Since November 2015 when I moved to live close to the Styx Mill Conservation Reserve I have been exploring its walkways, waterways, flora and fauna with a growing sense of appreciation for its beauty and the contributions it makes to our community. I decided to respond by making some art work as well as enjoying the environment for walking and looking.
I began by drawing and painting some of the plants and birds.
But as I tried to discover just where the walkways and waterways came from and went to within and around the reserve, I started to map it out. Google maps was very helpful to give me an idea of the proportions and overall layout but I spent quite a few hours drawing diagrams and peering across fields and through dense planting to see what the layout was and where various pond and streams disappeared to. So my second artistic endeavour included the maps below - there are 4 scans for each map.
I began by drawing and painting some of the plants and birds.
But as I tried to discover just where the walkways and waterways came from and went to within and around the reserve, I started to map it out. Google maps was very helpful to give me an idea of the proportions and overall layout but I spent quite a few hours drawing diagrams and peering across fields and through dense planting to see what the layout was and where various pond and streams disappeared to. So my second artistic endeavour included the maps below - there are 4 scans for each map.
