Linking Geology and Art in the field

Phoebe’s presentation will discuss her journey into field sketching and how thisinspired her PhD research on the interpretation of structural geology.On initial PhDfieldwork at St Brides Haven in Pembrokeshire, Phoebe started to paint the landscapein watercolours as she waited for the tide to go down.“I painted the vibrant viridian sea and the deep cobalt sky, and then I moved to therocks, thickpaint for the Winsor red mudstones and diluted washes for the pale greysandstones. As I painted the wind blew the clouds away from the sun and the lightchanged, moving and deepening the shadows. I mixed red and blue for dark purple tobring out the different faults and fractures. I realised that I was looking at the rocks in adifferent way, that painting was guiding my thoughts, and creating my scientificmethod. I felt a beautiful clarity and connection, in both looking at the landscape as awhole and the rocks and structure in all their details. I was enjoying being in thescientific process. I started to ask myself questions, had other geologists been herebefore me? Had they sat in the same spot? Had they seen the same features?”With a sketchbook andpalette in hand Phoebe went on further PhD fieldwork in Tuscanyand Switzerland,fieldtrips across the UK and Europe, and climbing and hiking trips allover Scotland. Phoebe’s art and geology work has been supported by groups such as theGeologist Association’s Curry Fund, the Geology Society, the Scottish MountaineeringPress, the History of Geology Group, the John Muir Trust, the Scottish Centre for Geopoetics and the Scottish Geology Trust.