Nature
and Human Connection
Poppy O'Brien
Natural landscapes and forms are the foundation for my work. In particular, it has been the places near my home that I have been visiting during lockdown that have provided the most inspiration. I have watched these landscapes change through the seasons, experiencing every element of the natural world in all its splendor.
Inspired by my own observations, this body of work is not just an exploration of nature.
I have sought to capture fleeting moments and intricate details and reflect their ephemerality through
composition and documentation. 
A memory of the river
acrylic on canvas 40X40 cm
photographed at by the Thames Estuary
Rainham Marshes Nature Reserve, Essex
For this exhibition I have been exploring the connection between my art work and the places that inspired them.
Experimentation is a crucial part of my practice and so I explored creating clay sculptures alongside
my paintings. These clay sculptures were inspired by the organic forms found in coastal areas.
Documenting them by the sea shore was logical. However I also grabbed the chance to photograph
them in the snow. Seeing the sculptures emerging from the snow truly brought them to life.
Click on the images above to expand and explore
The interaction between the art and the diverse landscapes was fascinating. Varied light, colours and backgrounds emphasised different elements and brought deeper meanings.
For example, on its own, this painting (left) shows a summer sunflower. However juxtaposing it with a backdrop of snow transformed it into a poignant reminder of the constant changing of seasons. The contrast between the azure canvas and the white snow is striking.
shell painting photographed in the branches of a tree
acrylic on canvas 30x30 cm
Our live zoom stories on
Nature
The introduction to our event, done by Rosie Durant.
A beautiful story that encompassed all of our topics on human connection written and shared by Cas Heath-Faye. This was followed by the section of our live Zoom event covering nature, hosted by myself.
Stories for nature included a poem by my sister, a story from Willow Harrild, and a story called Peculiar Creatures submitted by Ben Latimer.
Stories of
Nature
A collection of stories linking human connection and nature. These stories capture moments in time, seasons passing, places and memories.
At a young age I was introduced to Paganism (an old-English, nature-based religion) as it was a belief
system that my father has always been interested in. Ever since then, it has been the religion that both me
and my family have followed, leading us to join a small group of Pagans in Kent who we celebrate 'religious
holidays' with. The main Pagan holiday (we call them sabbats) is named 'Beltane' (otherwise known as
May day) in which we celebrate the beginning of summer. On May Day morning we gather with our group and
perform a 'ritual' to welcome summer where we watch the sunrise, usually at around 5am. After this we have
a massive fry up which is perfect as we have just woken up at a ridiculous time in the morning!
During May day, morning is the most connected to nature that I tend to feel,
it's very difficult to describe the sense of calm that it creates. We have many
other celebrations throughout the year, but May day always feels the most special.
The others in the group are of all ages and have watched me grow up. We are all so different
but there is still a form of connection between us that makes us feel like a family. Naturally,
I'm quite a shy introverted person but the connection with nature and others makes me feel grounded.
Even through the pandemic we have still celebrated over zoom, with the connection between us and nature
somehow still feeling strong.