Inspire 52 - Week 31. Pop Up Paper

This week, after a lot of cancelling, I finally managed to make it to Portland. These injuries I have had for the last 5 weeks have been making it difficult for me to get around, but I am gradually mending, so I hope there will be no more set backs along the way.

So the Olympics has rocked off to a great start ... apparently as I don't watch tele!! But Weymouth and Portland have been very quiet as there was so much hype about the roads being bad ... so now is in fact the quietest and best time to go to assure yourself a spot on the beach and also great entertainment all for your self!!

Anyway, enough of that and onto this ...

... Pop Up Dorset invited me to install a mini Paper Forest in their Historic Church exhibition, of course I said yes, as I was delighted about taking the forest out of the gallery environment and creating it in new environments, and this was a great place to start.

http://www.popupdorset.com/

St Georges Church on the Isle of Portland near Weymouth. This historic church here is some information cunningly pinched of Wikipedia ... thanks Wiki!

St George's Church is a Church of England church on the Isle of Portland, built between 1754 and 1766^[2] to replace St. Andrew's which had fallen into disuse and was no longer suitable as a place of worship.^[3] The church was closed in 1914 for many reasons, and fell into further disrepair ever since that time. In the 1960s however, the church fell under the protection of a newly formed group, the 'Friends of St George's Church', who were able to restore the church. Now no longer needed for regular worship, the church is now a redundant church in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.^[4] It was declared redundant on 16 April 1970, and was vested in the Trust on 27 October 1971.^[5]

St George's Church is regarded as one of, if not the, most impressive 18th century church in Dorset.^[1] It is a large church built of Portland stone and has a tower, a nave, transepts, an apse, and a kind of abortive dome over the crossing.^[1] The design is reminiscent of Christopher Wren (particularly the tower, with regards to the clock towers of St Paul's Cathedral).^[1] The windows are arranged in two tiers, all with simple, broad raised frames that lack moulding. Architect John Vanbrugh called the result a "a masculine show".^[1] It is a Grade II listed building.^[6]

Well I think that's pretty interesting stuff!!

This venue has an amazing vibe about it. It is soa beautiful and grey on the cliff top in Portland ... Stunning ...

And here's how the Paper Forest worked in the space...

                                          ... For more on The Paper Forest you can see Inspire 52 - Week 23

http://hazelevans-inspire52.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/inspire-52-week-23-paper-forest-and.html 

The Paper Forest soundtrack echos through the church ...

Click on the images to enlarge

See you next week ... I don't have a clue what I'm going to do next week!!

Maybe something Olympic inspired?

P.S. Hazel Evans artwork, Adventures Album and other signed collectible merchandise are on sale at the exhibition.

Inspire 52 - Week 30. Battle For The Winds

You may remember in week 27 I prepared 20 butterflies for The Portaland Blue Butterfly Project which is part of Battle for The Winds and The Cultural Olympiad. I really should have made 27 as I like playing with numbers in that way ... anyway ... Week 30 is actually 27 in as much as it has the 27th July in it and that means the launch of the Butterfly Project ... watch them fly out of the page!

So I was invited to be part of the perfomance for Battle for the Winds Part 2. Duldum's Lair which involved over 3000 butterflies in the end would you believe!

"Portland's High Angle Battery becomes the setting for an evocative performance created by Portland Islanders working with Lorna Rees, Activate Performing Arts. Dancers will perform within the battery itself to a soundtrack created using the voices of local people.

This historic and derelict landmark will also form the backdrop to an installation of 2692 blue butterflies - the rare Cretaceous Silver Studded Blue which is unique to Portland - each butterfly represents a young person who lives on the island. Visit the site and hear tales from islanders, explore the atmospheric 'ghost tunnels', encounter the dancers and try and discover just where Doldrum lurks..."

From Battle for The Winds Website
http://battleforthewinds.com/the-battle/friday/


THE BUTTERFLY ILLUSTRATIONS

Here are the illustrations created during the event.

The first one was during the dress rehearsal where I had more time to start to get a feel of the landscape. As the performances began I had to re-set the butterflies that flew out from my sketch book and create a new piece. The flow was very beautiful to work on in fact, as it was very fluid and changed with the flow of new audiences coming to watch for each performance.

I was inspired by not only the butterflies that came and fluttered around me, but also the silence in which they fluttered carried by the warm summer breeze.

Towards the end, the performances got closer together and this has reflected in the landscapes of the images - I like very much that at the beginning there is lots of ink on the page and then towards the end, one butterlfy fluttering off into the sky - This whole sequence in itself represents the feeling of development of the performance art with a beautiful end to a beautiful day.

These are the sequence of illustrations below - Click on the images to enlarge

 

Portland Blue Butterfly

Fly oh fly through the winds of the blue seas,

Across waters emerging waves sprinkling sweet life

To the door of the earth connecting with winged keys,

As the mists flutter softly into the sky.

Hazel Evans July 2012

 

PURCHASE A BUTTERFLY ILLUSTRATION

If you would like to have a one off souvenir of the Portland Blue Butterfly Project and of the Cultural Olympiad 2012, I have decided to sell all the art works and donate 20% to the Butterfly Conservation Charity - http://www.dorsetbutterflies.com/

Exclusive Offer:

Original Hazel Evans ink on watercolour paper.

Signed and numerically ordered.

The Portland Blue Butterlfy Poem hand inked on the reverse of each illustration.

There are only 7 originals to document this event and no prints will be made.

 

Special unframed prices:

Dress Rehearsal  - £75 - SOLD

Performance 1    - £55 - SOLD

Performance 2    - £55

Performance 3    - £55

Performance 4    - £55

Performance 5    - £55

The End              - £35

Please email info@hazelevans.co.uk to reserve and pay for your picture, or any other enquiries.

For more information on my work please visit www.hazelevans.co.uk

And before I go ... here's just a lttle montage I put together ...