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Natural Materials (16 Photos)
Content warning: Explore 16 stunning land art creations by Jon Foreman, an artist from Wales who transforms beaches with natural materials like stones and sand. From intricate circles to massive designs, his temporary masterpieces showcase the beauty of nature and creativ
Explore 16 stunning land art creations by Jon Foreman, an artist from Wales who transforms beaches with natural materials like stones and sand.
From intricate circles to massive designs, his temporary masterpieces showcase the beauty of nature and creativity at its best. Let’s dive in and discover these breathtaking works! Make sure to follow him on Instagram!
More: 18 Pics Of Land Art Sculptures by Jon Foreman
1.
“Below” at Lindsway Bay, Wales, UK
Jon Foreman: Wanted to do this one for a while, great to do this drawing style again and get lost in the process. Good weather always helps too. This illusion/composition isn’t nearly as complex as you’d expect, just a bunch of circles really. Then I just add in all the patterns like many of my previous works. There is however a mistake which is very easy to spot, I’ll leave that for you guys to work out.
2.
“Extimus Lux”
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“Explosia” at Freshwater West, Wales, UK
Jon Foreman: Often I get to a location not knowing what I’m about to create, this was one of those days. Upon starting all I had in mind was to start with big stones and work my way down to small stones. After a while it became apparent that this was turning into a work very similar to that of Dietmar Voorwold (who btw you should all check out cause his work is awesome!) anyway my point is there are things that I do in land art such as playing with scale/ colour that lead me to places that have already been discovered and it was completely unintentional for it to look like his work, I tried to then add my own style to it by dispersing the stones. Once I got so far I had to finish it having spend a good few hours on it already. Anyway I hope its seen more as a nod to an awesome artist than me copying his work.
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“Calefacio Stella” at Freshwater West, Wales, UK
5.
“Exspergo Luna” at Freshwater West, Wales, UK
[b][b]Jon Foreman: [/b]A very time consuming way of working, the stones being compact and interlocking makes for a more solid piece but I could resist a disperse inwards. For some reason this style reminds me of jelly beans. Probably cause of the randomness of the angles that they’re placed. Also, recalling the light from photographing a previous moon piece. I chose to wait a while seeing a cloud heading my way and went for the capture while the cloud was thin so that there would still be shadow, but not too harsh a shadow.
6.
“Consumo” at Freshwater West, Wales, UK
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“Mushroom Path” at Druidston
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“Rubra Spiralis” at Sandy Haven.
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“Horarium” at Little Milford Woods with Layla Parkin.
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“Oculus” at Freshwater West.
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“Vortex” at Little Milford woods.
Jon Foreman: Definitely had some collapses with this one. Previous to this work I’ve made pieces to test the strength of the mud/clay that I gather from the river nearby. This shows it well, I used it to stick the sticks to the tree and the leaves to to sticks. Definitely enjoying the mushroom quality and the ability to work much more three dimensionally.
12
“Fluentem Colos” at Little Milford.
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“Musco” at Minwear Woods
Jon Foreman: Great care is taken when using moss to ensure that there’s still plenty to be able to regrow and hopefully will continue to grow where placed. I chose this specific spot because it’s in a spot on a hill where people are less likely to walk.
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“Fluidform” at Pensarn
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“Cluster Moon” at Freshwater West
Jon Foreman: Two days working on this one, the tides didn’t go all the way up that day/night, it began as the dark blue to white working inwards on the first day and went outward from purple to yellow on the second day.
“Twister” at Little Milford Woods
Jon Foreman: I’ve been holding onto this one, the top of the piece is blurry and a lot of the other photos had similar issues, should have checked the images properly on the camera. The leaves are stuck using clay, all long gone now!
More like this: George Washingstone Stone & Pebble Portrait by Justin Bateman (+8 more artworks)
Which is your favorite?
Stone By Stone (20 Photos)
Discover the amazing world of Jon Foreman, where nature and art come together in incredible land sculptures.
Using stones, driftwood, and other natural materials, Foreman turns everyday landscapes into stunning works of art. He lives in Wales and creates art that shows how people and nature can work together. Each sculpture is carefully arranged with beautiful patterns and shapes that highlight the wonders of the natural world.🔗 Follow Jon Foreman on Instagram
Lux Tenebris
Jon Foreman: Created at Pensarn, Abergele. This was the last piece I made in 2021! I was glad to have gotten the chance to work on a large scale again, it had been a while! As ever I had an idea that changed as I progressed but I love that this one has curves going horizontally and vertically with a kind of half pipe effect (a curved ramp of stones either side). Also very lucky to have had the chance to capture the sea engulfing it. Although it was coming in very fast it was coming very calmly which allowed me to get plenty of photos, got my feet wet for this shot!
Crescent
Jon Foreman: Created at Lindsway Bay, Pembrokeshire. I’m so used to following the circle round further that its hard to break the habit. Glad to have managed it with this one though! It really feels like it merges into the sand, which is something that I’m not sure I’ve succeeded in doing in the past. At least not as well as this one.
Dissicio Quadratum
Created at Freshwater West.
Circumflexus
Jon Foreman: Created for Llano Earth Art Fest Texas. This is the most intensive work I’ve created and took four days to complete! I initially started with the largest stones making the back of the circle, as the stones got smaller I began to realise the time that would be involved. I’d love to know how many there actually are! Photo by Laurence Winram Photography.
Fluidus
Jon Foreman: Yes it looks like a jellyfish, no its not meant to be one. I’m not trying to suppress any imagination but for me I’m essentially trying to create something that doesn’t yet exist so that attachment to something that does exist gets on my nerves haha also feels like its oversimplifying the work a bit… But call it what you want haha!This one was actually created before “Peruersum” (The 4 day piece created at LEAF) and is what Peruersum was based on. The difference being that I didn’t have the time fill a full circle for this one so I got the opportunity at LEAF. I love creating the familiarity between pieces of work without directly repeating something. Having said that, i don’t know that I could directly repeat a piece of work without it becoming a tiny bit different!
Also the sand was really annoying that day and every time I put a stone into the sand it created the cracks you can see between the stones, interesting effect i suppose
Acervus Circlus
Jon Foreman: Created at Freshwater West. I love working like this, finding colours that contrast well and placing on top of one another. Very satisfying work to do, showing freshwater Wests colours in a different way, although I usually add white too I thought amongst these white may stand out too much.
Expletio Duo
Jon Foreman: Created at Freshwater West. This piece is 1 in a 3 part set that I’m trying to get made. Many of you will have seen “Expletio” which is a single spiral using these same colours and this fractal style of working. I shall at some stage be creating the third in the set which will be a triple spiral in the same style! Anyway this one proved more fiddly than the previous version, I think I must have downscaled it a bit and that coupled with cold/windy weather made for difficult work. Got there in the end though!
Druid Spiral
Jon Foreman: Created at Druidston I love working with the slate at this beach, definitely has a different vibe and colour, I’ll have to get back there again soon!
Sinking Circle
Jon Foreman: Although I don’t consider myself an especially good photographer I’m very happy with how this one turned out, aside from the work itself looking good (and with this angle showing the incline more clearly) aside from the work I think I caught the atmosphere of the day which isn’t often very obvious in my work! Also love the water making the edge of the stones glow and they disappear into the distance, I’m all about depth within the sculpture why not outside the sculpture too.
Lumen
Jon Foreman: Created at Freshwater West. A couple of years back I created a very similar piece to this, the only difference being that the stones were previously placed flat. I feel the sense of movement is enhanced with them placed this way really radiating outward as they disperse.
Nether Flower
Jon Foreman: Created at Freshwater West. Couldn’t resist sharing this angle with the shadows! This one got a little bit messy in the middle because of the nature of the placement in the space available. I have to start in the middle and slot the next layer behind the previous so the more I add the less space there is in the small “hole” I made for this. So yeah they got a little bit squashed but I can live with that!
Above Below
Jon Foreman: Created at Freshwater West. Another mushroom creation, couldn’t resist making use of the massive branch of driftwood. Again these are just stones balanced on sticks accept where they go over the driftwood. A fun one for sure… More mushrooms to come!
Shroom Sheet
Jon Foreman: Created at Freshwater West I’ve done quite a lot now with shrooms, yes they’re stones balanced on sticks, no – its not as difficult as it seems! .. until you start putting them very close together… But until creating this piece I’ve yet to work with them while incorporating colour (or more precisely colour change) as with this one! I’ll likely do more at some stage!
Obnatus Luna
Jon Foreman: These stones are often buried under the sand when there’s been particularly high tides so I have to hope they’re not buried every time!
Flos Tholus
Jon Foreman: At Freshwater West. The only plan I had was to make triangles that go from large in the middle to small on the outside, which, in essence is what i did. However it does really resemble the flower of life when seen from above. You’ll have to wait for that shot though! Stay tuned.
Direct
Jon Foreman: Direct, 2025. Created fairly recently (08/09/2025) at Poppit sands, a first for me making stoneworks. Had a great time that week with a bunch of Land Art friends, more work to come from that time and more shots of this work too! P.S its pretty big, those far strands of stones are longer than they look, its just the angle!More: 9 Leaf Sculptures That Stir the Soul in the Forest (Art by Jon Foreman)
What do you think about this art by Jon Foreman? Which one is your favorite?
Jon Foreman on Instagram: ""Exspergo Luna" (2021) Created at Freshwater West A very time consuming way of working, the stones being compact and interlocking makes for a more solid piece but I could resist a disperse inwards. For some reason this style
19K likes, 199 comments - sculpttheworld on August 30, 2021: ""Exspergo Luna" (2021) Created at Freshwater West A very time consuming way of working, the stones being compact and interlocking makes for a more solid piece but I could resist a dispe…Instagram
From Tallest Tree to Towering Sculpture: The Giant Hand of the UK
Content warning: Giant Hand of Vyrnwy" is a breathtaking sculpture carved from the remains of the UK’s tallest tree, a Douglas Fir. Artist Simon O’Rourke transformed the tree’s 50-foot stump into a hand reaching skyward, symbolizing the tree’s final connection to the sky
The Douglas Fir known as the “Giant Hand of Vyrnwy” was once the tallest tree in the UK, standing over 50 meters high.
But as it grew older and weaker, it became unsafe. Instead of cutting it down completely, artist Simon O’Rourke turned what was left of the tree into a giant hand sculpture reaching for the sky.
“The Forestry Commission, who are looking after the area, decided that it would be a good idea to have a memorial to the tree and left a 50-foot stem when they felled it,” said O’Rourke. “They invited eight artists to tender for the job, and I got it.”
The sculpture is now part of a place called The Giants of Vyrnwy, which inspired O’Rourke’s idea. “There are a few tall Douglas firs growing in the Giants of Vyrnwy area, and I was going on the giants theme,” he explained.
O’Rourke, who has been carving wood for nine years, used 12 different chainsaws to make the sculpture. He has also carved other things, like a swan, an angel, a kingfisher, a chipmunk, and a giant clock.
In 2011, the tree was found leaning dangerously to one side. It also had two large cracks going up from its roots to about 3.5 meters high. To keep visitors safe, the Forestry Commission decided to cut it down. Before this, a tree expert had climbed it to confirm it was the tallest tree in the UK, ensuring its story would be remembered even after it was turned into art.
Tree Carving Specialist - For Home, Estates & Public Spaces
I am a world-renowned tree carving specialist in the UK. I create sculptures inspired by nature from statues to furniture. Worldwide bespoke commissions.Simon O'Rourke
Cavern Of Lost Souls, Wales. A narrow opening in this old slate mine has allowed decades of illegal dumping of cars and household appliances. The water is an ominous turquoise, filled with a toxic cocktail of leached chemicals.
#Wales #Abandoned #Photography #Underground #Cavern #Urbex #UrbanExploration
