In Scotland’s community of women, Deauville lives among sheep and willows

The Nida Art Colony has announced that it is looking for artists who want to care for thirty sheep grazing in various places this summer, who are eager to receive them. One of them is Dovilė Lapinskaitė, who lives in Scotland and has experience in herding sheep. That is what the residents were asked to do.

Contrasting places of life

The life of D. Lapinskaitė is full of contrasting twists and turns, but apparently very interesting. The Kaunas girl traveled around Europe after school, volunteered and finally settled in London in 2011, where she studied art history.

“From one extreme in London to another in Scotland, in the women’s community. Sometimes drastic changes in life are needed to relax, realize, refine what you want, because life in London is a vicious cycle. I worked in the field of art, in galleries, only that somehow, at some point in my life, it seems that I no longer like what you are doing, what you have been fighting for so long … “said Dovilė, immersed in writing poetry, creating a call blow poetry, but calling himself a master of all ends.

For three years, the woman has lived in Scotland, an island where she was in a community of women. She lives at her own pace and focuses on weaving wicker baskets.

“When I wanted to change in London eight years later, I moved to the Scottish islands and met interesting women. They live far from all people, two and a half hours by ferry, where the so-called land of women was founded in 1990. It has no religious base, it is not an isolated community, it was formed in Europe by the waves of feminism and the separatism.

Over the years and decades, women have moved to and from those places, it is a great place to come with the children on vacation, to be in nature. This space is created for women, for women ”, said Dovilė.

Grow willows

Her friend is the founder of this land and a basket weaver, so Deauville went with the intention of learning a traditional trade. The 27 acre acres or roughly 13 hectares of land are owned by six women from the community: they grow willows, plant trees, shrubs, and raise sheep.

They live far from everyone, two and a half hours by ferry, where the so-called land of women was founded in 1990.

“We grow 68 different colored willow species, process, cut, dry and weave and sell bags ourselves. I work alongside the sheep, there are cows, all their care, herding, because every house in Scotland, on that island, has land that simply belongs to the community and anyone who lives in the house can use the land for agricultural purposes but they have to do it. they are dedicated to cattle ranching or agriculture ”, said Dovilė.

Women sell the bags they make online and word of mouth spreads by word of mouth. Communities, cultural centers are invited to organize art workshops for children and adults. The women also belong to the J. British Weavers Association.

Away from all viruses

D. Lapinskaitė says that after the pandemic hit the world, Scotland became a haven where viruses are not afraid.

“Our lives have not changed much: we walk through our fields, we are in nature and that communication with people was minimal. As we went to the store once a week, he stayed, ”said the migrant.

Scotland became a haven from a pandemic, where no virus is afraid.

The climate in Scotland is quite harsh, so it is simply not possible to grow everything. Dovilė laughs that after trying to build a greenhouse, this wind blows somewhere in Iceland for the third day. But everything grows and is lost when there is such a friendly community around and everyone knows each other.

“That island community is so close that you know who raises carrots, who has a piglet, who crosses sheep. So organically, they support, buy and trade with each other in that way, ”said Dovilė.

Summer in Lithuania

The girl is already summer in Lithuania for the second summer, various projects attract her to her hometown. This year, the artist participated in a contest organized by the Nida Art Colony, in which shepherds were sought to care for a flock of 30 sheep. It is true that the pastor had to have experience in addition to belonging to the field of art. A large number of artists from around the world responded to the request, and various art representatives from Mexico, Ireland, and Lithuania took turns caring for the sheep. Deauville became one of them.

The contacts with the Nida Art Colony, which the artist remembers, were established in 2012, carrying out a project with another resident. Last year in Nida, a woman played with other couples as she is involved in the women’s DJ set. According to Dovilė, it already happens that when you get involved in the field of art, the information seems to start to swim and the opportunities catch up on their own.

“Having started this sheep project, I thought it would be fun to delve into the relationship with herding, delve into the connection through the prism of my great grandparents, because we all have horn connections in one way or another.” smiles the artist, who has been in Nida with sheep for several weeks since June.

Sheep are better than any technique.

According to the project implemented by Nida Art Colony, 30 sheep graze near the Russian border in Grobštas Bay. These places are more difficult to reach with the technique, in addition, the natural cut is not the same as the technique, it helps to form new species of plants. The location of the sheep is changed in coordination with the Curonian Spit National Park, which offers other locations. Shepherds need to move sheep from one place to another, grab an electric shepherd, take care of their food and water. Work also requires physical strength.

“It is very good that the attitude towards forests and fields is finally changing, the forest is less visible than the boards and such a thoughtful approach to grazing is emerging. Sheep graze in certain areas and thus allow new species to settle. plants, insects also appear and greater biodiversity, said Dovilė. – As my grandmother told me when I was a child in Suwalki – I was ten years old, she went out with the sheep and returned at night. Now, the grass does not turn into grass, but in pasture when helping sheep. “

The artist says that although she herself grew up in the city and lived in a million cities, the union with animals allows her to know herself and them, to feel nature.

“They recognize you, they are waiting, they understand from them if they would like to walk somewhere else or if it is convenient for them to go there. We have a Lithuanian saying “How the sheep follow”, but sheep are not from an alcoholic, cruelly social, organized stump. If you need to escape, start strategizing, just amazing – a full heyday of thought, strategy. They are stubborn, you will not take them so easily ”, laughs Dovilė and emphasizes that taking care of the sheep is not so romantic, you have to carry water several kilometers, it takes time to rebuild the electric fences.

While in Nida, he says he feels a different flow of the day, runs to the sheep early in the morning, examines how they slept, has enough water, and goes to graze.

There are curiosities

The saying “stubborn as a ram” seems to have been born inspired by true stories. Deauville also had to experience this when the sheep had to be moved to another valley. Sheep don’t like to change places.

“We had a few moments when we tried to get married from one valley to another, we got married four times, two days both in the morning and in the evening. We thought to get up while people were sleeping because we needed to walk at the foot of the Parnidis dune, and we are going successfully. But as soon as the sheep reached the limit, albeit invisible, where the now unknown edges, they took and ran back to their grid. Then at night we tried to transfer, the same thing happened again. The distance is short, at the speed of sheep in 40 thoughts we would be in the park, but they worry when they do not know the surroundings, they are urbanized, they see the buildings on the road, asphalt ”. Dovilė said.

There were more stories. The sheep, which had been driven into the Valley of Silence with strong winds, broke down the fences and returned to the old pasture.

“Humans want to control the environment, we determine where we have to graze, but when reality happens, they realize that they can cry, rejoice, object, but basically it will be like a dictating sheep,” laughs the artist.

In Scotland, his voice is already recognized by 26 sheep, who immediately flee, as a reciprocal connection has been established, and some sheep have been petted while still young.

“Sheep get used to the presence of a close person, for them it is a natural factor that you are feeding, spreading the voice, and in Nida you are there for the sheep more as a tool to get water, food, but you are not their leader . If you try to substitute, then keep coordinating the walk, look and run ”, tells us the woman who returns to the Scottish sheep in autumn. So far, there are homes in Scotland and time will tell.

“Life is unpredictable, when you return to Lithuania, other activities appear. It seems that I am back for the holidays, but I participated in the Kaunas Artists’ House contest, I am going to the contest in Germany in October. I will present Lithuania by reading poetry there ”, Dovilė is happy.