The Wyvern IV, Sept 2014
The frame-work for this one was much more developed and lead the form. I made a second one so I could keep the flow going around the drying periods but I didn’t need to break from Wyvern IV; it was strong enough.
Frame-work for The Wyvern IV.
This is asking a lot of a clay. But this is Scarva ES50 again and reckon I’ll get away with it.
The Wyvern and the Osprey, 2014.
The story is coming together. My policy of don’t ask too many questions, let the work flow, put in the hours,review completed forms, is working well.
Porth Yr Ogof Cave, Brecon Beacons, by Steve Foote.This image and the memory of being down there is still key.
Balarat Pit Marker, 6m L x 2m H, Blaengarw, Wales.
The idea of the Wyvern, guardian within the land ,started with the Balarat Pit Marker although I didn’t know the name. The Wyvern is a force and can take many forms. The Harbingers I’ve made are similar figures.
River Harbinger,2012
The Wyvern III, 2014
These busts are developing slowly as my portrait skills heat up and I can work more freely.
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
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.
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.
You learn a lot about your own work from watching a skilled Photographer taking pictures of it. You get a more objective view. The lights are certainly a merciless test of your planes and edges. Stephen Foote’s top quality lenses will pick up every flaw.
I went over the whole piece with fine portrait tools and his perfect pictures reward that. I’m very inspired by the excellent craftsmanship of stone or glass artists like Sally Fawkes (http://www.sallyfawkes.com ) her process is incredibly harsh and difficult yet she doesn’t back off until her stunning sculptures are flawless. Clay is way easier but avoiding marks when you are handling the piece is a constant battle
Sally Fawkes ‘Perceiving Significance II’ photo ;Richard Jackson
After a spell of controlled drying it’s time cut the sections. Luckily I have a fantastic Assistant, Michael Preece. I spent a lot of time planning the cuts; we have opted for large sections and I needed to ensure they would fit in the kiln and be handleable. Mike used a variety of tools to make the cuts and he and my son Daniel lifted the sections to thick memory foam where they will stay for at least a month.
Working in clay you always have an eye on the Drying and Firing -Plan; accommodating these long drying periods where the atmosphere needs to be controlled and having the right sized pieces ready to pack nice full kilns that will distribute the heat evenly.
I went round all the edges of the cuts and tidied them and repaired any dings. I will cover the sections with sheets to ward off drafts and turn them regularly. Most cracks form at this stage although they may not show up until after the Firing.
Almost there- it’s down to finishing touches now. I’ve re-done the head about 90 times and I’m still not happy with it. The Sculpture is wrapped in plastic to rest and settle.I will un-wrap it with fresh eyes and be better able to see what’s needed. In theory. Once the top feels firm I will remove those internal supports- a scary moment ; it could collapse which is why you need to have a ‘sensibly'(pessimistically ) long build time! The supports have to come out because they are restricting the shrinkage and soon they will start causing damage. That broom will never be the same. The outside supports will stay to the end and those sections will get their finishing touches during dismantling.
Andrew Preece of Smart-fix, my expert Installer came over and we plotted the sections. It’s great having his early input. I never compromise on the form but Andrew can advise on structural issues so that the Installation goes smoothly and we get the best result.
That hole in the top left is the last bit to go in. The fired colour will be a stony pale yellow.
A Sculpture will transform any Garden, huge or pocket-sized, elaborate or austere. It will need to be made of beautiful, quality materials that have a radiance complimentary to your gorgeous plants. A piece needs to be frost-proof and easily cleaned. No material is as durable or as low maintenance as high-fired Clay.
I make simple , movable plinths with old bricks and attractive stone paving tiles. Dig a hole and put in some bricks to make a foundation if the Sculpture is tall or very heavy, then build a hollow plinth with a small doorway that can double as a safe, cosy home for wild-life. If security is an issue or the piece is tall and vulnerable to high winds sink a stake into the ground, build the plinth around this and have the stake go into the Sculpture- many of my Sculptures are hollow and you can set them securely with cement if needs be.
My garden is 8 years old and is now really coming into it’s own. 
The River, commission.
Wyvern II, 70cm H x 52cm W. £1100. (sold)
Up is Down XV, £300 (sold)
Harbinger I, £600. (sold)
Up is Down XVI, 26cm H x 56cm L, £300.
Up is Down II, 42cm H x 90cm L, £950.
Half a Century III, 40cm H, £150.(sold)
River Harbinger, at Wyndcliffe Court Sculpture Garden, 125cm H, £950 (sold)
The River III, 80cm H, £500 Sold
The Edge III, 57cm H, £600, (sold).
Callipygous, 41cm H x 73cm L, £600. (sold)
In the winter sculptures give the garden focal points and structure while the plants rest.
Up is Down IV, 44cm H x 58cm L, £2400 (sold)
Up is Down II, 80cm L, £300
Harbinger I, £600. (sold)
Osprey Studios Garden backs right onto the wonderful country-side of the Brecon Beacons National Park
Sculptures will define each area of your garden. This patio at the end of the garden is a calm, reflective place with dappled shade in the summer and warm sun in spring and autumn. In the winter the sculpture stands out and is eye catching from the house.
Up is Down II, 41cm H x 80cm L, £300.
Musings, 21cm H, £150. (sold)
Musings, 20cm H, £150.(sold)
The Edge XI, 77cm L x 49cm H, £300
The Edge I , 52cm H, £730.(sold)
The Edge XII, 71.5cm L x 46.5cm H x 40cm D. £1400 (sold)
The Edge XI, 77cm L x 49cm H x 40cm D. £300
Henry Moore said that a sculpture was not complete until it was in the place it’s owner chose for it. It is wonderful to see my pieces transformed by new settings; it is the best part of delivering work to Exhibitions.
Wyndcliffe Court is a truly lovely place. You follow a narrow winding road past old-fashioned meadows and woodland to reach the beautiful house.
Wyndcliffe Court has extensive, mature Topiary.
Wyndcliffe Court Gardens are Grade II listed and designed in the Arts and Crafts style. Situated along the Wye Valley between Chepstow and Tintern, they are beautiful formal gardens with views to the south and east. Open every weekend, they are showcasing contemporary sculptures by local and well-known British artists. Open from 2nd May – 28th September 2014 three sculpture shows will run consecutively, each collection featuring hundreds of sculptures to suit all tastes in a wide variety of mediums, sizes and styles situated throughout the garden and offering the opportunity to view and purchase beautiful sculpture with an outstanding backdrop.
The Gardens are full of unusual, breath-taking, mature plants.
The couple running this new venture are both Artists themselves. They are wonderfully down to earth and very knowledgable about Contemporary Art. They charge a modest Commission and are very supportive to their Artists so prices there are extremely competitive. There is a wide range of styles and materials on show across the enchanting Gardens. There is a delightful Shop and the most perfect Terrace Tea-shop. Their Website is very helpful.
Standing Form, 110cm H, £650
Standing Form, 110cm H, £650
Callipygous, 41cm H x 73cm L, £600.
Serenity, 53cm H, £625
River Harbinger, 125cm H, £950
River Harbinger, 125cm H, £950
Up Is Down X, 52cm W, £550
Up is Down IX, 57cm W, £550
The Photography Shoot was even better than I had expected; stunning weather, lovely people exchanging ideas, a great lunch and Stephen Foote working with grace and charm, taking time with each person to be sure he got what they hoped for.
The Studio had been scrubbed down and tidied so Steve’s kit didn’t get dusty and the Commission wrapped in plastic to rest and let the water in the clay settle. It was great to have a few days break then un-wrap the piece in a clean room and review the progress with fresh eyes.
The build method is the same as for the Monumental Sculptures but scaled down. The walls are thinner , the coils smaller , but the same sort of supports are used. The final sections will be much bigger so where the cuts will be needs to be pre-planned and internal structure put in to support the sections through the fire.
Because the form shrinks as it dries, internal supports are clay and shrink with the form and external ones need to allow shrinkage or only be used for short periods. Quality memory foam is ideal because it lets the clay shrink yet will hold up surprising amounts of weight.The finger marks also support the walls and are left on the inside and only smoothed away on the outside after the section has gone firm.
The clay is Scarva’s Earthstone Crank Material, ES50, and it is awesome. Their previous Crank had fantastic build quality but it was a minging colour wet and fired unless you put something made in Black Chunky in the kiln with it – then it took on a lovely gold shade. This new Crank is even better to use and will fire to very nice pale gold ideal for the setting.
The lower section will stay wrapped most of the time to slow the drying and allow the water time to drop. I believe this makes the walls stronger but that might be nonsence. Each Clay-person develops their own relationship with their clay and techniques that are a breeze for one might be chaos for another. I started as Coil-builder 34 years ago and over time I’ve added a lot of side-shoots to my method.
It is 3/4 built, 225kgs of clay, 95cm high. I have definatly done the easy bits – from here on up it will be very slow; smaller coils added in small doses. In-between I’ll work on the surface images and the edges. This initial stage is building the basic form. A lot of clay will be added to bring out the curves and images. That will be left to harden and then the whole piece will be re-fined with subtractive methods. 3 steps forward , 2 steps back, slow and steady.
The Scale Model for a lovely commission for a beautiful Care Home in Carmarthenshire got a very warm and positive response and after months of workshops, planning and very careful thought the build has started.
As usual I’ve over -designed for the budget… but that’s my prerogative- I always stick to my quoted fee and how many hours I put in is up to me.I get a buzz out of challenge and this piece has steep leans , a very complex form and very strong themes that must be stuck to.
It has been developed from content gathered from other Artists on the Team working in a range of creative styles and with some extraordinary Primary School pupils.
The children’s ideas were so sophisticated, profound and complex. For example; After spending a series of workshops with the Home’s Residents making tiles for the Plinth, they built the idea that life is a journey full of change and phases so they wanted to see a pathway that traveled around the sculpture. They wanted a warm , welcoming form that harnessed the rain ( that falls very regularly here in Wales!) to create pools and flowing rivers that represented the Love that is all around us and flows through our lives. Wonderful!
Many of the Residents have Dementia and all are very disabled. But they joined in, charmed by these adorable kids, and it was their warmth and sincerity the children picked up on. They talked about many of the harsh realities of their long lives; war, poverty, mining, loss.And the joys; the beautiful landscape of the country they love, pets, family, work.
When your Commissioners pour so much of themselves into the consultation phase you owe them something stunning. That includes Arts Care Gofal Celf who are running this 2 year, multi -Artist project with Gwalia and they are both a joy to work for.
So this piece is full of metaphors and symbols. And, I hope, the grace and integrity of the many people who brought it together.
Near the Studio is the beautiful valley I go to regularly (the River Series came from there) and it is the perfect place to support this Sculpture. And it certainly rained enough this winter.
The Sculpture will be 1metre 40cm high plus the Plinth and 1m 80cm wide.
I always make scale model people too so I have the eye-lines right. They help to illustrate the scale. 
Measuring carefully from the Model the piece is coil-built using a variety of coil methods . The details are roughed in as the lower sections will necessarily get hard to support the weight of the following layers. Timing is everything. I do use fans and supports but if you mess too much with the drying phases you may well get cracks. If you work too fast it will collapse and I hate it when that happens.
There are internal support-walls and buttresses. The piece will be cut in large sections for the firing and these are pre-planned very carefully. The structure has be strong while wet , when dry,when being dismantled and moved to the kiln , through the fire, when being installed and then when it stands for decades, centuries even, in a public place. The site in this instance is a very lovely , sheltered Court-yard Garden with handsome landscaping. There wont be a problem with people climbing on it etc so I could allow some delicacy but non-the-less it is a sturdy design although I am aiming for a light, flowing feeling.
Rebecca Buck 