Local artist Nicola Fielding joins Artist in Residency programme
Local Abingdon artist Nicola Fielding is the latest artist to join the prestigious selection of creatives taking up residency at Earth Trust in Little Wittenham. Working predominantly in clay, Nicola is a ceramicist who will be working from a studio at Earth Trust Centre for the next three months.
Nicola’s residency will focus on working with natural materials sourced from Earth Trust’s green spaces, farm and visitor centre to directly engage audiences with the land.
“We’re delighted that Nicola Fielding, our second Artist in Residence begins this week”, said Amy Rowland, Public Programming Manager at Earth Trust. “What stood out to us most from Nicola’s proposal was her intention to bring people closer to the amazing – and quite surprising – properties the landscape can offer. Creating these connections with the natural world sits at the heart of Earth Trust’s ethos, which makes Nicola a perfect fit for the programme.”
The residency will culminate in a collaborative legacy artwork, which will take the form of an entirely handmade mosaic illustrating a map of the Earth Trust site. The piece will aim to highlight the important spaces for species of concern, alongside the topography of the land.
Commenting on her practice, Nicola said “The clay found in the local soil is a potential stoneware, a resource that can be worked with and kiln fired after a simple sieving process.
“I was inspired to learn about the Roman history of the site through Earth Trust’s recent archaeological digs, particularly the evidence of a house with a mosaic floor. Creating a mosaic of my own, using clay from the site, would allow my legacy artwork to follow in the footsteps of the past.”
Alongside her legacy project, Nicola will produce a series of drawings that capture the diverse range of wildlife the area supports to create a catalogue of the threatened species that have been recorded in the area, and highlight the importance of Earth Trust spaces in conservation for the future.
Nicola will also facilitate a number of family-focused workshops during her residency where children can create small ceramic sculpture using local clay that will form part of the final exhibition installation. The first set of workshops will take place during spring half term on Wednesday 29th May, with sessions taking place throughout the day suitable for primary and SEND children. A second set of sessions will take place on Saturday 6th July.
Details of the events and tickets can be found here: earthtrust.org.uk/whats-on
Ink illustration by Earth Trust Artist in Residence Nicola Fielding
Nicola Fielding artwork