The Autumn Man

I do this so many times - promise to make something crafty knowing I have plenty of time, coz it's weeks and weeks ahead of an event, and then all of a sudden the item needs to be finished! Well, I had to have it completed today, and I only properly started last night. I had sat and sketched some rough designs, but these crafty things always develop organically anyway.

The Autumn Man

First a layer of bark

Then layers and layers of pressed leaves

And lastly, hair made from lichen collected in Kefalonia, high up in the montane forests. The nose is made from driftwood, the eyes are shells and the beard is the Clematis vitalba, aptly called 'Old man's beard'

The piece is for the Autumn Show at the South of England showground this coming weekend, and is part of the WI exhibition. The brief was to create a face made completely out of natural materials, glued to a board sized 15x15 inches. I have always had a fascination with the Green Man. He is found in many cultures around the world, often related to natural vegetative deities springing up in different cultures throughout the ages. the Green man is primarily interpreted as a symbol of rebirth, or "renaissance", representing the cycle of growth each spring. You can often find carvings in wood or stone, in churches, chapels, abbeys and cathedrals, where examples can be found dating through to the 20th century. The earliest example of a green man disgorging vegetation from his mouth is from St. Abre, in St. Hilaire-le-grand, c 400 AD.

Luckily I am a bit of a hoarder, so had plenty of natural bits and pieces in boxes and in flower presses. And yes, I know my Green Man looks a little like  he was made by a bunch of school kids, but I don't mind, the fun is taking part.

Do you have a favourite Autumn Man?