Laura Ellen Bacon sculpture

Work on the archway is almost complete.  The full scale of the work is evident now and I'm now enjoying the full satisfaction of working the thousands of woven pieces of willow into the final layers of the weave.  It is very meticulous work but over the 10 years of creating work, it has never felt repetitive, perhaps the tuneful robins who watch me help.  The robins flutter inside the artwork and sit about a foot away from me while I weave, so close I can see their breath as they sing.   

 

I'm working on a scaffold tower for much of the creation and the views across the Kitchen Garden and to the landscape beyond are quite a sight. I've been watching the gardeners in the Kitchen Garden daily as they prepare for what looks like a fruitful year ahead (I feel like a fat little robin myself watching them with my red coat covering my million padded layers of coats, although I haven't got the voice to sing to them!).

 

I'm very pleased with the framing of the Hunting Tower within the archway as it is approached.  I'm also enjoying the scale of the archway myself and the curves above as I walk under it.  There will be 3 other smaller forms that will be created along the pathway towards the Kitchen Garden, which will, I hope provide intrigue along the path and entice people up.

 

My previous artwork at Chatsworth, 'Woven Space' (inside a cluster of yew trees close to the Conservative Wall) is still withstanding the elements.  It was created as a temporary study in the winter of 2009.  The willow is still very strong and the shape still works well I think.  

 

How wonderful it is to be making a piece of work on site at Chatsworth...  More news soon

 

Laura