Catharine Birchwood

Several of our LAN days have been to gardens open to the public, such as Hever Castle, Groombridge Place, Charleston Farmhouse and Pashley Manor.

I , for some time now, have been interested in gardens, as a creative motif. Several years ago I spent three weeks in Cornwall during spring, visiting the gardens there, which inspired me. I also find the Sussex Downs stimulating , as an interesting juxtaposition to garden designs.

In these environments, the way light falls, the shape and strength of the shadows, the early morning or twilight, create exciting motifs; a sense of drama is created by chiaroscuro. I like the way a garden can be divided into areas of intimacy or expansion, with paths enticing you to investigate secret corners or to walk through archways. Garden seats encourage you to pause and rest , or survey the scene. Topiary and clipped hedges give strong three-dimensional surfaces on which the light falls. Downland gives you a different sense, a sense of breadth, expansion and space, with tree-filled coombes or remnants of quarries punctuating the hillside, giving the landscape a sense of drama and depth.

GALLERY