Sally Ferguson

Sally Ferguson is a biodiversity artist, her work explores the lives of small creatures and the fragile ecosystems they inhabit. Working in watercolour, acrylic, oil and sculpture she creates pieces that invite us to reflect on our relationship with the natural world. Her work spans intricate and detailed paintings to large scale installations such as the entwined cloth adders on Farnham Heath, transforming overlooked species into powerful presences.

This series began with a large immersive study of Bishops Meadow.  Next the watercolour comparisons of Farnham Heath and the Bourne Woods show the positive and negative impact of our human presence.

The work Moths shifts attention to the nocturnal pollinators drawn to her garden light trap, highlighting their vital role in biodiversity.

More recently Ferguson has developed 360-degree environmental paintings. Painted outdoors  Ferguson wore the calico canvasses as skirts ( hence the central hole), turning around as she painted. These celebrate  three local sites; Alice Holt Forest; along the  River Wey; and in her own wild garden. The works are placed at different levels, and can be viewed from all sides, placing us within the environment  rather than outside. They remind us that the living systems that sustain us are both ancient and precarious; if they fail, what becomes of us?

Clashing bright colours form the palette of the work. The juxtaposition of sizes is like a collage. The size of the works give a feeling of the sublime- how small we are in the face of all nature. We feel alive, we use nature to calm and ground us in this hectic world. The work aims to connect us to the creatures and the places with a feeling of parity- we are a part of the whole. Let us look, love and protect the natural world.