Atmospheric Rivers Precipitate - Leigh Anderton-Hall

In "Atmospheric Rivers Precipitate", ceramic artist Leigh Anderton-Hall explores the concern and fascination surrounding the persistent rain that has been drenching the country.

Meteorologists attribute these deluges to concentrated streams of moisture in the atmosphere, known as “atmospheric rivers”.

These rivers form above the Pacific Ocean and move southward, accumulating water along the way until they reach a landmass, where they release their entire contents.

The artist combines reality with mythology to examine this natural phenomenon, with works reflecting on the impact atmospheric rivers have on the environment and human lives.

"Atmospheric Rivers Precipitate" depicts houses - icons of safety and valuable assets - as vulnerable to the threat of swiftly moving and ominous clouds.

A Civil Defence worker, in his distinctive “hi-vis” vest, reluctantly engages in the relentless task of cleaning up after the destructive forces of nature

Guardians of pine forests and orchards are portrayed as shocked and surprised, perhaps unaware that the gods have the power to unleash fury upon them at any moment

But in this mythical world the Orchard Guardian holds a secret promise of regrowth, in the form of a grafted wand.

The wand suggests that, amidst the devastation caused by the atmospheric rivers, there is hope for renewal and the potential for nature to bounce back.