Tuesday 21st September - Sydenham Woods and Horniman Museum

Today we visited Sydenham Woods and Horniman Museum, we explored and recorded photographs, films, sounds, drawings and thoughts of our surroundings.

In pairs we selected a 2x2 square metre to observe and analyse more closely, of this I took photographs, made a short film recording the sound of the woods, did some quick line drawings, some patient tonal drawings of cross-sections and some mark making too.

The woods itself felt immense, entrancing and consuming, born and raised in London, it's not common to experience such natural grandeur. However, when talking to fellow classmates that live out of London, they described Sydenham woods as a mere 'crappy baby version' compared to what they're used to.

This brings me to the history of the woods, it's a fragment of what it once was, still, so many of the trees and wildlife have been imported - as to say they aren't natives of the woods. As well as the unfamiliar birds that now call it home, it's also overcome with ivy, the plant that invades others. There is an ominous and unsettling tone there.

We then visited the Horniman Museum, which is full of stuffed animals and the history of their evolution. I took photos and did some quick sketches which I later developed into paintings.

I am happy with what I achieved today, I collected a range of data and challenged myself in an unfamiliar environment.

Reflection

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