On a scorching hot August day our small group of artists began to explore Massingham Heath and discover a place that, in its own quiet and unassuming way, is absolutely bustling with life. Patience and a slowing of pace are rewarded when wildlife gradually reveals itself and it can be easy to lose all sense of time and scale by getting down on hands and knees and discovering myriad tiny creatures and complex plant forms.
In high summer the overwhelming impression is of the most glorious wildflower meadows that stretch as far as the eye can see across this gently rolling landscape. On such a day, with butterflies and bees catching the light, it could almost be a landscape of childhood idyll. I think we were all captivated by the rich biodiversity and profusion of colour across these meadows and it was where I chose to spend much of my time. And I often found that although it was one view or species that had initially captured my attention, the longer I sat nestled down into the meadow the more I began to see, until it felt like a few hours or days just weren’t enough to do justice to that small pocket of ground.
From one spot I very happily watched small flocks of long tailed tits, pairs of stone chat and yellowhammers flit along the edge of a hawthorn and elder thicket while a ladybird trundled its way across my drawing paper. My attention then wandered to grasshoppers flicking their way through the grass, a shrew zooming past at high speed, butterflies coming to settle on knapweed and for some time to a kestrel hovering overhead before making a long, low pass and vanishing beyond the treeline.
This was my first experience of an SWLA residency and I couldn’t have wished for a better introduction. After seeing so many inspiring works and publications from other projects over the years I had been looking forward to it with a fluttery mix of nervous excitement. Being surrounded by such a generous, talented and knowledgeable group of artists and naturalists was inspiring and humbling at the same time, an incredible cumulative resource of expertise to tap into and be fascinated and encouraged by. So at the end of each day although everyone was hot, tired and hungry there was always time for plenty of laughter and chat.
A week may not be a long time but I think Massingham Heath has left a lasting impression on each of us as a place to have spent time in close observation, it has certainly inspired some remarkable work. And maybe by coming to experience it as a group it has also prompted a reflection on our work or our knowledge, rekindled old acquaintances and forged new ones and added a new facet in our commitment to nature.