I had by now spent days exploring the landscape and following the course of water from the Watershed at the top of the village, at the Durham - Northumberland border, down to the village square next to the ACA Gallery and Heritage Centre. Kad and I had been deep underground inside the mines and seen the most incredible formations of rock and mineral deposits that had grown into spectacular colours and patterns. Flourite, Magnesium, Pyrite and Malachite could be seen alongside the once-prized Galena which was mined and turned into lead. The ever flowing water had dissolved and deposited a subterranean rainbow in the darkness hundreds of metres below the surface! Particularly interesting was the vein-like deposits of calcium, shown below. I began to notice dendritic patterns in the network of rivers and streams, in the skeletons of leaves along the river, and also in the patterns of electrical distribution seen in William Armstrongs laboratory at Cragside. I felt inspired to represent these in my work.
River bank, Allen Cleugh
Nenthead mine, Garigill.
Image taken from display board into William Armstrongs laboratory, featuring the pattern created by electricity as it travels through water. Cragside, National Trust.
