Animation & Motion Design
Opal Rayner
Bluemarsh
My wonder in nature started when I was very little during summers at my aunt’s farm Bluemarsh. There was a brook that ran through her property and provided plenty of scope for magic discovery. She gave me a huge book one summer, Cicely Mary Barker’s, ‘The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies’, a book of flower fairies and poems to accompany each one. I remember reading the book cover to cover and using it as a field guide for the rest of the summer.
I would like to provide the possibility for this sense of curiosity and exploration. As is our nature, we are explorers. It is essential for our development as a species and we do it for many reasons – knowledge, wealth, and joy. The possibilities are endless, and the process is natural.
I am very inspired by the deep rich colours of the forest in summer and autumn. This would have been the time of year I most often visited Bluemarsh. I have used a mixture of natural and bright colours in contrast with one another to provide a magical landscape. I created the creatures using a combination of sewing and model-making techniques. Each one brought to life as a fully poseable puppet. I have used a variety of materials, felt, velvet and found objects whatever is necessary to portray each character’s particular characteristics.
The final included image is taken from negatives my aunt Lissie shared with us, taken 1997.