In 2023 I was invited to take part in a group exhibtion called 'Save the Darwin Oak' in response to the 'potential felling' of the Darwin Oak, in Shrewsbury
This ancient oak tree, and numerous other veteran trees, lie in the path of the planned North West Relief Road, and are due to be felled if this unnecessary road goes ahead.
For more details about the campaign against the proposed new road, see the links below.
I worked on site gathering leaf and bark textures from the Darwin Oak. In the exhibition I presented a variety of delicate and unfired paperclay bowls containing oak leaf textures, plus larger glazed panels and bowls containing oak bark textures,and ash from fallen wood gathered around the tree. My emotional response also generated two figurative sculptures called 'Sorrow', female tree nyphs with heads hung low, expressing deep sadness.
In December 2023 with a team of volunteers, we made and sold hundreds of porcelain Oak Leaves and raised over £2000 towards legal costs to challenge the NWR.
This project is covered in the PROJECTS section of the website under 'BeLeaf'
