Artist in Residence Archives - Jenny steer photographer

Exwick Wassail | Flow

Posted on 12th February 201913th March 2019 by Jenny

We started the Wassail day off in Exwick Community Centre. Everyone was busy making lanterns and learning the Wassail song with Emma. Simon Bates and The Artist, Anne-Marie Culhane spoke. Then, we had the wonderful storytelling by Heather.

When the time came to go, Emma sounded the signal to leave the building and make our way down to the field where the Toastmaster Crispin was waiting. The branch holders were at the front of the group followed closely behind by Anne-Marie as Sentinel and Chris (The Wind) with the rest of the procession following. The Band played at either side. The Toastmaster waited by the fire bowl to receive everyone.

The children whispered and listened to the wind, playing in the trees, then everyone went into a round of singing and bashing crescendo pots and pans. The full moon shone down and stars were created in the night sky as the camera’s flash illuminated the rain droplets. Orbs were created by the lights and rain and played around Sentinel and Wind. Sentinel with her lighted torch visited the trees coming back with the Wassail bowl of cider filled by the Toastmaster. Then the bowl was passed around for all to drink. Wind played his flute to the trees. A most magical evening.

Nightjars with Artist | Sidmouth

Posted on 27th June 201829th June 2018 by Jenny

Documentary Nightjar bird photographer photojournalist, Devon, Dorset, Cornwall, Somerset, Exeter, UK, abroad

An amazing evening up on Fire Beacon Hill, Sidmouth photographing artist Anne-Marie Culhane. Her love of and fascination with these enigmatic birds continues to inspire her. Anne-Marie was curious to experiment moving on the hillside with white hankies. White card or material has been said to attract the interest of the male who is churring and staking out his territory, this may be because in the fading light they resemble the underside of another male’s wing or that they mimic the movement flashes of moths, one of its major sources of food. She subsequently went up with Tony Whitehead (artist and RSPB) and then with 16 or so participants and Thelma Hulbert Gallery as part of Art on the East Devon Way. They spent time settling in and Field Sensing, sensitising to the sounds, sights and feeling of being there. Located on a grassy track on the border of the territory (thanks to information from Toby at RSPB). As the sun set and fell into darkness they had close to churring, wing clapping, kericks and fly-by’s from the male nightjar and his partner. The bird seemed especially about the handkerchiefs. The artist also made a limited edition print run of hand-printed handkerchiefs using an ink drawing of a nightjar made earlier this year screen-printed onto hand-made organic cotton squares . A percentage of the profit will go to a local conservation charity on the pebblebed heaths where around 120 male nightjars make their homes in East Devon. Nightjars are now on the amber list for protected species and have seen a moderate increase in recent years.

Flow Orchard planting | Exwick | Trews Weir

Posted on 26th January 201826th January 2018 by Jenny

Documentary nature tree Artist photographer photojournalist, Devon, Dorset, Cornwall, Somerset, Exeter, UK, abroad

What an absolute delight to photograph this next stage of the FLOW with the tree planting in Exwick on Saturday and Trews Weir on Sunday. Artist in Residence Anne-Marie Culhane organised a fab couple of days with Simon Bates – Exeter + East Devon Green Infrastructure and Mary-Rose Lane – Environment Agency. Over 130 people turned up to plant trees!!

The trees are a mix of fruit, nut and foraging trees for insects, animals and humans to encourage movement and FLOW through the Riverside Valley Park. There are just under 200 trees to be planted in 2018 which include local and heritage varieties + more unusual such as apricot, almond, loquat to adapt for a changing climate. The idea is that anyone can pick them and that you take a fair share and leave some for other people and wildlife. The route also compliments new wildflower planting that is happening in the river valley park to encourage a B-line for pollinators as part of Exeter Wild City Project and the flood defence scheme landscaping.

Anne-Marie collaborated with Emma Welton, a composer from Exwick to create the Exeter Wassail for 2018 with new lyrics for FLOW

Artist, Amy Sheldon facilitated lantern making. Devon Wildlife Trust showed people how to make bird feeders. We had an amazing storyteller, Heather Jane who told a beautiful story related to local trees and wassailing. Heather had heard the Robin call to her when she created the story. Traditionally, the Robin is the guardian of the orchard and thats why toast is usually hung in the tree as an offering to the Robin. For this wassail however, they pinned the toast on Joe’s coat and hat.

So, it was amazing when I arrived to photograph at Trews Weir and the first thing I heard was the entrancing song of the little Robin as he perched so close to us and surveyed our tree planting, darting all around us! On the bird theme, I loved that as we started the walk to wassail at Trews Weir a flock of Gulls flew over us in a FLOW down to the estuary to roost! (See the pic.)

Here are some photos of the two days.