This month we have been discussing the garden at Inkwell and drawing up a complete design with help from a professional garden designer. The outdoor space is the perfect canvas for a design, it’s a huge plot with some mature trees on the circumference, several veggie plots that we have already dug, and a large sloped planting deck that sits below a long patio space. The majority of the garden is open space with loads of potential screaming for ideas.
The art space/studio inside has large windows that stretch the whole length of the building so the entire garden is visible from inside the building while you work. With a bit of inspiration, TLC and some hard work it could be amazing!
This got me researching for ideas and I looked straight at environmental artists for ideas. I am very interested in the idea of using recycled materials in some of the design and would love to see large sculptural pieces that would be created by all its users and artists as a collaborative effort.
Here are just some of the wonderful sculptures and pieces of art I came across while looking. Some are ethical and some are just plain fun or beautiful, but I really hope we can incorporate something as as exciting into our garden at Inkwell.
The Naturalist/ environmental artist – Andy Goldsworthy’s beautiful sand sculpture ‘Incredible Serpentine Root’ and ‘Gold Pebbles’
Tom Hare is a willow sculptor who’s work can be seen at Kew garden. This piece was winner of RHS Best Show.
We are an art space so I couldn’t resist the thought of these giant tree pencils in the garden! Made by the Finnish environmental artist Jonna Pohjalainen and formed from fallen Aspen Logs.
We have some tree stumps in the garden and I came across this tutorial for making tables out of them. Solid wood, polished, they look beautiful! I am definitely going to make some of these for the interior art space. You can’t have moments of quiet reflection or productive brainstorming sessions without a cup of strong coffee, and therefore a lovely table to perch your cup on!
I love the way this mossy concrete path has been transformed with the use of flowing iridescent leaf shapes. Gorgeous way of adding colour to old concrete.
Garden Mosaic Path by Australian Artist Techy Masero. Photo taken by Wendy Tanner
We are nature lovers at Inkwell and this installation would certainly keep the wildlife happy. Made from several birdhouses it was part of the Super Kingdom project in Islington, London 2011. Created by artists Bruce Gilchrist and Jo Joelson of ‘London Fieldworks’.
Recycled coke tops by John Dahlsen.
This piece is boxed behind perspex and I thought might make a quirky garden wall if done on a grander scale.