Monday 17 May 2010

A New Collage and a walk in the woods




I started out with the intention of making this a proper ‘scissors and glue’ collage, but the frustration of not quite being able to achieve what I wanted has driven me down the digital route.




Last weekend my wife and I took a walk in the woods at Ketteringham Hall to see one of the spring spectaculars of the English countryside: the Common Bluebell ( Hyacinthoides non scripta) in bloom.




Bluebells occur in deciduous woodland in many parts of the UK and they flower in early spring before the leaves appear on the trees, creating a thick blue carpet on the woodland floor. To many people in this country the bluebell is the quintessential sign of the arrival of spring.




Bluebells are found to a lesser extent in other parts of Europe but as far as I am aware they do not occur in any other part of the world.

21 comments:

Caterina Giglio said...

well I like your digital piece and your photos are so amazing that i feel transported to a dreamland. love the bluebells.

Leslie Avon Miller said...

I love, love, love your collage Ian! So interesting, I am frustrated by digital collage techniques, so I stay with the scissors and glue route. The English side of my family were all great gardeners and they had bluebells in flower beds, and so do I. Our climate is similar, as I understand it. However, the flower beds are not as spectacular as what your have shown us here. How lovely to walk in the woods and find a blue carpet of blooms. Happy Spring!

Blue Sky Dreaming said...

Great collage!
The bluebell carpet is spectacular! What a special walk among such beauty...I can just imagine the fresh spring air, light, shadows and birdsong! Thank you for sharing these photos.

Jala Pfaff said...

I love your collage! and the photos too.
I have never lived in Texas but I have noticed that all the artist bloggers there talk about their bluebells blooming in the spring, so I'm guessing they have them too.

merci33 said...

you are my digital collage hero...I am such an admirer of the way you manipulate without being able to cut and glue...up until today...I still need that direct contact.

The photos of the Blue Bells takes my breath away...because they bring back such vivid memories...I lived in Ohio before moving here to the beach and in the mixed hardwood forests, where I used to walk, there were special isolated places along the river where the carpets of Blue Bells would appear like a blue violet haze of beauty...oh and when the Hummingbird Moths would visit is would be like a scene from a fairy tale....just as your photos are. Thanks for the memory Ian ;-)

Hannah said...

I'm a newcomer to your blog--and greatly enjoyed this post. We've just finished watching "Foyle's War" again--so seeing your photos of the bluebell carpeted woods is like walking back into that landscape of Sussex. As others have mentioned, I admire your ability to manipulate images digitally--there is an exquisite balance to them.

Four Seasons in a Life said...

Dear Ian,

Your landscape photography has captured the very reason i would wish to retire some where on the British Isle, finding that perfect spot in the countryside.

The digital collage is wonderful and I am sure that in time you will be able to figure out how to go about transferring the digital idea into scissors and glue route.

Warmest regards,
Egmont

nancy neva gagliano said...

wow.....the blue carpet in contrast with the bark!! gorgeous!
and love that collage you've done. it is a challenge: i didn't realize how frustrating it can be, as i've delved into attempting during the last 2 weeks. . .stripping the board down 4 or 5 times already!!
in michigan, we have bluebells. i took photos on our sunday walk...not as grand as yours, for certain!

Sharmon Davidson said...

I really like the collage, and would not have guessed it was digital. As a person with limited digital skills I'm very impressed.
The bluebells are glorious! We do have a similar phenomenon here in parts of the U.S. (like Kentucky), but it is a different species, called the Virginia Bluebell. The same magical blue carpet effect in the woods in Spring, but the flowers are a bit different. Here's a link to a post on my blog that has a photo of them:
http://sharmond.blogspot.com/2009/05/blog-post.html

FYI to Jala Pfaff, the state flower of Texas is the bluebonnet (not bluebell), which is actually a lupine.
(Please forgive me for being obnoxiously pedantic!)

layers said...

I don't think the process matters--just the end outcome- love your collage--I am interested in learning more about digital collage- but until then I am stuck with paper and glue :-)

mano said...

I'm happy to find your blog, I enjoy it very much. the bluebells-forest is wonderful, I never saw these flowers in germany - I only know scilla and liverwort in the spring forests.
your collage is fantastic!

Luzia said...

What a wonderful place full of inspiration! Greetings from Luzia.

Cynthia Monica said...

Your digital collage is quite wonderful! And, those bluebells are so enchanting....would love to be able to walk in those woods!
Cynthia

ArtPropelled said...

Love your collage and am amazed by the carpet of bluebells. I can see myself sitting on that tree stump to take it all in.

*{The Sweet Life}* said...

I love both your collage and photographic excellence! Simply stunning.

G said...

Love Blue Bells! This photo brought a huge smile to my face today. Thank you for sharing.

ELFI said...

on aimerait se coucher dedans!!
c'est très beau , l'association avec le collage!

Renee Howell said...

Love the digital collage - hmm, one day. What do you use for your digital collages? Photoshop? Perhaps? I'm attempting to learn - online class begins mid June. You inspire me. Thanks for the post!

annell4 said...

You see, I don't even know what is digital collage? I think when I saw you site before, I thought you were a girl. But I see that you are not. I guess this new blogging is all a little confusing!

I love this collage, too. And the walk in the woods, and the bluebells and fab! Thanks again.

Unknown said...

A friend took me to a bluebell woods in Ireland once..I will never forget it! The smell ..the colour..
I now live by a small lake in NZ and I have found a seat on a walk beneath trees with a small pkaque saying "I know a place where bluebells grow". I am intrigued and I will be watching to see whether they do indeed grow there. I tear I maybe disappointed!!

Wen said...

Too Blue-tiful for words!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...