Artists Working on the Project

SARAH BUTTERWORTH
Sarah Butterworth is lead artist on the Celebration of Cranes project. As Creative Director of Emerald Ant she exists in a marvellous, magical world of larger than life mechanical animals that celebrate the diverse and beautiful wildlife of Somerset and Dorset. Horace the Travelling Pliosaur Cinema, inspired by a Pliosaur skull found in Weymouth Bay, is currently touring the UK. Sarah has also recently made a 45 foot seahorse for Sealife and is just about to paint a giant hare on a Dorset hillside for the Inside Out Festival Dorset. She is commissioned to create a series of installations for 'The Nutcracker' at Mottisfont Abbey this Christmas. Her work can be seen at www.fickr.com/photos/emeraldantics and you can find out more at www.emeraldant.com

TIM HILL
Tim Hill joins us as lead musician for the Celebration of Cranes project, together with The Big Noise Street Band. Tim is a saxophonist, composer and bandleader and helps create celebrations and theatre events. http://www.tongues-of-fire.co.uk/tim.html

MELANIE TOMLINSON
Melanie Tomlinson  leads our project work for 2013.  Working with illustration and metal to create vibrant and intensely detailed sculptures and three dimensional dioramas, Melanie's work reflects her deep love and passion for nature. She is particularly interested in the role of traditional folk narrative to explore the complex relationships between communities and the natural world.  
"Using illustration and metal to create a series of pre-cinema objects - such as zoetropes, I will be exploring the Cranes’ journey from Germany to Somerset through the moving image. The objects in motion will be filmed for online viewing. In addition to my own artistic response I am looking forward to working with pupils at schools in Somerset and Europe, exploring the beautiful Cranes through art workshops." Melanie Tomlinson 

KITTY HILLIER
Kitty Hillier has worked as Lead Artist for the decoy painting workshops in 2010/11 and also Lead Artist for the Othery Village Crane Trail project in 2012.
Since graduating in 2007, Kitty has continued to develop contemporary works on wood. Her process involves constantly making drawings and collecting images and unusual objects, as well as researching and documenting the work of other artists. She frequently experiments with new materials and methods. It is often a solitary endeavour, and the open spaces of the South-West provide the best possible environment for ideas to evolve.
Most recently the subject matter of the work has circled around notions of root systems, seeds, pods, birds and wilderness.
www.kittyhillier.co.uk

HILDA VAUGHAN
Hilda Vaughan is a Somerset based artist working in the medium of papier mache and wire. Hilda was Lead Artist for the Huish Academy workshop programme and the Short Breaks activities.
Hilda's interest in the Great Crane Project started after reading an RSPB brochure about the re-introduction of these beautiful birds into the Somerset Levels. She started off as a volunteer on the project, then SAW discovered her talents as an artist and workshop leader and engaged her to deliver a series of workshops.
Working through the medium of visual art, Hilda is committed to raising awareness of the importance of preserving our wetland landscape and encouraging future generations to appreciate and protect the Crane.
e-mail hilda.vaughan@hotmail.co.uk

LUCY LEAN
Lucy Lean is working as Lead Artist for the Paper Crane Project. 
Leading a series of community and school workshops Lucy will amass a large quantity of origami Paper Cranes made from recycled paper. These will then take form as a large installation, devised by Lucy, for Slimbridge Wetlands Centre in Gloucestershire during the Summer of 2012 and at The Avalon Marshes Centre during Somerset Arts Weeks 2012.
Since graduating in 2010, Lucy’s contemporary 2D and 3D work with textiles and mixed media has continued to develop. She finds the main source of her inspiration in the naturally occurring patterns and forms from around her rural home in West Somerset. Fascinated by the notion of a universal order and naturally occurring systems she reflects on natures variety and beauty by inventing her own systems within her work. The processes she uses are always experimental often involving a repetitive use of stitch and cutting, and the painting and layering of sheer fabrics. 
www.lucyleanart.com

BELINDA BROWNLEE
Belinda takes on the role of Placement Artist for the Othery Village Crane Trail, assisting Kitty Hillier and working closely with participants of all ages.
Belinda is a potter, graduating from Bath Spa in 2007. She works from her studio at home producing decorative functional pots using earthenware casting slip. She has assisted on several community projects in all sorts of mediums. At one time Belinda worked at the Wildfowl Trust at Slimbridge for the Curator, involved in the day to day running of the grounds and for the Assistant Director who ran the breeding programme. These workshops and the reintroduction project straddle areas that interest her and she gets great satisfaction helping people to discover new ways of looking using the medium of art. www.belindabrownlee.co.uk

FIONA CAMPBELL
Fiona Campbell - Lead Artist for Primary School Wire Workshops and development of volunteer workshop delivery programme in 2010-11.
Fiona is a sculptor based in Somerset, as Lead Artist Fiona developed and delivered school workshops relating to the The Great Crane Project, resulting in an exhibition of all students' work in Somerset Art Weeks 2011. Great Crane Project volunteers were involved in training and delivering simplified art workshops to additional schools, based on working alongside Fiona. 
www.fionacampbellart.co.uk