Painting Holidays in Chateaux in South West France.Artists & Ecology 5 – Le Dropt, Castillonnès – une trame verte?
‘oil on canvas
38 x 46 cm
2010
© adam cope
An ash tree growing out of the middle of an old crack willow, not coppiced for many a year.
‘Sketchbook
pen & ink
2010
©adam cope
Wild Wood. Tangle Wood.
Nyiad. Dryiad. River. Tree. Older things than you & I.
This is a condemned being. These trees will be cut down in a week’s time or so.
Death row.
the execution has now been done
Great sadness as all the little pockets of tangle wood are irradiated & ‘cleaned up. “Pas propre”…
developed into agriculture, money, gardens & water supply.
No space for nature in the countryside.
Tangle Wood. Wild Wood. Mole & Ratty – if you listen, you can hear the wind in the willows.
Some photos from www.valleedudropt.com
‘Berges du Dropt, St.Dizier’
38 x 46 cm
oil on canvas
2006
©adam cope
Le Dropt, Castillonnès – une trame verte?
The river Dropt downriver from Allemans de Dropt is a Natura 2000 site. http://natura2000.ecologie.gouv.fr/sites/FR7200692.html
Up River, near Castillonnès, things are different. The banks are privately owned but the water board owns the water. Agricultors pay for irrigation water for their crops. Trees drink the water. Tangle wood block the water.
quarter sheet
2007
©adam cope
No space for nature in the countryside.
‘Oil on Masonite
30 x 40 cm
2007
©adam cope
Beautiful tanglewood, wildwood. Not the garden of Le Notre. Versailles. All clipped. Perfect. The hand of man dominating the profusion of nature.
Man vs. Nature?
Over 30 kilometres of river bank cleared. Not cut to the bone, true … but cut to the quick.
Brave New World?
POST SCRIPT 2013
A coppiced alder stool after one year’s growth. photo :wikicommons
Alnus glutinosa (English: Black Alder, European Alder or Common Alder)
Look at this 300 year old ‘têtard’ or coppiced willow, a survivor, here in St.Dizier. Regeneration?
Oil on Masonite
30 x 40cm
2006
Futher Reading:
Natura 2000
European Union Water Framework Directive
A green corridor.
Une trame verte
Artists & Ecology #1 – Festival Flore Faune
Artists and Ecology #2 – Robert HAINARD – how to ‘blind contour draw’
Artists & Ecology #3 – Constable, Corn & the Destruction of Hedgerows
Artists & Ecology # 4 – Paintings of Potatoes, Semances & Homage à José Bové
Artists & Ecology # 5 -Le Dropt, Castillonnés , a green corridor?
Artists & Ecology # 6 – No Space for Nature in the Countryside? Wendell Berry
I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Alisha
http://sketchingdrawing.com
Welcome Alisha 🙂
Thanks for chatting. Actually, isn’t it that one doesn’t need much to get things moving?
Welcome Alisha 🙂
Thanks for chatting. Actually, isn’t it that one doesn’t need much to get things moving?
Too sad for words Adam – your pictures say it all.
Yes, sad. Like a Brave New World or an insanity.
Is the idea of ‘green corridors’ wide spread in S. A?
I wouldn’t say widespread – some conservationists, and others determined to build on every available piece of land. Joburg has a bit of a ‘green belt’, following the river from Emmarentia north through the suburbs, and a few other wildish spots. I weep for much of our coastline – thank goodness old Kruger preserved some of the bush though there’s a constant struggle of how to keep rural populations fed without encroaching and poaching.