Welcome to Anna Dillon's Online Gallery
Virbrant & bold landscapes
"In 2009 I ditched my job as a graphic designer and made the decision to paint for a living. It was the best thing I have ever done and my passion for our landscapes gets deeper each year as I learn."
THE SPRINGLINE PROJECT 2025
Bringing wildlife, art, and citizen science to our community!
The Springline Project welcomes people from Cholsey, The Astons, and the surrounding areas to connect with local wildlife. Led by expert ecologists, our events throughout 2025 provided opportunities to explore and learn about nature. Participants gained hands-on experience in surveying wildlife, using citizen science methods which helped contribute valuable data throughout the project.
In addition, two artists created a large, public mural which leaves a meaningful legacy for the communities. The final artwork, along the findings gathered over the past year, was unveiled in November 2025.
THE ARTWORK
This was the first time Becky (Rebecca Carrozza) and and myself had worked on a public artwork. The artwork evolved into ten large panels that are going to hang together as a continuous landscape mural and will be on permanent display at Cholsey Pavilion from March 2026.
The creation of the mural
In 2024, we walked the 'Springline route' through the seasons, sketching and painting outside, taking photos and making observations. We used a large wall in my studio to layout our photos, post it notes and sketches which enabled us to identify the important features of the mural such as nature sightings, chalk streams and winter-brooks, interesting buildings with historical context and seasonal changes. One of the first challenges was to plan how we could work together on the same piece of artwork. We have different styles, which compliment each other, and it was important to establish and agree a creative process from the beginning, along with a timetable. We researched other artists works as sources of inspiration and used our sketchpads as reference which we shared with the public at the various Springline Events throughout 2025. One of the special elements of this project was the relationship between the scientific and creative minds. Both of us worked with the scientists as they gathered their data in the landscapes and during the Springline events. The mural incorporated that data in a visual medium which will act as a 2025 'baseline' for the communities of the Astons and Cholsey to use as part of the learning and engagement segment of this project. Keep up to date with news and events here: https://cholseyparishcouncil.gov.uk/the-springline-project
If people would like to see the creative progress from us, we have set up an Instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/thespringlineproject
The Springline Project has been supported by the Mend the Gap programme. The vision of the Mend the Gap programme is that the outstanding national landscape that links the Chilterns and the North Wessex Downs will be enhanced and enriched for wildlife, residents, and visitors, helping to heal and soften the scars left by electrification of the Great Western main line.
