Colourful designs were created from Somerset beach mud during a unique mud painting workshop held on Brean beach on Thursday (August 26th).
The free event was led by local geologist Mathilde Braddock and painter and art educator Sara Dudman with the aim of exploring how geology can inform art along the Somerset coast.
A steady stream of members of the public rolled up their sleeves to get involved and explore painting with muds collected from the coastline.
Sara told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “Mathilde and I introduced people to making and using paints made from local Somerset coast muds which we’ve collected from along the coast.”
“We invited people to make individual and collaborative artworks on paper on the picnic tables outside the Cove Café and then spend some time on the beach itself, creating artworks using mud paints (made from Cornish muds for colour contrast) poured directly on the sand and then scratching designs and drawings into the mud, to create sgraffito-style artwork.”
“Mathilde helped participants to understand the geology of the coast and why some muds and rocks make better paints than others.”
She added that further sessions are planned for the future, saying:Â “Our aim is to use the processes and activities to deepen people’s appreciation of their local coast, open conversations about rocks, coast, the earth, the sea, climate change, why artists and scientists sometimes work together, and make artwork from mud.”
The event was led in conjunction with Plover Rovers and Somerset Wildlife Trust and is a preliminary event to publicise an exhibition about ‘Somerset’s Brilliant Coast’ which will open in Watchet later this year.
