I’ve been making structures (below) using the heather picked on the walk to Top Withens, Stanbury.

First here’s the site of inspiration: I love these heather plants, they’ve been burned and have blackened, carbon stems with bright orange streaks. They look like a strange , other-worldly forest when you crouch down and alter the scale.

and here’s practising putting people in there- it was so cold that day I couldnt mess about too much- the super glue doesnt stick when its damp! Just managed to get a few in the “trees”, earily looking outwards.

so I made these structures using the heather – they are part iof the series of experimental structural dwellings/shelters/homes made using local materials. These would be completely useless in the weather on top of the moors- they are all sculpture really- following the curves of the heather stems, they are a sort of homage to the plant .Would be lovely cast in aluminium or brionze (I’ve always hated bronze – what’s going on!).

here are the 2 put together-

this isn’t working properly. Getting the image to this stage takes a while but sometimes I have to go this far just to see where changes need to be made – the heather is TOO much like its background, so it may have to be photographed in another location

so , I have an idea for a monument to heather- reflecting back on the wonderful Stoodley Pike, which I haven’t used yet.

and making more heather structure/sculptures – in effect a terraced street ,but each one unique- my Navvyopolis.