Woodman’s Follower
This installation was inspired by my visits to Horner Woods, part of the Holnicote Estate on Exmoor. With ancient woodland now reduced to less than 2% of Britain’s landscape, its conservation and careful management are essential to protect these rare and biodiverse habitats. The National Trust’s 50-year vision for Horner Wood imagines a ‘flourishing ecosystem’, including, at its margins, thriving colonies of the now-rare Heath fritillary butterfly—also known as the Woodman’s Follower.
I used the butterflies as a symbol of hope, their fluttering presence at the woodland edge drawing the viewer in to explore the printed and embossed paper surface. The work was both an exploration of printmaking and a response to the fragility and beauty of this ancient and precious woodland
