Seeing Moore At Kew

Education teams at Kew Gardens and Wakehurst Place (Kew’s country garden) and lead artist Steven Follen combined their previous Big Draw experiences in a programme revealing Henry Moore’s inspiration from nature, evident in the Kew exhibition of his sculptures.

Ten workshops led by artists and scientists engaged 6,000 visitors in visual exploration.

Sheep often featured in Moore’s sketches, and are important conservation grazers, so a flock was made from willow and their meadow patterned with organic materials.

Participants in See More sketched dissected flowers and fruits; in Going Underground they depicted root systems.

Microscopic observation of seeds led to the creation of large charcoal drawings in From Nature to Sculpture.

The intricate forms and surface patterns of cacti were the starting point for 3-D architectural constructions.

The arum plant family inspired a frieze of huge black silhouettes.

The Quest for Endangered Species sent participants to research plant characteristics. The resulting drawings on coloured paper squares – planted out on long stems – created a constantly changing landscape.