> The dead wood layers in between the slabs were quite old and rotten and so the whole thing was more flexible and precarious than usual. I had to catch it several times and get it back into balance after it tipped and each time the bottom left hand stick would roll out meaning I had to hold up the whole construction balanced on one single twig while I re-inserted the one next to it. <br /> <br /> The dappled sunlight coming through the trees gave the sense that the sculpture was moving (well it was moving a bit in the breeze but the feeling of vertigo you get when you change focus onto a stick you are snapping or when you study a rock to see how it needs to be orientated, through the movement of the sunlight meant that I expected it (or me) to go over any second) and it was hard to tell when it actually would, but fortunately I did catch it each time but you can't take you eyes away even for a second, even if that has to be just your periperhal vision. Anyway it took several readjustments and rebalances and I sprinted for the camera. It stood for only a couple of minutes before the strong breeze rocked it beyond what it could cope with so there was only time for close up shots. No context and no video but I like it all the same!<br /> <br /> <a href="http://richardshilling.co.uk" rel="nofollow">Land Art Site</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://jrlandart.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Land Art Blog</a></p> Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:39:46 -0700 2009-09-13T18:39:46-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (escher is still alive) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/3915748065 Stone Stick Stack <p>Do you remember that old parable or kiddies song &quot;don't build your house on the sand ('and the rain comes tumbling down') well rock balancing fans, don't build your balances on springy moss, rotten tree stumps or with rotten wood, they're already difficult enough as it is!<br /> <br /> I went back again to the spot were I made the leaf lightning sculpture and I wanted to make a tornado cairn out of wood, this proved to be nigh on impossible with my current level of skill. I attempted several different ways of doing it and learnt quite a bit but it didn't work the way I wanted it too and so it will become a future project as I really want to make one now.<br /> <br /> I wandered around looking at the rocks and trees and leaves, taking in the atmosphere of the place - and it is very atmospheric - and I had several ideas but not the time after spending several hours trying to make the first idea come to fruition.<br /> <br /> I looked for interesting features upon which I could build a balance but it was all a bit half-hearted as I knew the soft moss would not be stable enough however striking it looked. But I did like the constrast of textures between the stone and the wood so I moved the rocks I had gathered to a different spot.<br /> <br /> The dead wood layers in between the slabs were quite old and rotten and so the whole thing was more flexible and precarious than usual. I had to catch it several times and get it back into balance after it tipped and each time the bottom left hand stick would roll out meaning I had to hold up the whole construction balanced on one single twig while I re-inserted the one next to it. <br /> <br /> The dappled sunlight coming through the trees gave the sense that the sculpture was moving (well it was moving a bit in the breeze but the feeling of vertigo you get when you change focus onto a stick you are snapping or when you study a rock to see how it needs to be orientated, through the movement of the sunlight meant that I expected it (or me) to go over any second) and it was hard to tell when it actually would, but fortunately I did catch it each time but you can't take you eyes away even for a second, even if that has to be just your periperhal vision. Anyway it took several readjustments and rebalances and I sprinted for the camera. It stood for only a couple of minutes before the strong breeze rocked it beyond what it could cope with so there was only time for close up shots. No context and no video but I like it all the same!<br /> <br /> <a href="http://richardshilling.co.uk" rel="nofollow">Land Art Site</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://jrlandart.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Land Art Blog</a></p> escher is still alive wood autumn summer sculpture sunlight dead sandstone stack lancashire september diamond hills fells stick balance homage dappled 2009 ephemeral landart naturalart enviro gritstone millstonegrit rockbalancing andygoldsworthy topple pebblebalancing enviroart richardshilling http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3603869933/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/escher1/">escher is still alive</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3603869933/" title="Spin-Spin Leaf Circle"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2469/3603869933_76cfa5791b_m.jpg" width="240" height="154" alt="Spin-Spin Leaf Circle" /></a></p> <p>This is a still shot from <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3604683448/">this</a> film I made. It's the film that really shows you what I was doing.<br /> <br /> I have discovered that the answer to the question &quot;am I mad&quot; is most definitely yes.<br /> <br /> The other day I found a new type of grass growing (to me anyway I assume it isn't a new species ;-)) that I hadn't seen before. The stems were very interesting as they were triangular in cross-section. I really wanted to make something with them. I've had an idea to make some sort of water sculpture using a waterfall for a while so I decided to make some chutes with the grass and build something to redirect the water.<br /> <br /> We headed up to Clougha to use the stream there that has lots of steps as it descends the hill. Its been very breezy today so it seemed a suitable plan.<br /> <br /> Someone had not told the biting midges that it was windy. Midges don't like the wind and only like to come out when it is calm. At least that is what I thought. There seems to be a new type of super-midge that is windproof and they seem to have an awful lot of brothers and sisters, children and aunties and uncles and it seemed they had ALL come out for freshly cooked meat. And I was it.<br /> <br /> So there I was standing in the stream rigging up a frankly, quite mad heath-robinson affair with sticks and struts, troughs and chutes. Not at all my style of land art and will require quite a bit more experimentation before I get it right but it still made me chuckle. Who in their right mind would do such a thing? It is all very well if you produce a beautiful photograph at the end but this thing? What purpose could it possibly serve? One persons comedy is anothers insanity and which someone would pick if they saw me covered in biting midges, cursing and swearing at the sods, hundreds of them up my nose and in my ears with me leaping out of the stream at regular intervals scratching at bites and squishing handfulls of them while rigging up a strange water diversion device. I am not sure the diagnosis would be good.<br /> <br /> I said to my partner &quot;if proof was needed then this is it, I really am mad!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;You're mad?&quot; she replied with a roll of the eyes. &quot;What about me? How mad am I to be standing out here getting savaged by midges watching you make that mad contraption?! How do you persuade me to come and witness your mad schemes?&quot; <br /> <br /> It's a fair point well made. <br /> <br /> Anyway I am not going to show you the heath-robinson water works, no matter how much you beg. Sulking will get you nowhere. Anyone who can prove that they have spent the last hour knee deep in water getting bitten by insects may be allowed a private viewing. The rest of you won't be up to it I am afraid. It's a tough game this land art stuff you know, I want you to be fully aware how much I dice with death for my art. <br /> <br /> Just upstream of the water works was this pool with little eddies. My leaf circle fancied a little jaunt and I was happy to oblige.<br /> <br /> This was made for the Land Art Connections Project on 7/6/09 June Theme &quot;Water&quot;<br /> <br /> <a href="http://jrlandart.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Land Art Blog</a></p> Sun, 07 Jun 2009 12:02:12 -0700 2009-06-07T20:02:12-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (escher is still alive) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/3603869933 Spin-Spin Leaf Circle <p>This is a still shot from <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3604683448/">this</a> film I made. It's the film that really shows you what I was doing.<br /> <br /> I have discovered that the answer to the question &quot;am I mad&quot; is most definitely yes.<br /> <br /> The other day I found a new type of grass growing (to me anyway I assume it isn't a new species ;-)) that I hadn't seen before. The stems were very interesting as they were triangular in cross-section. I really wanted to make something with them. I've had an idea to make some sort of water sculpture using a waterfall for a while so I decided to make some chutes with the grass and build something to redirect the water.<br /> <br /> We headed up to Clougha to use the stream there that has lots of steps as it descends the hill. Its been very breezy today so it seemed a suitable plan.<br /> <br /> Someone had not told the biting midges that it was windy. Midges don't like the wind and only like to come out when it is calm. At least that is what I thought. There seems to be a new type of super-midge that is windproof and they seem to have an awful lot of brothers and sisters, children and aunties and uncles and it seemed they had ALL come out for freshly cooked meat. And I was it.<br /> <br /> So there I was standing in the stream rigging up a frankly, quite mad heath-robinson affair with sticks and struts, troughs and chutes. Not at all my style of land art and will require quite a bit more experimentation before I get it right but it still made me chuckle. Who in their right mind would do such a thing? It is all very well if you produce a beautiful photograph at the end but this thing? What purpose could it possibly serve? One persons comedy is anothers insanity and which someone would pick if they saw me covered in biting midges, cursing and swearing at the sods, hundreds of them up my nose and in my ears with me leaping out of the stream at regular intervals scratching at bites and squishing handfulls of them while rigging up a strange water diversion device. I am not sure the diagnosis would be good.<br /> <br /> I said to my partner &quot;if proof was needed then this is it, I really am mad!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;You're mad?&quot; she replied with a roll of the eyes. &quot;What about me? How mad am I to be standing out here getting savaged by midges watching you make that mad contraption?! How do you persuade me to come and witness your mad schemes?&quot; <br /> <br /> It's a fair point well made. <br /> <br /> Anyway I am not going to show you the heath-robinson water works, no matter how much you beg. Sulking will get you nowhere. Anyone who can prove that they have spent the last hour knee deep in water getting bitten by insects may be allowed a private viewing. The rest of you won't be up to it I am afraid. It's a tough game this land art stuff you know, I want you to be fully aware how much I dice with death for my art. <br /> <br /> Just upstream of the water works was this pool with little eddies. My leaf circle fancied a little jaunt and I was happy to oblige.<br /> <br /> This was made for the Land Art Connections Project on 7/6/09 June Theme &quot;Water&quot;<br /> <br /> <a href="http://jrlandart.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Land Art Blog</a></p> escher is still alive sculpture colour green water leaves wheel june circle leaf spring blood stream spin lancashire rhododendron twig lancaster stick thorns eddy 2009 ephemeral landart naturalart enviro midge clougha birkbank savaged enviroart andygoldsworthyhomage landartconnections richardshilling http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3582594904/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/escher1/">escher is still alive</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3582594904/" title="Traffic Lights for River Traffic"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3632/3582594904_823ce577e5_m.jpg" width="240" height="167" alt="Traffic Lights for River Traffic" /></a></p> <p>If I go off on a bit of tangent somewhere in these notes then it is because I have baked my head out in the sun today. If I really start to go off on one then it might be best to call the men in white coats. If you tell them to pretend to be selling ice creams then I will go with them without too much of a struggle.<br /> <br /> I wanted to do something with water (other than drink it) today but I just can't leave (you see what I did there) coloured leaves alone especially in the wonderful sunshine we are enjoying. First I thought about making the discs so they were parallel with the water but the light shining through them was too much to resist. I am sucker for it don't you know. <br /> <br /> I can sense some of you are hovering by your phones looking up the local mental institution number. Anyhow...<br /> <br /> The red one is made from copper beech leaves, the yellow and green from rhododendron. Thorns and dried grass stalks were used to pin it all together.<br /> <br /> This stream is right next to a footpath and I guess for the average passer-by it is a little unusual to see two fully grown adults splashing about in wellies in a small stream. Not unless they have met either of us before.<br /> <br /> At one point a lady and her dog walked past and they were a little shocked (both of them) to see us there especially as the dog wanted to jump in a follow the water upstream just where we were.<br /> <br /> As we were finishing up another walker went past and stopped to ask what we were doing. I explained to him about land art and showed him the sculpture.<br /> <br /> &quot;Why are you doing that then?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Well you know, it just making a sculpture&quot; I replied<br /> <br /> &quot;Yeah but why would you want to?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Errmm, just for fun?&quot;<br /> <br /> I started to pack up, collect together the bits and bobs and fold up the tripods. Our new friend fancied a bit of a chat and being a friendly chap I joined in.<br /> <br /> Soon, I am not sure how, the conversation turned to his nephew and how he is 17, 6' 5&quot; but not fat you understand, just a big bloke. And he's got this motorbike see, that he has trashed and he never looks after his things because his parents always do everything for him. And he's got this phone right, cost £400 it did and guess what he'd only gone and lost it two days after buying it! You wouldn't believe it would you! Two days! Kids today eh. And then he went to the snooker club with his uncle and when they came out he had a flat tire. &quot;A flat tire!&quot; I exclaimed. &quot;Kids today having flat tires willy-nilly, never would have happened in my day!&quot;<br /> <br /> Meanwhile I can feel the skin on my right ear and right forearm slowly starting to burn and crisp up nicely. The smell didn't seem to bother my new chum. &quot;I am helping him build a new motorbike, but he seems to think I will do it all for him.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Does he, what a cheek eh!&quot; I replied.<br /> <br /> &quot;He reckons he is going to get Terry to do it for him, but I know Terry I've talked to him about it&quot; he said.<br /> <br /> &quot;Nothing gets past you does it mate&quot; I agreed.<br /> <br /> &quot;No it doesn't. He reckons if Terry can't do it he'll get his Grandad to do it. Wrong again - I've been to see Grandad too, he's got no chance!&quot;<br /> <br /> The blistering was becoming quite intense now so I took my chance, pushed him into the river and legged it.<br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://jrlandart.blogspot.com">Land Art Blog</a></p> Sun, 31 May 2009 11:31:32 -0700 2009-05-31T19:31:32-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (escher is still alive) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/3582594904 Traffic Lights for River Traffic <p>If I go off on a bit of tangent somewhere in these notes then it is because I have baked my head out in the sun today. If I really start to go off on one then it might be best to call the men in white coats. If you tell them to pretend to be selling ice creams then I will go with them without too much of a struggle.<br /> <br /> I wanted to do something with water (other than drink it) today but I just can't leave (you see what I did there) coloured leaves alone especially in the wonderful sunshine we are enjoying. First I thought about making the discs so they were parallel with the water but the light shining through them was too much to resist. I am sucker for it don't you know. <br /> <br /> I can sense some of you are hovering by your phones looking up the local mental institution number. Anyhow...<br /> <br /> The red one is made from copper beech leaves, the yellow and green from rhododendron. Thorns and dried grass stalks were used to pin it all together.<br /> <br /> This stream is right next to a footpath and I guess for the average passer-by it is a little unusual to see two fully grown adults splashing about in wellies in a small stream. Not unless they have met either of us before.<br /> <br /> At one point a lady and her dog walked past and they were a little shocked (both of them) to see us there especially as the dog wanted to jump in a follow the water upstream just where we were.<br /> <br /> As we were finishing up another walker went past and stopped to ask what we were doing. I explained to him about land art and showed him the sculpture.<br /> <br /> &quot;Why are you doing that then?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Well you know, it just making a sculpture&quot; I replied<br /> <br /> &quot;Yeah but why would you want to?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Errmm, just for fun?&quot;<br /> <br /> I started to pack up, collect together the bits and bobs and fold up the tripods. Our new friend fancied a bit of a chat and being a friendly chap I joined in.<br /> <br /> Soon, I am not sure how, the conversation turned to his nephew and how he is 17, 6' 5&quot; but not fat you understand, just a big bloke. And he's got this motorbike see, that he has trashed and he never looks after his things because his parents always do everything for him. And he's got this phone right, cost £400 it did and guess what he'd only gone and lost it two days after buying it! You wouldn't believe it would you! Two days! Kids today eh. And then he went to the snooker club with his uncle and when they came out he had a flat tire. &quot;A flat tire!&quot; I exclaimed. &quot;Kids today having flat tires willy-nilly, never would have happened in my day!&quot;<br /> <br /> Meanwhile I can feel the skin on my right ear and right forearm slowly starting to burn and crisp up nicely. The smell didn't seem to bother my new chum. &quot;I am helping him build a new motorbike, but he seems to think I will do it all for him.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Does he, what a cheek eh!&quot; I replied.<br /> <br /> &quot;He reckons he is going to get Terry to do it for him, but I know Terry I've talked to him about it&quot; he said.<br /> <br /> &quot;Nothing gets past you does it mate&quot; I agreed.<br /> <br /> &quot;No it doesn't. He reckons if Terry can't do it he'll get his Grandad to do it. Wrong again - I've been to see Grandad too, he's got no chance!&quot;<br /> <br /> The blistering was becoming quite intense now so I took my chance, pushed him into the river and legged it.<br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://jrlandart.blogspot.com">Land Art Blog</a></p> escher is still alive red sculpture sun colour green leaves wheel yellow circle leaf spring may lancashire rhododendron twig copper lancaster sunburn segment stick thorns 2009 ephemeral beech landart naturalart enviro sculpure enviroart andygoldsworthyhomage richardshilling burrowbeck http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3578832196/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/escher1/">escher is still alive</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3578832196/" title="Rainbow Leaf Stripe Amongst the Buttercups"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3380/3578832196_653dbcdb39_m.jpg" width="240" height="162" alt="Rainbow Leaf Stripe Amongst the Buttercups" /></a></p> <p>With <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/1463427013/in/set-72157613787390157/">this</a> sculpture I have finally joined up the circle. I started on a path a few years ago where I began to investigate the colours of Autumn. I made this from cherry leaves and was astounded at the different colours that were there. They were not all obvious at first and by making something where the colours faded - one into another - I had to spend time with those trees and study their leaves to discover all the colours that they could produce. I have made more sculptures over subsequent Autumn seasons and I found that that range of colours is not always available, different seasons bring different factors that affect the colours and I discovered that sometimes the full range is only there for a day or two.<br /> <br /> This season has been the first time I have tried a similar voyage of discovery to reveal the colours of Spring. In some ways this has been an even more suprising, inspiring and fruitful journey and I have been amazed to find quite how many colours there are to be found in leaves. In fact this Spring has been comparable with a really good autumn in the variety of colours present, the only difference being the quantity of coloured leaves to be found. What has staggered me the most though is how I have missed the colours before. Sure I must have seen them in the past but their presence fleetingly glanced off my consciousness without making much of an impression. <br /> <br /> It is only during the last few days that I have finally found the full range of colours I would expect in fall and realised that they were there all the time. Yellows, reds and greens have been present in abundance but the oranges and in-between hues were harder to find. But through the process of making the leaf series I have been constructing recently I have gradually reached the point where I now know that all the colours of Autumn are present in Spring too for those that care to look.<br /> <br /> This is what land art is all about. Immerse yourself in nature to open your eyes to the world. Discover that we are often distracted and unable to see what is all around us. Know that there is joy to be found in the structure of a leaf, the colours all around us, new growth, new life. With each new discovery a veil is lifted and it is possible to see more clearly. I hope that I bring some of this to you too.<br /> <br /> But with each new insight there is the promise of more. There is so much more to see that I cannot see now, I am convinced of that. And again I will be surprised as to how blind I have been as I peel back another layer. Next Spring I will find out more about this one as I learn the difference between one season and the next. Will all those colours be there again? Will there be more? Did our cold Winter mean that this Spring was more colourful than before? There are many revelations yet to be had I am sure.<br /> <br /> Ps. I haven't started drinking yet. I talk this much rubbish when I am sober. To the barbie mobile!<br /> <br /> <a href="http://jrlandart.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Land Art Blog</a></p> Sat, 30 May 2009 07:50:53 -0700 2009-05-30T15:50:53-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (escher is still alive) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/3578832196 Rainbow Leaf Stripe Amongst the Buttercups <p>With <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/1463427013/in/set-72157613787390157/">this</a> sculpture I have finally joined up the circle. I started on a path a few years ago where I began to investigate the colours of Autumn. I made this from cherry leaves and was astounded at the different colours that were there. They were not all obvious at first and by making something where the colours faded - one into another - I had to spend time with those trees and study their leaves to discover all the colours that they could produce. I have made more sculptures over subsequent Autumn seasons and I found that that range of colours is not always available, different seasons bring different factors that affect the colours and I discovered that sometimes the full range is only there for a day or two.<br /> <br /> This season has been the first time I have tried a similar voyage of discovery to reveal the colours of Spring. In some ways this has been an even more suprising, inspiring and fruitful journey and I have been amazed to find quite how many colours there are to be found in leaves. In fact this Spring has been comparable with a really good autumn in the variety of colours present, the only difference being the quantity of coloured leaves to be found. What has staggered me the most though is how I have missed the colours before. Sure I must have seen them in the past but their presence fleetingly glanced off my consciousness without making much of an impression. <br /> <br /> It is only during the last few days that I have finally found the full range of colours I would expect in fall and realised that they were there all the time. Yellows, reds and greens have been present in abundance but the oranges and in-between hues were harder to find. But through the process of making the leaf series I have been constructing recently I have gradually reached the point where I now know that all the colours of Autumn are present in Spring too for those that care to look.<br /> <br /> This is what land art is all about. Immerse yourself in nature to open your eyes to the world. Discover that we are often distracted and unable to see what is all around us. Know that there is joy to be found in the structure of a leaf, the colours all around us, new growth, new life. With each new discovery a veil is lifted and it is possible to see more clearly. I hope that I bring some of this to you too.<br /> <br /> But with each new insight there is the promise of more. There is so much more to see that I cannot see now, I am convinced of that. And again I will be surprised as to how blind I have been as I peel back another layer. Next Spring I will find out more about this one as I learn the difference between one season and the next. Will all those colours be there again? Will there be more? Did our cold Winter mean that this Spring was more colourful than before? There are many revelations yet to be had I am sure.<br /> <br /> Ps. I haven't started drinking yet. I talk this much rubbish when I am sober. To the barbie mobile!<br /> <br /> <a href="http://jrlandart.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Land Art Blog</a></p> escher is still alive red sculpture orange sun colour green leaves wheel yellow leaf spring buttercup may lancashire rhododendron twig lancaster segment stick fade thorns rectangle 2009 ephemeral landart naturalart blend enviro sculpure oblong enviroart andygoldsworthyhomage richardshilling http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/5075715464/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/escher1/">escher is still alive</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/5075715464/" title="Red Oak Leaf Fire Star"><img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4150/5075715464_9cfac42931_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Red Oak Leaf Fire Star" /></a></p> Tue, 12 Oct 2010 09:08:23 -0700 2010-10-12T17:08:23-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (escher is still alive) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/5075715464 Red Oak Leaf Fire Star escher is still alive autumn red sculpture sun colour grass leaves scarlet square leaf oak october lancashire lancaster stick thorns ephemeral landart naturalart 2010 enviro enviroart andygoldsworthyhomage landartconnections richardshilling burrowbeck http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/4547837353/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/escher1/">escher is still alive</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/4547837353/" title="Red Green Laurel"><img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4028/4547837353_86e9ee5d47_m.jpg" width="150" height="240" alt="Red Green Laurel" /></a></p> <p>I don't feel in the mood to write a story right now. But then my partner had it right &quot;it's all part of the cycle of life.&quot;<br /> <br /> If I had a sense of humour today then I'd probably think that a better title for this would be &quot;Laureal - because you're worth it&quot; but I don't so I won't! 8-)<br /> <br /> We were talking about fate the other day and I said that I don't believe in it but I pretend to myself that I do. I don't think things are preordained in our universe but I find my life is full of happy coincidences and I choose to have faith that they happen for a reason. My rational side tells me that these coincidences are a mathmatical certainty that will happen to at least someone. But I find that believing that things are &quot;meant to be&quot; is just another way of engendering the feeling that every cloud has a silver lining, making my life more fulfilling and leaving me with the sense that I'm lucky in life. If you are too busy in your existence to pick up on the connections between events, or are always expecting to be disappointed or let down then many of these happy coincidences will pass you by and you will believe that you are unlucky in life. The opportunity to be lucky is right there in front of you should you wish to take it.<br /> <br /> Making land art gives me the space to see these connections and to pick up on the happy concidences, without the time to free my mind I might miss out on them too.<br /> <br /> We went to the framers this morning to get some Giclee prints framed up (they look amazing by the way! ;-)). We were chatting about the two orphaned lambs they had, little runts they are (in the literal sense but cute as little lambs inevitably are) and they didn't think they would survive. But a bit bigger at three weeks old with funny little characters and charming to boot, they trotted over to greet us, bleating and thinking we might have a bottle or two for them.<br /> <br /> I told him (the framer not the lamb) that I may have some more prints to frame up soon as a company may want some of my pictures for their boardroom. Their company logo incorporates laurel leaves and I said I might make something with them but I didn't know where there were any. <br /> <br /> &quot;I'm no gardener&quot; he said, &quot;but I think that those bushes out there are laurel&quot; And surely they were. Another happy coincidence. &quot;take whatever you need&quot; he said. And so I did.<br /> <br /> I trotted down to the beck and the sunshine had brought everyone out. The chunky lambs in the field opposite were butting each other and playing harem scarem through the hedge and it was most amusing to watch.<br /> <br /> A Japanese student listening to her Ipod came past, she obviously didn't care too much about her hearing as I could still here the tinny percussion when she was 50 yards away sat in a tree. Numerous other dog walkers, parents and toddlers came past including one toddler who needed to use their potty right there and then on the path. When you gotta go you gotta go! But then this is all quite usual on a warm Saturday in April in a fairly well frequented place.<br /> <br /> I set up the framed laurel branch just above the water and set about getting the pictures I wanted, splashing about in my wellies as I did so. The wind tore apart my efforts several times but eventually the breeze relented, the sun appeared from behind the wispy, hazy clouds and I was done.<br /> <br /> Just next to where I was, across the stream and in the field, a chunky lamb lay down wheezing. All the other sheep had gone up to the top of the field and he was left all alone. I didn't think he looked too well but hoped it was my hyper sensitive nature overblowing what was just a cough.<br /> <br /> My spirits dampened, I got home and plugged my camera into the computer but I just had to go back and see what was up with the stricken lamb.<br /> <br /> A young mum stood looking while her daughter choked back tears. Sadly the lamb had died, I hope it hadn't suffered too long. Now I do eat meat and I try not to be a hypocrite, I do realise why there are lambs in the fields at all. But being of a sensitive nature, suffering and death and can be all too much if witnessed.<br /> <br /> Sensitivity is both a blessing and a curse. You feel the reality of life too starkly sometimes and it fosters a tendency to withdraw in an attempt to lessen the impact of the harsh realities we all encounter. But with it comes opportunities to feel lucky in life and to pick up on every happy coincidence that passes by.<br /> <br /> As my partner so eloquently put it: &quot;it is all part of the cycle of life.&quot;</p> Sat, 24 Apr 2010 09:04:03 -0700 2010-04-24T17:04:03-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (escher is still alive) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/4547837353 Red Green Laurel <p>I don't feel in the mood to write a story right now. But then my partner had it right &quot;it's all part of the cycle of life.&quot;<br /> <br /> If I had a sense of humour today then I'd probably think that a better title for this would be &quot;Laureal - because you're worth it&quot; but I don't so I won't! 8-)<br /> <br /> We were talking about fate the other day and I said that I don't believe in it but I pretend to myself that I do. I don't think things are preordained in our universe but I find my life is full of happy coincidences and I choose to have faith that they happen for a reason. My rational side tells me that these coincidences are a mathmatical certainty that will happen to at least someone. But I find that believing that things are &quot;meant to be&quot; is just another way of engendering the feeling that every cloud has a silver lining, making my life more fulfilling and leaving me with the sense that I'm lucky in life. If you are too busy in your existence to pick up on the connections between events, or are always expecting to be disappointed or let down then many of these happy coincidences will pass you by and you will believe that you are unlucky in life. The opportunity to be lucky is right there in front of you should you wish to take it.<br /> <br /> Making land art gives me the space to see these connections and to pick up on the happy concidences, without the time to free my mind I might miss out on them too.<br /> <br /> We went to the framers this morning to get some Giclee prints framed up (they look amazing by the way! ;-)). We were chatting about the two orphaned lambs they had, little runts they are (in the literal sense but cute as little lambs inevitably are) and they didn't think they would survive. But a bit bigger at three weeks old with funny little characters and charming to boot, they trotted over to greet us, bleating and thinking we might have a bottle or two for them.<br /> <br /> I told him (the framer not the lamb) that I may have some more prints to frame up soon as a company may want some of my pictures for their boardroom. Their company logo incorporates laurel leaves and I said I might make something with them but I didn't know where there were any. <br /> <br /> &quot;I'm no gardener&quot; he said, &quot;but I think that those bushes out there are laurel&quot; And surely they were. Another happy coincidence. &quot;take whatever you need&quot; he said. And so I did.<br /> <br /> I trotted down to the beck and the sunshine had brought everyone out. The chunky lambs in the field opposite were butting each other and playing harem scarem through the hedge and it was most amusing to watch.<br /> <br /> A Japanese student listening to her Ipod came past, she obviously didn't care too much about her hearing as I could still here the tinny percussion when she was 50 yards away sat in a tree. Numerous other dog walkers, parents and toddlers came past including one toddler who needed to use their potty right there and then on the path. When you gotta go you gotta go! But then this is all quite usual on a warm Saturday in April in a fairly well frequented place.<br /> <br /> I set up the framed laurel branch just above the water and set about getting the pictures I wanted, splashing about in my wellies as I did so. The wind tore apart my efforts several times but eventually the breeze relented, the sun appeared from behind the wispy, hazy clouds and I was done.<br /> <br /> Just next to where I was, across the stream and in the field, a chunky lamb lay down wheezing. All the other sheep had gone up to the top of the field and he was left all alone. I didn't think he looked too well but hoped it was my hyper sensitive nature overblowing what was just a cough.<br /> <br /> My spirits dampened, I got home and plugged my camera into the computer but I just had to go back and see what was up with the stricken lamb.<br /> <br /> A young mum stood looking while her daughter choked back tears. Sadly the lamb had died, I hope it hadn't suffered too long. Now I do eat meat and I try not to be a hypocrite, I do realise why there are lambs in the fields at all. But being of a sensitive nature, suffering and death and can be all too much if witnessed.<br /> <br /> Sensitivity is both a blessing and a curse. You feel the reality of life too starkly sometimes and it fosters a tendency to withdraw in an attempt to lessen the impact of the harsh realities we all encounter. But with it comes opportunities to feel lucky in life and to pick up on every happy coincidence that passes by.<br /> <br /> As my partner so eloquently put it: &quot;it is all part of the cycle of life.&quot;</p> escher is still alive sculpture sun colour green grass leaves square leaf spring lancashire lancaster april stick thorns laurel ephemeral landart naturalart 2010 enviro enviroart andygoldsworthyhomage richardshilling burrowbeck http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/4548473540/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/escher1/">escher is still alive</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/4548473540/" title="Red Green Laurel"><img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4015/4548473540_e566476d98_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Red Green Laurel" /></a></p> Sat, 24 Apr 2010 09:03:56 -0700 2010-04-24T17:03:56-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (escher is still alive) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/4548473540 Red Green Laurel escher is still alive sculpture sun colour green grass leaves square leaf spring lancashire lancaster april stick thorns laurel ephemeral landart naturalart 2010 enviro enviroart andygoldsworthyhomage richardshilling burrowbeck http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/4527876919/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/escher1/">escher is still alive</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/4527876919/" title="Holly Star"><img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4025/4527876919_e0cd9d8020_m.jpg" width="240" height="163" alt="Holly Star" /></a></p> Sat, 17 Apr 2010 08:26:14 -0700 2010-04-17T16:26:14-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (escher is still alive) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/4527876919 Holly Star escher is still alive sculpture sun colour green grass leaves kids square leaf spring shadows holly lancashire motorbike lancaster april stick thorns moped ephemeral landart naturalart 2010 enviro bagoleaves enviroart andygoldsworthyhomage landartconnections richardshilling burrowbeck http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3859806582/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/escher1/">escher is still alive</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3859806582/" title="I've been tagged"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2527/3859806582_83d7d10b6d_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="I've been tagged" /></a></p> <p>Here is escher in his natural habitat, never happier then when up to his knees in water being bitten by 9000 insects.<br /> <br /> - - - -<br /> <br /> I was tagged by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9945263@N05/">www.flickr.com/photos/9945263@N05/</a><br /> <br /> This is how it goes. List 10 things that your friends may or may not know about you, but that are true. Tag ten people and be sure to let them know they’ve been tagged (a quick message will do). Don’t forget to link back to the person who tagged you. Post a picture in your stream with the 10 facts and list your tagged people :)<br /> <br /> 10 Facts<br /> <br /> 01 I am a twin but my twin was still born. It's never bothered me at all as my family always made light of it so I grew up seeing it as an ok thing. A friend's mum once asked me &quot;if I felt like half a person!&quot; Ermm nope! <br /> <br /> 02 In the mid-nineties I used to put on free raves and DJ at parties. My DJ name was escher. I still have 10,000 records but rarely play them but I still love house music.<br /> <br /> 03 I went on an expedition to climb a Himalayan peak - <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/sets/703187/">Ama Dablam</a> - and it nearly killed me! I had to make a difficult 10 hour descent on my own from camp 2 and spent a fair bit of it crawling and crying! But fortunately I made it down alive.<br /> <br /> 04 I like to cook and I make the best pizza and roast potatoes that you will ever taste! Honest!<br /> <br /> 05 I am a weird combination of shy and introverted and extroverted and thrill seeking. Some days I can't even go into a shop to buy something and other days I will want to climb something like <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/33910709/in/set-748341/">this</a> (you can see a climber dead centre of the photo) and scare myself silly.<br /> <br /> 06 I've been to Nepal seven times and it is my spiritual home. When I go there I feel more myself than I do at home. The place and the people have a positive effect on me like nowhere else I have been.<br /> <br /> 07 I met my partner on a Nepal trekking forum and we fell in love online. I didn't believe that it was possible to fall in love without meeting someone in the flesh but it is and we are still together years later and very happy. <br /> <br /> 08 I released an album of electronic music with a friend of mine 15 years ago. It sold 20,000 (gawd knows how or who to) as it is really bad!<br /> <br /> 09 I am 6'1 and 12 stone now so sort of lanky but at school I was a chubster and my nickname was fat Ricky!<br /> <br /> 10 I have double jointed knees and can bend them backwards. It comes in handy for some rock climbing moves but occasionally they lock and I fall over!<br /> <br /> - - - -<br /> <br /> My 10 tagees are (and I hope they forgive me):<br /> <br /> jrtpickle<br /> stella's eye<br /> ir0ny<br /> litrate<br /> Peggy V<br /> artpropelled<br /> dreamwaters<br /> watred<br /> chismecait<br /> zxgirl</p> Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:36:16 -0700 2009-08-26T18:36:16-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (escher is still alive) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/3859806582 I've been tagged <p>Here is escher in his natural habitat, never happier then when up to his knees in water being bitten by 9000 insects.<br /> <br /> - - - -<br /> <br /> I was tagged by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9945263@N05/">www.flickr.com/photos/9945263@N05/</a><br /> <br /> This is how it goes. List 10 things that your friends may or may not know about you, but that are true. Tag ten people and be sure to let them know they’ve been tagged (a quick message will do). Don’t forget to link back to the person who tagged you. Post a picture in your stream with the 10 facts and list your tagged people :)<br /> <br /> 10 Facts<br /> <br /> 01 I am a twin but my twin was still born. It's never bothered me at all as my family always made light of it so I grew up seeing it as an ok thing. A friend's mum once asked me &quot;if I felt like half a person!&quot; Ermm nope! <br /> <br /> 02 In the mid-nineties I used to put on free raves and DJ at parties. My DJ name was escher. I still have 10,000 records but rarely play them but I still love house music.<br /> <br /> 03 I went on an expedition to climb a Himalayan peak - <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/sets/703187/">Ama Dablam</a> - and it nearly killed me! I had to make a difficult 10 hour descent on my own from camp 2 and spent a fair bit of it crawling and crying! But fortunately I made it down alive.<br /> <br /> 04 I like to cook and I make the best pizza and roast potatoes that you will ever taste! Honest!<br /> <br /> 05 I am a weird combination of shy and introverted and extroverted and thrill seeking. Some days I can't even go into a shop to buy something and other days I will want to climb something like <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/33910709/in/set-748341/">this</a> (you can see a climber dead centre of the photo) and scare myself silly.<br /> <br /> 06 I've been to Nepal seven times and it is my spiritual home. When I go there I feel more myself than I do at home. The place and the people have a positive effect on me like nowhere else I have been.<br /> <br /> 07 I met my partner on a Nepal trekking forum and we fell in love online. I didn't believe that it was possible to fall in love without meeting someone in the flesh but it is and we are still together years later and very happy. <br /> <br /> 08 I released an album of electronic music with a friend of mine 15 years ago. It sold 20,000 (gawd knows how or who to) as it is really bad!<br /> <br /> 09 I am 6'1 and 12 stone now so sort of lanky but at school I was a chubster and my nickname was fat Ricky!<br /> <br /> 10 I have double jointed knees and can bend them backwards. It comes in handy for some rock climbing moves but occasionally they lock and I fall over!<br /> <br /> - - - -<br /> <br /> My 10 tagees are (and I hope they forgive me):<br /> <br /> jrtpickle<br /> stella's eye<br /> ir0ny<br /> litrate<br /> Peggy V<br /> artpropelled<br /> dreamwaters<br /> watred<br /> chismecait<br /> zxgirl</p> escher is still alive red sculpture sun colour green leaves june yellow leaf spring drop lancashire tagged rhododendron twig copper lancaster stick thorns teardrop 2009 ephemeral beech landart naturalart enviro enviroart andygoldsworthyhomage richardshilling keepontagging http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3832850543/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/escher1/">escher is still alive</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3832850543/" title="24 Hours Later"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2638/3832850543_5b6583b309_m.jpg" width="157" height="240" alt="24 Hours Later" /></a></p> <p>A couple of you were asking how long these things last. Well here you go. You can see the leaves have gone brown and have dried up. <br /> <br /> I have visited the tree where I got the leaves twice since I made this and each time, the number of leaves that had turned, had risen ten fold. <br /> <br /> Is autumn early this year? I haven't looked as closely in previous years as I have started to this, but still it seems weird that some trees are turning already.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://richardshilling.co.uk" rel="nofollow">Land Art Site</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://jrlandart.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Land Art Blog</a></p> Tue, 18 Aug 2009 05:40:38 -0700 2009-08-18T13:40:38-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (escher is still alive) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/3832850543 24 Hours Later <p>A couple of you were asking how long these things last. Well here you go. You can see the leaves have gone brown and have dried up. <br /> <br /> I have visited the tree where I got the leaves twice since I made this and each time, the number of leaves that had turned, had risen ten fold. <br /> <br /> Is autumn early this year? I haven't looked as closely in previous years as I have started to this, but still it seems weird that some trees are turning already.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://richardshilling.co.uk" rel="nofollow">Land Art Site</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://jrlandart.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Land Art Blog</a></p> escher is still alive autumn red summer sculpture brown sun colour leaves square cherry leaf dry august lancashire twig lancaster stick fade thorns 2009 ephemeral landart naturalart 24hours enviro wilt oblong enviroart andygoldsworthyhomage richardshilling http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3701616468/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/escher1/">escher is still alive</a> posted a video:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3701616468/" title="4 Colour Sun Wheel Film"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2489/3701616468_5bdd5b667e_m.jpg" width="240" height="135" alt="4 Colour Sun Wheel Film" /></a></p> <p>This is a film of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3459617973/in/set-72157613787390157/">this</a> that I made back in April. If you've seen the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3460432678/in/set-72157613787390157/">original picture</a> you probably didn't realise I was getting eaten alive by midges. Now you can see the gory action all to yourself. I defy you not to feel itchy once you have watched this through!<br /> <br /> <a href="http://jrlandart.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Land Art Blog</a></p> Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:19:43 -0700 2009-07-08T08:19:43-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (escher is still alive) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/3701616468 4 Colour Sun Wheel Film <p>This is a film of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3459617973/in/set-72157613787390157/">this</a> that I made back in April. If you've seen the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3460432678/in/set-72157613787390157/">original picture</a> you probably didn't realise I was getting eaten alive by midges. Now you can see the gory action all to yourself. I defy you not to feel itchy once you have watched this through!<br /> <br /> <a href="http://jrlandart.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Land Art Blog</a></p> escher is still alive park red sculpture brown sun colour green film leaves wheel yellow circle movie leaf spring insects lancashire rhododendron twig lancaster april segment stick thorns 2009 ephemeral midges landart naturalart enviro williamsonpark enviroart andygoldsworthyhomage richardshilling http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3625754638/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/escher1/">escher is still alive</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3625754638/" title="3 Colour Tear Drop"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3377/3625754638_50a8f63bd6_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="3 Colour Tear Drop" /></a></p> <p>I was going to call this &quot;Traffic Lights for Dog Owners Who Don't Clear Up Their Dog's ****&quot; but I didn't think it was a very snappy title. <br /> <br /> There is a cut through next to a stream where I have been doing bits and pieces of land art recently and there is new dog **** right in the middle of the path every day. I am amazed at the laziness of some people especially when they must walk their dog through there themselves and therefore probably don't want to walk in it either. The other national sport that is also a local speciality is picking your dog's mess up in a plastic bag then throwing that bag in a hedge/tree/river/pond. How exceptionally dim is that? I expect they think they are doing the right thing by picking it up but then sealing it in a plastic bag and throwing it in a tree is really going to get rid of it isn't it? It would be better off left on the ground to rot away. Still people as dim as that make the rest of us look good right?<br /> <br /> This sculpture then was a land artists investigation into the meaning of dog ****. It was placed right above a pile of white dog poo and set exactly between two more piles several yards along the path in either direction. I did this to try and draw the viewers attention to how we interact with nature, how dog poo interacts with our environment and how we interact with the dog poo when you stand in it. Art really is such a deep and meaningful subject don't you think? What amazing revelations it can bring to you and with this &quot;study of dog ****&quot; I hope I have left you enlightened like only a good artist can! ;-) I think I'll probably deserve the Tuner Prize for such insight but I'll settle for the Nobel Prize for Art. I'm not fussy.<br /> <br /> The redness of the copper beech is starting to fade now but yellows and greens are still prevalent everywhere. I was amazed how the tall grasses next to this spot have grown in a week and what I did actually learn today (I already knew about inconsiderate dog owners) is that the shrub that I get the sticks from to make the circles produces very long leafless branches right in the centre. When the lower branches are not near the sun the new growth grows long and straight so that it can reach the sunlight. These are what I used to make the arch and the teardrop as they lent themselves to that shape perfectly. I am tempted now to make some really big circles and hang them up somewhere. <br /> <br /> Each new progression leads you on to more ideas along the same theme. It is interesting for me to see how the ideas evolve and how they culminate eventually into something new. All the while learning more about nature and the materials she provides. Finding the long branch growth was just such a discovery and that revelation meant it shaped what I made and how I made it. How the materials themselves help make the finished sculpture by constraining what you can do, how much of a certain colour there is, what shapes you can make from pliable material and so on is a big part of the interest to be found when doing land art.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://jrlandart.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Land Art Blog</a></p> Sun, 14 Jun 2009 09:29:11 -0700 2009-06-14T17:29:11-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (escher is still alive) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/3625754638 3 Colour Tear Drop <p>I was going to call this &quot;Traffic Lights for Dog Owners Who Don't Clear Up Their Dog's ****&quot; but I didn't think it was a very snappy title. <br /> <br /> There is a cut through next to a stream where I have been doing bits and pieces of land art recently and there is new dog **** right in the middle of the path every day. I am amazed at the laziness of some people especially when they must walk their dog through there themselves and therefore probably don't want to walk in it either. The other national sport that is also a local speciality is picking your dog's mess up in a plastic bag then throwing that bag in a hedge/tree/river/pond. How exceptionally dim is that? I expect they think they are doing the right thing by picking it up but then sealing it in a plastic bag and throwing it in a tree is really going to get rid of it isn't it? It would be better off left on the ground to rot away. Still people as dim as that make the rest of us look good right?<br /> <br /> This sculpture then was a land artists investigation into the meaning of dog ****. It was placed right above a pile of white dog poo and set exactly between two more piles several yards along the path in either direction. I did this to try and draw the viewers attention to how we interact with nature, how dog poo interacts with our environment and how we interact with the dog poo when you stand in it. Art really is such a deep and meaningful subject don't you think? What amazing revelations it can bring to you and with this &quot;study of dog ****&quot; I hope I have left you enlightened like only a good artist can! ;-) I think I'll probably deserve the Tuner Prize for such insight but I'll settle for the Nobel Prize for Art. I'm not fussy.<br /> <br /> The redness of the copper beech is starting to fade now but yellows and greens are still prevalent everywhere. I was amazed how the tall grasses next to this spot have grown in a week and what I did actually learn today (I already knew about inconsiderate dog owners) is that the shrub that I get the sticks from to make the circles produces very long leafless branches right in the centre. When the lower branches are not near the sun the new growth grows long and straight so that it can reach the sunlight. These are what I used to make the arch and the teardrop as they lent themselves to that shape perfectly. I am tempted now to make some really big circles and hang them up somewhere. <br /> <br /> Each new progression leads you on to more ideas along the same theme. It is interesting for me to see how the ideas evolve and how they culminate eventually into something new. All the while learning more about nature and the materials she provides. Finding the long branch growth was just such a discovery and that revelation meant it shaped what I made and how I made it. How the materials themselves help make the finished sculpture by constraining what you can do, how much of a certain colour there is, what shapes you can make from pliable material and so on is a big part of the interest to be found when doing land art.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://jrlandart.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Land Art Blog</a></p> escher is still alive red sculpture sun colour green leaves june yellow leaf spring arch drop lancashire rhododendron twig copper lancaster stick thorns teardrop 2009 ephemeral beech landart naturalart enviro enviroart andygoldsworthyhomage richardshilling burrowbeck http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3604683448/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/escher1/">escher is still alive</a> posted a video:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3604683448/" title="Spin-Spin Leaf Circle Film"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2427/3604683448_1bfc438d35_m.jpg" width="240" height="135" alt="Spin-Spin Leaf Circle Film" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://jrlandart.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Land Art Blog</a></p> Sun, 07 Jun 2009 12:01:45 -0700 2009-06-07T12:01:45-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (escher is still alive) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/3604683448 Spin-Spin Leaf Circle Film <p><a href="http://jrlandart.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Land Art Blog</a></p> escher is still alive sculpture colour green film water leaves wheel june circle movie leaf spring blood stream spin lancashire rhododendron twig lancaster stick thorns eddy 2009 ephemeral landart naturalart enviro midge clougha birkbank savaged enviroart andygoldsworthyhomage richardshilling http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3578027057/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/escher1/">escher is still alive</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/escher1/3578027057/" title="Rainbow Leaf Stripe Amongst the Buttercups"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3351/3578027057_81a2feb96d_m.jpg" width="240" height="156" alt="Rainbow Leaf Stripe Amongst the Buttercups" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://jrlandart.blogspot.com">Land Art Blog</a></p> Sat, 30 May 2009 07:50:35 -0700 2009-05-30T15:50:35-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (escher is still alive) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/3578027057 Rainbow Leaf Stripe Amongst the Buttercups <p><a href="http://jrlandart.blogspot.com">Land Art Blog</a></p> escher is still alive red sculpture orange sun colour green leaves wheel yellow leaf spring buttercup may lancashire rhododendron twig lancaster segment stick fade thorns rectangle 2009 ephemeral landart naturalart blend enviro sculpure oblong enviroart andygoldsworthyhomage richardshilling