Margaret Uttley 

Traces of The Fen

Through evocative, earthy charcoal drawings and the richly layered coloured surfaces that develop in the mixed media paintings, the works in this exhibition celebrate the importance of water; without it we would not exist. From the powerful energetic force of nature that is the sea, to rainfall collection in the upland moors, and in particular, the filtration of water through Fens.  

Tarn Moss at Malham is a Fen, where in recent years a great deal of conservation has been undertaken, to restore the hydrology of most of the raised bog. At any time of the year, this Fen is a favorite place of mine where I can quietly walk, observe, sit, draw and think. It amazes me how in winter the Fen looks quite desolate and barren, when it is saturated with mineral rich water draining from the surrounding countryside, with tree trunks and branches tilting and supporting each other, as though they had been dropped in a giant game of Jack Straws. It occurs to me that if just a few of these elements are pulled away, how can that disturb the natural balance of the Fen. As spring carefully reveals itself, through hard frosts catkins appear with optimism. Gradually more vegetation bursts from beneath the icy waters, the frogs spawn and the insect world becomes very active again. As the year progresses the Fen becomes claustrophobically overgrown with vegetation, secretly protecting many natural habitats. Time passes in this ancient space where the natural elements relentlessly work on the structural formation of the inflow streams, mossy mounds and trees, sculpting them into unique living purposeful forms. The temperature gets colder, the wind becomes unpredictable and at times punishingly powerful, and the peat soaks in the rain, we can see the many layers of this special Fen stripping back through the cold burn of autumn to winter again. 

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