I've loved albums ever since I first started exploring my parents mysterious vinyl collection as a kid. There is something wondrous about a collection of songs that have been chosen to sit together in a certain order. Looking back, as I finish up writing songs for my next album, I realise that each album I have released has come to mark an era of my life.

Deciding what to put on the front cover is a question that very often resolves itself during the writing process. This time around I was a bit stumped with the prospect of using an image of myself again whilst also trying to reflect some of the themes that run through the songs on 'Fell For The World'. I have to admit that I’ve mostly shied away from using images of myself in my music in general. However, In the summer of 2014 I sat down with my good friend and artist Benjamin Brown and shared my thoughts on the ideas behind the new album. Searching for a personal project to get stuck into, Ben immediately offered to sculpt something and so we began to form a plan to create a piece that would eventually become the front cover for 'Fell For The World'. Ben is an exceptional artist and sculptor who pours his creative energies into conjuring characters for major blockbuster Films and TV. He has known me and my music for many years and I couldn't have been more excited to see what he would dream up. The months following were peppered with long discussions over the nature of my lifelong affinity with trees, the connection I feel working among plants for the last 20 years, and how I find deep analogies daily within the natural world; analogies that occasionally just stand out and jump around wildly in me until one day they become songs.

Incorporating a tree became the main starting point for the sculpt, as no two trees grow in the same way, they lose limbs; they scar and heal over time just as we do. We talked about embueing a sense of age by including areas of loss and healing. 'Grainy' developed gradually over months as Ben literally carved out time and clay to find him. Every couple of weeks we'd check in and chat more about the sculpture. I'm kicking myself that I didn't record those conversations between us. We covered a lot of ground and I was constantly amazed how Ben took everything we talked about and channelled it deep into the next stage of the sculpt. For the final photoshoot we called on the help of another good friend, documentary and portraiture photography legend John Angerson. I will be forever grateful to them both for pouring their exceptional talents and energy into this epic front cover....

I recently sat down with Ben to look back and quiz him a little on the making of 'Grainy', his process, some geeky arty stuff and what inspires him as an artist.

A month or so after our first conversation Ben showed up at my place with a whole load of silicon goop and plaster to cast my face...

Benjamin Brown Interview

How did all those pictures we took of bark and branches influence the sculpt?

The tree bark reference was instrumental in the overall design process of the sculpture.  Understanding just a few of the many bark types and how variable they are in texture, shape and colour really set the bar high.  I wanted the sculpture to offer as realistic a representation of the skin of a tree as possible, and when we studied the different types and how they are structured it made me realise the magnitude of what it meant to sculpt such an organic material.  

Bark is an incredible design of nature. At first glance it blends into a simple trunk supporting the tree, but as you get closer and study it you realise it’s a whole universe of diverse shapes.  From all that it offers, I chose three main elements to influence my ideas. The first were its colours and how it changes under the sunlight and how it can offer a kaleidoscope of iridescent hues and tones. The second was its age and how a mature tree offers shadows as the bark stretches and cracks open revealing peaks and troughs, giving me the lights and darks I needed to play with to show its depths. And the third was the flow.  Each trunk has its own unique direction of growth as it gets taller and wider and this fascinated me to see how it twisted from the roots upwards before splitting off into new branches and how it wrapped around knots and strange bulges. It looked like a super highway of never ending pathways and it influenced me to create a sculpture that could embody its own bark flow, taking the viewer on a journey of ages, telling a story of wonder and magic. 

What materials did you use to create Grainy?

By the end of the process, Grainy had utilised quite a variety. The first stages used materials like medical grade platinum silicone, plaster bandage, chicken wire, wood, screws, cardboard, aluminium wire and water. The mid stage or sculpting stage used an oil based clay called Plasterline, which allowed me to sculpt over a long period of time without the sculpture drying out, and the later stages used tin based condensation cure silicone, fibreglass, polyester based pigments and finally acrylic paints.

What was the most challenging part of this sculpt?

The most challenging part of the sculpture was definitely the composition.  In our early brainstorming sessions, you and I were keen that the main focus of the sculpture would depict your face blending into the bark of a tree.  Thinking back, our first idea was to just have your face blend in with a piece of old washed out driftwood, but typically, when two artists get together to come up with ideas, they easily grow uncontrollably into something bigger than first intended.

It wasn’t just a piece of art we were creating, it was a visual message, an expression and representation of both your personality and your music. 

It was only when I had the 3D sculpture of your face in front of me, that I was able to work out how to incorporate elements of nature around you and how that would transfer into the story we wanted to tell. I kept in mind that the final sculpture would end up as a photograph on the front cover of your album, and how it needed to have the visual power to draw you in.  This was the challenge of the composition and it took some time to resolve and evolve.

My process for this was to initially keep everything loose and made lots of card board cut outs of the elements I wanted to incorporate and built a kind of free standing half tree man that could be easily changed, cut, swapped and stuck back together.  It was a great exercise, and learning experience as it quickly made me feel that I had bitten off more than I could chew.   I persevered though and welcomed the input of other artists around me, who gave feedback and advice, and over time it dawned on me that if we somehow got this right, the sculpture could have the power to take you on an adventure - from the realms of the ‘visual’ and into the ‘acoustic’, offering an experience that you will never forget.  

And this got me very excited! Despite the “no pressure then” sensation occurring,  haha. I had to nail it from the start…..or bust! 

I also had some idea of what this album meant to you and how much effort had gone into its creation.  In many ways, although impossible, I wanted to at least try to match that effort to do your work justice. 

What did you learn from creating this sculpture?

Wow, too much to mention.  It took all my skill sets to accomplish ‘Grainy’.  From Concept drawing and design, to sculpture, to mould making, casting in new materials and finally to painting.  I think for a start it enhanced my awareness of what I’ve learnt over the years. Surprised me is perhaps a better word.

I think also I’ve learnt that I can bring my imagination to life – or at least into the physical world. Often I say to myself, “wouldn’t it be cool if…” or “What about this thing, that does this, or looks like this…People would go nuts, or think wow that’s cool”, but most of time that’s where it stays – in my head, as ideas and daydreams.  But in this instance, from my relationships with incredibly talented friend’s like yourself, who inspire me to realise my imagination in a way that’s unique to me and then invite me to join their projects – I’ve learnt that whatever I want to create is possible and that one late night conversation can turn into a whole adventure of creative mayhem. 

Was there a critical point in the sculpt that began to define the finished piece?

Easy, it was the placement of your face.  Once this was established I knew it was going to look awesome.  How to set a face into a tree without it looking like it was slung in from the end of a stick?  Hmm – it didn’t come quickly, so I sought advice from my mentor – Pauline Fowler, a prolific sculptress who works in the film industry.  We were chatting about the composition and she mentioned her favourite part of a tree was the knots and how they sometimes look like the face of the tree.  Bam! My face lit up and I think we both realised it at the same time.  What if Rainy’s face was the knot in the trunk!?  We tested the idea with the cardboard cut outs and it worked perfectly…. The rest flowed from there. 

How long have you been Sculpting?

I’ve been sculpting now for about 10 years, on and off.  I was working in the film industry as a mould maker and became inspired by the sculptures I was moulding.  I mainly work in special effects so the work being produced really appealed to my love of science fiction and fantasy, and it invoked within me the desire to create my own art through sculpture.  

I watched the sculptors every day as closely as I could. How they began, what tools they had in their tool chest, what reference they used, their styles, their techniques, their method.  It was all alien to me at the start, especially how they could produce such beautiful creations from nothing, but over time I saw their processes and believed that if I followed their patterns enough, I too could sculpt.  It was a strange feeling in my mind, or in my very core, that I knew I could do it.  And I couldn’t stop myself, it was a burning desire, a scratch that had to be itched, even if I turned out to be crap at it I had to know! So I started practicing in my spare time and eventually built up a portfolio, which eventually led to work as a professional sculptor.  It took some years mind, teaching yourself can be a slow road, especially when the bar has been raised super high.  I have a lot to be thankful for from friends, colleagues and mentors like Pauline.

What is your favourite part of working with clay?

Clay is a wonderful material that allows you to work very organically. If you can let your mind go that is.  It’s soft and easily malleable so you can change direction of something you’re creating very quickly.  I think that’s what I love most. If you don’t like the way something is looking, you can easily cut it back, scrape it off, add a bit more and take it in a new direction within a short space of time.  This is what makes it organic. It can flow with your creativity at the speed you need it to.  You can take your time, or work fast chucking on large handfuls and gouge away with your favourite tool.  It also feels nice. It’s a nice material to touch when moist. It slides and allows you to push it and pull it in any direction and when you let go it holds its shape.  It’s a very cool way to see your imagination come to life – especially on a turn table so you can see it 360 degrees.

What is your least favourite part of working with clay?

When it dries!  I love getting mucky with it when its wet, throwing it around everywhere, but you soon discover that the messier you are the more clay you spread and as it spreads, it dries and creates clay dust.

And it’s the dust that’s awful to be around.  Breathe it in for too many years and you get something called ‘potters lung’, which is something you really don’t want. Working with clay requires a dedication of cleanliness and being neat and tidy at the end of each day to sweep up the dust. Even a small project will produce a lot and if you have others around they can get pretty narky if you don’t respect the dust!

* *see below for more info on the risks of silica dust.

What project are you working on now?

Due to the nature of my work in film any project I’m working on right now is top secret. So I cant divulge that info I’m afraid.  But I can tell you that I’ve just finished working on a very exciting project about Vikings.  It was a very gory affair with lots of severed body parts and severed heads.  Those Vikings were pretty mean to one another. Life was very cheap and everyone back stabbed everyone. Or at least in this story they did.  

On a personal level, I’m working more on my 2D art at the moment.  I was told not too long ago that a way to better your sculpting skills, was to improve your drawing skills. So that’s what I’ve been trying to do. I’m using an IPad Pro and Apple pencil to create digital drawings and paintings and I’m finally getting the hang of it.  Working in the physical realm of special effects has left me behind where computers are concerned, so this is my way of ‘catching up with the times’ and bettering my eye and art skills. 

I’m also starting my own company selling ‘off the shelf’ prosthetics but that again is a little top secret. There are a few other companies out there doing it so I want to keep my concept fresh and unknown until launch time.

What projects are you looking forward to working on?

Always the next 100 projects! Haha. That’s mainly how many live in my head on a constant rotation, like a spit roast, turning and turning waiting for the right time to pick one up and run with it.  There is just not enough time in the world!  

 I’ve got a couple in the pipeline that are pressing but like I said Id rather keep them under my hat.  I am however always looking forward to working on my next film project. They are huge fun and always allow me to unleash my creative needs. 

What inspires you?

Science fiction movies, Horror movies, Fantasy movies! Haha.. Oh dear, im a typical film fanatic.  Apart from that, and a little bit strangely(?) I get inspired and excited about the simplest things. From walking in the park to driving on the motorway, everywhere you look now there’s so much information and design that its impossible NOT to become stimulated.  Whether it's man made or from mother nature, I love it all and it makes me want to be every kind of creator.  But that isn’t possible of course, so I rein it in and focus on what can inspire me to improve myself, and for me that’s mainly through looking at art such as sculpture, painting, digital art and drawing. 

I love looking at other artists work and how they convey an emotion on a canvas or wall or computer or wherever it exists.  I can stare at ArtStation (an online gallery) for hours, marvelling at thousands of artist portfolios and totally loose myself in their creations.  I think what inspires me most is the complexity of human imagination and how an artist can express this into a form that can be read by others, which invokes a feeling or sensation and in turn sends the viewer on a journey into their own imagination.  A never ending loop of creativity. I’ve been known to spend days lost in the museums of London, drooling over the wealth of art we have produced over thousands of years.  To produce your own art and become a part of that history, that journey of humanity, is awe inspiring. 

What motivates you?

Talented friends and artists who raise the bar in their own work.  When I see them expressing themselves it gives me such a great feeling that I want to be a part of that, to express back at them. 

Other motivators are impressing my employers, Impressing my family and friends and impressing myself. I like the feeling I get when someone impresses me and I want to pass this feeling on. It’s is a positive transference of energy and once you know how this feels, it’s very addictive and definitely motivates me to do more. 

Oportunites to learn a new skill or improve on an existing one. 

Time – its always running out or hard to find so when you’ve got a hundred ideas to get through and you suddenly find some time - that motivates the s*it out of me!

What artists inspire you?

Wow, such an array of artists have inspired me and continue to whenever I revisit their work.  All the greats of course, Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Bernini, Rodin, Rembrandt, and then of course there is Dali, H.R Gieger and of course BOB ROSS!  Now, with the power of the internet the inspirational art is so abundant its hard to remember one or two that leave a mark. Everyone is so good nowadays!  

Do you have a favourite living artist?

I’ve got quite a few living art heros and thanks to the film industry I’ve had the pleasure to work alongside some of them.   Julian Murray, Ivan Manzella, Martin Rezard, Luke Fisher, Pauline Fowler.  They are all silently famous I guess.  You will absolutely have seen their work – from Harry Potter to Startwars and almost everything fantasy in between.  

Other artists that have made an impact on me, and whom I highly recommend checking out, are sculptors by the names of Phillip Jackson and Beth Cavener.  Beths artwork uses the animal form and every time I see her work it quite literally blows my mind. Her website is: followtheblackrabbit.com

Definitely take some time to check it out. 

What other media apart from sculpture do you work in?

I guess the media of special makeup effects. Im not sure if it is a media, but its another way of producing art – and interestingly the canvas is the human body.  I still utilise  sculpture to create the effects Im aiming for, but then in order to create make up effects there is a long list of processes to get through before you can unleash your art on someones face, for example.  It’s a great medium to work in and gets you very close to your subjects.  It’s a bit like advanced face painting, but before you paint, you augment the shape of the body or face using silicone and foam – and then apply paint on top of that.  It allows me as an artist to be a sculptor, a mould maker, a painter and a make up artist all in one go.  Its full of challenges at every stage and is a very addictive medium because of the variation is brings with each project.  And the end results, albeit only temporary, really come to life in front of your eyes – and then talk to you!! 

Do you go out and see art much? if so where do you go?

All the time thankfully.  I live in Bristol in the UK, which is famous for its street art.  The whole city is painted, from the side of suburban houses to the entire sides of high rise buildings.  It’s a very inspiring city art wise and I get to see it just taking a walk to the shops so I'm very lucky.  Alongside this I am a real fan of art history and love taking trips to any museum I can.  And any city I visit, I always make sure to find a gallery or two. I always check out the back alleys of New cities - that’s where you find the best art. 

What's the most indispensable item in your studio?

A tiny stick of ash wood.  It is my most precious sculpting tool and is used on every piece of work I create. From large to small sculptures, this one comes out of the tool chest.  And because its so small it's very vulnerable and I have almost lost it on every job.  It’s a hell of a little friend, I hope it wears down to a nub before we part….

The next in line is a large table top turn table that I made. It’s a lazy Susan type metal ring housing lots of ball bearings which allow it to spin. I found online for very cheap and it’s attached to a large round ornate piece of wood that I dug out of a skip at Shepperton studios. The skip was next to the stage where they filmed the recent edition of Dr Doolittle and I think this piece of wood was from the table in his house. At the end of each job they strike the set (dismantle it) and most of it just gets checked away. It’s amazing what you can find in the skip at a film studio - and funnily enough its a favourite past time of mine on my lunch hours. A quick bite to eat and then Skip diving! It’s great fun. 

Is there an artist or style of Art that you aspire to or are inspired by?

I’m always inspired by graphic art, comic art and concept art/design.  I would LOVE to become expressive in this form of art and be able to produce professional level stuff.  Recently I watched the T.V series called the Mandalorian.  The end credits show the concept art of each episode and its so superbly drawn and painted, I find it more beautiful to look at than the show – I've actually re watched the end credits each week they are so good.  It’s the work of two artists called Ryan Church and Nick Gindraux – they are gods in my eyes.

Final Photo shoot by John Angerson

Final Album Cover by Made on A Hill

**More info on the risks of silica dust.
 
https://www.consumernotice.org/environmental/silica-dust/

See also a guide on silicosis, a lung disease caused by silica dust exposure:

https://www.consumernotice.org/environmental/silica-dust/silicosis/