Night Never Comes

We waited until 11:30 pm before we could start to take photos. As we are so far north it doesn't get dark until really late.. Spring is also about 4 weeks behind Cornwall. Nice to see the spring blooms once again. At first the ornamental garden looks as if there is nothing much there, but the structures to guide the plants were so surreal I couldn't resist. The poppies were bursting, a winged wonder was poised for flight and even a dead tulip intrigued me. The hardest part is staying awake......

From South to North

Leaving Eden was quite difficult but once we hit the road and started to see the beautiful hills of the North we felt better. We are heading up to Alnwick Garden (prononced Anick)right on the Scottish border. I will be artist in residence for one week, giving lectures and photo workshops. It is a very different garden created by the Duchess of Northumberland. Some people hate it and say it is nothing more than a theme park and others love it as it is different and refreshing. Full of fountains, waterworks and a poison garden. A different place to explore, different landscapes to look at and wonderful skies.....

All Good Things Come to an End...but

Well, it is hard to believe but my residency is over. We have packed our bags, stuffed the car and are travelling up to Northumberland for a one week visit to Alnwick Garden as artist in residence. It is sad for me to leave this special place as it has given me the opportunity to learn, see and produce so much without interruption. I felt like I was cocooned here, growing and evolving and honing my eye. It has been very special and much more than I could have imagined. My challenge will be to continue this when I get home...and I will.

The Most Famous Flower Show in the World

When one mentions the Chelsea Flower show to a garden person, they sigh. Either because they have been there and it conjures up vivid memories or because they have not been there yet. As it happens, it is taking place this week. Not only that but Tim Smit, director of Eden requested that I photograph it at night because Eden had the largest garden ever created at the show.. Incredible!


We arrived in the afternoon to greet thousands of people, viewing models gardens created by the best landscape architects in the UK, many booths filled with everything from garden ornaments, gardening gloves and incredible sculpture to cream teas in the gardens It was a garden fantasy..
We surveyed all that we could but returned later that night, and had the bastion of garden heaven all to ourselves..almost. There were tons of security guards and dogs watching our every move... A real special priviledge nonetheless....

Time is Closing In

It is hard to believe that my time at Eden is almost over. Suddenly every night seems precious. I have been trying to find a perfectly still night to be able to photograph outside the biomes. There always seems to be a breeze.The other night it was misty but quiet, so I insisted we go out and dragged Roger with me into the garden. I found these amazing tulips and a fantastic evil looking
meconopsis.. then the wind picked up.....Well worth the effort....

Anthropomorphising

To be or not to be . It seems that everything I am photographing these last few days is being transformed into something else..They are playful, frivolous and chatty..The Eden circus of which I am the ringmaster..

I am loving my lenses and will have to figure out how to get these from Nikon. They allow me to enter a photographic plane that moves away from reality.

Linda is hung

Hanging a show is a full time job.. there are so many details that have to be worked busy. This is the first time I have printed such large prints and I have spent many Sundays and evenings getting everything prepared. It is always a bit unnerving having a show. Your soul and energy are up on display for all to see. I always feel alittle insecure, not certain as to whether there isn't something that could be improved upon.... I guess it is stage fright of sorts..

Finally, the opening took place last night, and I have to say that I am really pleased with how it looks........ and it seems that everyone else who came feels the same way.

Views from Within

The beauty of living, breathing and dreaming a place is a luxury for an artist. The freedom to return, night after night forces me to revisit, review and recreate what I have already seen. I feel like I have become obsessed with Eden. I am searching for the ultimate image. The one which embodies the soul of this place. And so I have moved in closer, looking within the structures, the flowers, within my mind. It is so exciting.

The Book Launch-Finally!

Yes, The English Garden at Night is finally official. It was launched this past Wednesday night in London at Hoopers Gallery. It was a great evening, a good turn out considering I don't know many people in England. Quebec House helped sponsor the evening and there was lots of wine and good
things to eat... Roger and I both sported our hats and the response was great..... I wandered around London for a few days and it is a fabulous city, busy, hectic and anything goes.. Witnessed the May Day celebrations and the blooming of the cherry trees in Hyde Park..both exciting... I did a lot of street photography which I haven't done for many years... It's a great place to observe people although no one looks you in the eye......

Printing madness

For the last three days and nights I have been printing up a storm. Twenty five 28x42" photographs that will make up the Eden at night exhibition. It was very exciting because it is the first time I am printing such large prints myself. I had access to the monster 44'" printer at Eden and along with the fabulous calibration that my sponsors Imaging -expert did, (which prepare the files so that they get printed exactly as I want them) I ended getting fantastic results.. I love printing big and would love one of these printers of my own. I worked like crazy because I realized several days ago that I would be away in London for a week for my book launching and that the framer was going to be on holiday the following week which would leave 3 days to prepare the show....too risky.. So it is all finished and we delivered it to the framer on Sunday.. Roger ran around organizing the framing and cooking up meals to keep me going... lucky girl aren't I? The wonderful thing is that now I am free to photograph and experiment as much as I want...

No time Off

I cannot believe that three weeks have already passed. I am now in heavy production. We are shooting in the biomes every night and I am editing by day. Fortunately, the nights still arrive early and so we are finished by midnight..unlike last June when we could not begin until 11:30pm.

As I enter the tropical biome just before dark, I am treated to the smells of moist earth and the sounds of birds. It is very still, very mysterious and very hot! I walk around surveying the plants and points of views that could make for interesting images. The obvious has been done in previous nights. I now look for the subtle, the detail, the abstract. I need to see things with new eyes each time I begin......