Will Rose’s Wild Finca Animations
Will Rose is a long time friend, collaborator and Wild Finca supporter, who was one of the first people, along with his partner Eugenie, to visit Wild Finca. Just months after we first moved in, Will and Eugenie came to stay, whilst we were working together on ‘The Last Song of the Nightingale’ (see some of Will’s incredible work on that here).
Then, during our filming of our 2021 monthly series ‘Notes from Wild Finca,’ Will’s family followed along and they believed so deeply in the Wild Finca vision that they helped Wild Finca grow, protecting half a hectare of ancient woodland, which is now called Rose Wood. A wonderful spot for mushroom foraging and where the boys love to play hide-and-seek in the ancient carved out trunk of a chestnut.
On his most recent visit Will created a series of animations inspired by what he saw whilst sitting on a spot we call The Mound, at Wild Finca. As Will said, ‘Anything can turn up at this place!’
And we weren’t the only one who thought his creation was incredible, not only was it part of the Society of Wildlife Artists Natural Eye exhibition at the Mall Galleries in Autumn of 2024, Will was also presented with the Mall Galleries / Federation of British Artists Award for this piece!
My affection for Wild Finca goes back to when me, Katie and Luke first collaborated on their film ‘The Last song of the Nightingale’ back in 2019 when they invited me over to check out their new place in Asturias. They have done a wonderful job creating a superb haven for wildlife. I love that almost anything can turn up as you sit out on the mound drinking your morning coffee. That’s where I saw the Black Woodpecker one misty morning.
Wild Finca is also a special place as it holds a strong connection to my late Dad. Before he passed away he and my mum wanted to help Luke and Katie with their project and so made a donation to acquire some woodland that we now call Rose wood. An everlasting reminder for me of my dad and our families connection with nature .
I have collaborated on many projects with Luke and Katie and so it was nice to create something based on their special place. I’d encourage any artist to visit the totally awesome Wild Finca. - Will Rose