Studio Diary; Landscape Project pt 2.

August 28, 2014 by Rebecca Buck

The tortuous kiln-loadings/ fab firings of the Tumble Commission are nearly back on schedule.The Landscape Project started in April with photographer Stephen Foote (http://www.stephenfootephotography.co.uk )getting some depth.Time to review it and have a bit of a think…

Up is Down IX, 57cm W,

Bracelet Bay , Stephen Foote.

Up Is Down- in progress

Bracelet Bay, Mumbles, Swansea by Steve Foote.

in progress, Aug 2014.

Bracelet Bay, Mumbles, Swansea by Steve Foote

Before the Busts and while the Tumble Commission was drying we did the trip to Porth Yr Ogof Cave near here and spent some hours in there setting up photographs. Steve was very busy with his thing and I held lights and stopped the groups of excited, awe-struck children Caving from bumping into equipment. It gave me a long time to stand in the shallow river in the darkness listening to the echoes of voices and water disappearing into the mountain’s warren of tunnels. Amongst many other fabulous ones Steve got this picture

Porth Yr Ogof Cave, Brecon Beacons, by Stephen Foote.2014

and over the following month I made these pieces; They are 30cm wide or less, each one has a central ‘cave’ and some naturalistic elements. This was when the narrative involving the Wyvern joined in. The Bird is the above -ground landscape from the Tumble Commission and the Whale is the water… beautiful images full of movement….

I am privileged to have special access to the excellent writer Daniel Buck (http://altamiraultimatum.co.uk). He is heavily involved in the story-telling in digital Games and other contemporary Media and we regularly disscuss the myths and icons of the Natural World. He knows my work better than anyone and has been an invaluable influence.I am going to turn to him next and see what frame work he might see in this.

Studio Diary, The Landscape Project, part 1

August 24, 2014 by Rebecca Buck

Busts in progress, Aug 2014.

Lots of changes, lots of layers.This is the main photo I am focussing on; The sky, the land and the ocean and man’s presence – everything is integrated.

Bracelet Bay, Mumbles, Swansea, by Stephen Foote, 2014.

These 2 pictures and the experience of being in both these places is never far from my mind these days.

Porth Yr Ogof Cave, Brecon Beacons, by Stephen Foote.2014

A narrative is emerging that involves the passage of water from the Beacons’ sky to the ocean at the bottom of the Swansea Valley. The Tawe River passes the Studio and the ground beneath us is full of tunnels from the rivers and from mining. The Wyvern, a dragon with a wonderful mythology about guarding the treasures of the subterranean world entered the picture when I was heavily involved with the history of local Coal Mining and the Pit Marker Sculptures and it is re-emerging here. The next clay-armature is more specific now that I have a clearer idea of where I’m going.

3rd Bust armature in progress, Aug 2014.

in progress, Aug 2014.

Studio Diary; Return to the Figurative

August 19, 2014 by Rebecca Buck

in progress, July 2014

An intense couple of months ending in a merciful bereavement has lead me back to the clear boundaries and challenges of Figurative sculpture. Portrait skills are hard won and need to be practiced regularly or they will be lost.

I’ve been playing around with the technique of building outwards from a framework that wont be hollowed out later and/or is a visible part of the form for a couple of years now and I wanted to try it with naturalistic work.

The River,a commission. 1.5 m high

Half a Century II, 48cm H x 32cm W.

I started with the exercise Lloyd Lilly taught us at Boston Uni (about 300 years ago); Make the skeleton and layer on the muscles and skin. It is fascinating to do and hugely informative. These are the skills that give Abstract work presence.

Anyone who has taken one of my Workshops will tell you, with tears in their eyes, that the key to figurative work is organising the huge amount of information into manageable stages and that the Skeleton is just a stick figure with the perfect proportions simplified for you. I’m not sure how I manage to be so thick but once again I made a clay armature for a bust that allowed the head to tip forward. Good thing I have that red broom on hand to prop it up.

With the 2nd one I made a much more interesting frame that would show in places.

in progress August 2014

It allowed me to work on the whole form from the outset rather than build from the bottom up. I’m pushing myself hard to use new methods rather than fall into the same ol’ pitfalls and to be more expressive with the naturalistic format rather than only technical. I’ve done that many times before… but the results were pretty dire! This may also be yet anther very bad road but it’s the only route to get somewhere interesting. I’m aiming to integrate the figure with it’s landscape following the ideas of the Up Is Down Series. Wish me luck….!

Clay armature for a bust, aug 2014

This clay armature is much stronger and the hollow spaces are more defined as part of the form good and early. The plan is to work towards integrating the Landscape work I’ve been doing with Cameraman Steve Foote using his stunning photographs.

Bracelet Bay, Mumbles, Swansea by Steve Foote

Bracelet Bay, Mumbles, Swansea by Steve Foote.

Brecon Beacons, by Steve Foote.

Porth Yr Ogof Cave, Brecon Beacons, by Steve Foote.

This could take a while….

Powys Arts Month 2014, Open Studio and Garden Exhibition.

April 15, 2014 by Rebecca Buck

All over Powys in Mid Wales, UK, Artists and Craftsmen are opening their Studios and putting on special events to share work. It is a great time to find someone whose style appeals to you and go ask them about projects of your own. We all love talking shop and encouraging others with their creativity. It is an excellent event for Bargains as Artists spring-clean their Studios and admit it is time to part with secret favourites.

Osprey Studios is open every weekend in May or phone and book any time that would be more convenient. Evenings are a tranquil, charming time in the Garden.

Everything in this section is under £30.

Osprey Studios. Easy parking and access.

Some of the Sculpture is fresh from the Kiln and new work will be on the go in the Studio.

Beautiful Penpont ,half way between here and Brecon has an Arts Month site too and is a glorious place to visit. The ‘Visit The Studio’ page here on this site has other attractions, directions and details for having a lovely day here in the south-western corner of the Brecon Beacons National Park.

You can show up on the day for my 2 workshops but booking in advance will secure your place.

You can get a feel for my best white clay, Scarva Architectural,on the Join-in Sculpture which will be on the go all month and I’ll put out my Momentum wheel for anyone to try for free too.

A Join In Sculpture at Brecon Jazz with The Big Skill.

The lovely kids visiting Osprey Studios with The Chernobyl Life Line trying out the Momentum Wheel

On the 17th the wonderful Photographer, Stephen Foote (see links) that did my best pictures is coming here for anyone else needing top quality images at an affordable price. Everyone is welcome to visit on that day- it will be busy and very interesting to see Stephen Foote working in the Studio.

I have had a massive clear-out; I’ve got a large Commission to build in the Studio. It will be on the go during Powys Arts Month and your feed-back during the build would be a great help. It is not going to be an easy one! I’ll have a lot of brand-new, never shown, work here. You can handle the range of specialist clays I use to see if they might suit you. And there’s also some fab seconds for sale including my Gwenllians.

Taken as a pair they will be just £500 or £300 each. Some of my other smaller seconds will be £1-£30. They are all frost proof.

Gwenllian was an actual historical Welsh Warrior Princess. Both Sculptures of her are life-sized and fully frost-proof.

Everyone including Schools and Families will be very welcome to Osprey Studios during Powys Arts Month. You can relax in the Garden with a complimentary drink and the kids can play with clay for as long as you like.

The Breve Series of Miniatures

September 7, 2013 by Rebecca Buck

These Miniatures are often made on location in wild places. They are set lightly on a base of stone or wood found at the site so that you can easily handle and turn them as I did when I made them. Each one is a page from my journal with influences from the mountain-side, the elements, the news, music, whatever is upper-most in my mind. Made of fine, highly durable clays they will last for centuries. They are within 15 cm long.

White Breve I, 11cm H plus stone base.

Black Breve I, 17cm H plus base stone.

Black Breve I, 17cm H + stone base.

Black Breve III, 13cm H + stone base.

Black Breve II, 11cm L + stone base.

White Breve III, 12cm L + stone base.

The Mobile Studio in one of my favourite, very quiet spots on the old road to Trecastle. The sound of the river fills the air. There are Buzzards, a Red Kite, Ravens, standing stones and the tough, small, mountain ponies that run on these hills.

The sky is huge here and ever-changing; storms blow in in minutes. I can carry on working inside the van.

The River Series

May 20, 2013 by Rebecca Buck

River Harbinger, 125cm H, at Wyndcliffe Court Sculpture Garden.

The River Series is an off shoot of the Wind Water Fire series merged with the Harbingers. It coalesced here in the Beacons in 2012 after 12 years in the stunning Upper Rhondda surrounded by waterfalls.

The view from my door step;One of many waterfalls in beautiful Blaencwm,Rhondda

Blaenrhondda, Rhondda Valley

The rivers in the Rhondda ran black for decades.Now you can drink the sparkling icy water.

The rivers in the Rhondda ran black with coal dust for decades. Now you can drink the sparkling, icy water.

Wind Water Fire III. 1m H.

When I first tried the Scarva black clays about 3 years ago I made a number of reclining figures and harbingers many of which were so awful they got recycled! But this one with a water theme I have hung onto knowing I wasn’t done with it. A lot of the work from it is now showing up in The Edge landscapes. Moss and lichens are the perfect finishing touch.

Reclining River Harbinger, 80cm L.

I’ve been off down various roads with it, some of them dreadful!! I’m definatly not done with it .

Like the Harbingers it is an environmental theme about the land and our relationship with it. Knowing you have drinking water running clear near your home is a treasure that means more to us all than we dare to think.

After the move to the Brecon Beacons I found we had this stunning river just below our new home. It is the river of the Henrhydd Falls, south Wales’s tallest Falls made famous by the last Batman movie.

I go there several times a week for the peace and beauty.