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The inspiration for this sculpture has been drawn from Cornish legend and explores the mysterious stilling of time experienced by mortals who stumble across a Piskie gathering. Legends tell of people who go missing for years and yet feel as if they have only been away for a few hours.
The man depicted, with his loyal horse, has been searching far and wide for his love. As he enters the orchard he is so close but falls under the Piskies enchantment and as time stands still is transformed into a tree, living and breathing but only able to return to his human form during a Piskie gathering or when the enchantment is lifted.
The frame, which is used to support the shape of the plant, will be constructed using wood from the Cotehele Estate. Willow will then be used to create the bulk and ‘muscle’ of the horse torso. Towards the end of this process the living willow will be distributed around the body and down the legs, to be rooted in the ground. For the first few years the new growth will be woven into the shape, creating a living shell, which in subsequent years will have to trimmed.
When I have finished my work on the sculpture it is only the beginning – living willow sculptures take on their own life, growing and developing in their own unique ways, changing season by season, year by year, becoming a beneficial habitat to insects and birds.