What do you do with dried leaves and twigs you find in your garden? Sweep them away, isn’t it? Well, James Brunt is one person who uses his highly creative mind to produce ephemeral artworks from such natural materials. And he even goes into forests, parks, and beaches near his home in Yorkshire, England to find them.
Popularized by Andy Goldsworthy, a British artist, this form of Land Art involves using leaves, twigs, seashells, stones, berries and other natural objects. Brunt arranges them in patterns, after a careful selection of their shapes, textures, and patterns. For this, he goes about hunting for the right kind of material that lends itself to be arranged into mandala-like spirals and concentric circles.
Using material discarded by nature in such a creative way certainly infuses a feeling of serenity and calmness in viewers. More so, when they know that this art form is short-lived since nature is ever-keen to disrupt the artwork and send the material into chaos once again.
Brunt’s endeavor to make nature look more beautiful with his creativity is not as easy as it appears. He not only has to spend an enormous amount of time searching for the right material, but also has to spend hours in arranging it in its most appealing form that pleases both the eye and the soul.
Always interested in art, Brunt studied Fine Art at the Byam Shaw School of Art in London, UK. He has worked for galleries and has had a long stint in Arts Development. He also runs the arts organization – Responsible Fishing UK – along with Timm Cleasby, a commercial photographer.
The good part is, Brunt never fails to document his works before it gets destroyed. His creations delight the viewers on the internet, where he posts them via social media, such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. On Instagram alone, he has a fan following of over 63,000. He even invites his viewers to join him in his art. One can even order the prints of his photographed artworks online from his website.
James Brunt: Instagram | Etsy Store | Website