For the artist John Foreman, the environment is the canvas and everything he finds on the beach – leaves, snags and rocks – are the means to create compositions.
John Foreman grew up on the coast of Pembrokeshire in the UK. He started his creative collaboration with nature with sand, but stones are his favourite material.
“There are many ways of working with stone. Its colour, size, shape and angle all give endless possibilities,” says John.
The stones, arranged in swirling patterns and giant circles, form iridescent compositions.
John calls his project “Sculpture of the World”, which includes numerous natural compositions. He publishes photos of the compositions on social media and on his website.
“When I have an idea, I don’t draw the sketch completely. It’s a spontaneous creative process,” the artist shared.
Such artworks are not long-lived.
“I stay on the beach to see the works washed away by the waves. I use material that is created in this environment and for this environment. The tide washes everything away and the next day I come to work to a blank canvas,” the artist explained.
People often ask John how he feels about his work disappearing after the tide has turned. The artist replies that the short-lived nature of the work, makes it special.
John says that creating on the beach is therapy for him. Laying out stones in the sand, he dissolves into his work, leaving the stresses of everyday life behind.
