Day 36 - FORESTY

Here's my friend, Dawn. With the very apt surname, Woodmansey. For she is, indeed, a woman of the woods. And has spent much of lockdown out and about, being with and learning from trees, reflecting on her experiences through art and writings. Which she's now gathered together to form the "Inner Forest" exhibition, currently showing at Ground. 

I went tonight and it was great. Great to see her and have a quick catch-up. Great to see some mutual friends and catch-up with them too. And great to see her work. 

Somehow she'd managed to create a space that felt foresty.  Natural, calm, restful, intriguing, safe, with the odd startling moment too. Like the image of a landscape tilted sideways which suddenly revealed a woman's outline when you looked at it for long enough.

I've got to know Dawn over the past few years, since moving back to Hull after Cambodia. And I've always appreciated her honesty. Which most of the time comes across gently and calmly. So when the more forthright side of it comes out, it's a surprise. A good one. I like it when I hear her passion for things she feels most strongly about. She wakes me up. And many others too.

So her exhibition felt very much in character. And I came away feeling soothed and slightly unsettled. I loved the colours of her work and the way she'd presented it. I've not forest bathed before, at least not intentionally, but this felt something like it. Whilst at the same time it had a message that niggled me. In a good way. About looking after this planet. Paying attention to trees. Being aware of ecosystems, so brilliantly designed but so easily disrupted. And just treading carefully and being kind to the this earth. In all its precious beauty.