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Telling Stories With Figures In Clay

Free clay workshops where not only can you Make a Memory; Shape a Story; Craft & Chat; Form a Figure; but you can be part of a team that designs Landscape Features that will be installed at Craig-y-Nos country park. We offer workshops at your groups meeting places.

 

Currently these workshops are to specific groups; but we are applying for a People & Places grant that will provide workshops for the whole community. If you would like to be involved or think it is a good idea please send an email to trevor@thebigskill.com

 

LANDSCAPE FEATURES & MEETING PLACES

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This project will get participants to come together, post-covid, in accessible, free, coffee & chat sessions, at local communities centres & outdoors, where everyone’s abilities & contributions are valued. The clay workshops are open to all, regardless of age, background, abilities. Bringing together participants, at workshops, in the Swansea Valley & surrounding areas, with a range of skills, aspirations, & cultures, to tell stories in clay & plan, create & ultimately leave an environmental impact with the placement in the woodlands at Craig-y-Nos country park three figures in a Historical Walk, in the old gardens of Adelina Patti & and two-part environmental figures set by the crystal-clear The Three Figures of the Mabinogion (Gwenllian, Rhiannon, Blodeuwedd) & the those by the historical Resurgence Hospital Spring), are designed to leave an environmental impact at Craig-y-Nos.

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At the far end of the beautiful woodland walk at Craig y Nos Country Park, near to one of the Park’s entrance points, a crystal clear natural spring leaves a giant maze of limestone caves under the Ogof Ffynnon Ddu cave system, having first fallen upon Craig y Rhiwarth behind this spot. The waters springing out of the Resurgence, became known as Hospital Rising (after the Craig-y-Nos castle was used as TB hospital last century).  A possible concept is to have two relating forms: One of a guardian-type figure making bowl for the spring as it leaves The Underland. On the surface could be relief carvings of wildlife. The other a working person like a quarryman taking a drink & a connected child. This part could also have interconnecting parts and the carvings would show scenes from our communities.  In all there could be 20 carved sections giving us lots of surface area to tell the stories collected at various workshops. Within the hollow of the figures safe, dry homes for wildlife can be designed and built into the structure; with carvings of plants and animals on the surface.

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Although the project is all about working in clay, it will collaborate with other groups working in Writing, Print-making, Photography, & the (geological, droving, forgotten plants) Walks, to develop informative & inspiring text and images that will be carved across the surface of all the sculptures. The writing group intend to publish bulletins & a beautiful book & the painting, print-making & photography groups will run workshops to illustrate it.

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Here are 3 posts that are very useful about making models including links for getting materials & tools : 

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https://ospreystudios.org/2020/04/09/making-small-figures

https://ospreystudios.org/2020/04/13/how-to-make-small-sculpture-and-models

https://ospreystudios.org/2020/04/09/how-to-make-animals-using-clay-armatures

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The following video was created by Arts Care Gofal Celf.

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