Paleolithic Art designs on Stone | Buck Art | C. Buck Reynolds

Climber

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:23:11 -0700

A modern design. The idea came to me as I watched people climb artificial rock in a climbing gym; to have an artificial climber following a crack up a real rock. The tricky part is finding a piece of rock with an outcrop or crack that the "climber" can hang onto. It's hard to tell in this photo, but the climber's left hand is gripping a ledge in the "rock face".

Airbrush on slate

Size approx. 6" x 8"

Shaman

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 10:21:27 -0700

A design from the arctic Stone Age site of Bressov-Noss near Lake Onega in Russia, it was originally engraved into rock, and then possibly painted. The crescent and disc the figure holds or propels before him could be the sun and moon, or unimagined parts of a myth. The figure wears a wolf's head and tail; as a disguise or to gain power?

Shaman on Raja field stone

Size approx. 7" x 11.5"

SOLD

Airbrush on blue and purple slate

Stone size approx. 8" x 10"

Chauvet Rhinos

Sun, 15 May 2011 16:53:50 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on gold sandstone

Size approx. 11" x 15"

I have admired these rhinos of Chauvet cave since their discovery 15 years ago, but hesitated to recreate them because I thought their naturalistic style would be difficult to render on stone. It was just as tricky as I feared. It blows my mind that the original cave art is around 30,000 years old, yet looks absolutely modern in execution and was done on an unforgiving stone wall in the dark. Most of the paintings in Chauvet cave, including these rhinos are black. Grey was made by thinning the paint, rubbing off some pigment, or mixing stone scrapings together, for an affect that looks like it was done in art class on rag paper rather than on raw rock.

To see a photo of the original painting, click here.

Rhino design on Raja fieldstone.

Size approx. 15" x 14"

Fishing

Sun, 15 May 2011 16:48:01 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on quartzite

Size approx. 6" x 8"

Fish played a very important part in primitive man's life. Fish bones are abundantly found in the middens of paleolithic peoples. Images of fish appear in cave art from about 20,000 years ago, mainly as carvings and engravings. In this painting, I am imagining how early cave artists would have represented the mysterious salmon, with a bright red oxide "life line". It could also be the first one-that-got-away fish story.

Airbrush and sgraffito on sandstone

Size approx. 9" x 6"

Fishing design on Smokestack slate. Size varies by stone; approx. 8" x 7"

A dark moody piece of slate. The painting looks like it has been in a smoke cavern for a very long time.

Fishing design on Quartzite. Size approx. 10" x 6"

This quartzite stone has golden diagonal bars running through it that looked like sand bars in clear water.

Fishing design on Raja Fieldstone. Size varies by stone; approx. 5" x 7"

Sometimes the stone decides the design, like this example.

Lascaux Checkerboard

Fri, 13 May 2011 11:48:25 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on pink quartzite

Size approx. 9" x 13"

This is a reproduction of a geometric pattern found at Lascaux as it might have looked freshly painted 16,000 years ago. This design is unique in cave art for the variety of colors used, and the fine lines demarcating the geometric pattern. What did this shape stand for?

Airbrush and sgraffito on Smokestack Slate.

The same pigments as the checkerboard above, look different on a lighter stone.

Size approx. 12" x 14"

Chauvet Lions

Wed, 11 May 2011 18:21:16 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on gold sandstone

Size approx. 11" x 15"

Like the rhinos of Chauvet cave these lions are all naturalistically rendered, with each one looking like an individual. It blows my mind that the original cave art is around 30,000 years old, yet looks absolutely modern in execution and was done on an unforgiving stone wall in the dark. The majority of paintings in Chauvet cave, including these lions, are black. Grey was made by thinning the paint, rubbing off some pigment, or mixing stone scrapings together, for an affect that looks like it was done on rag paper rather than on raw rock. To see a photo of the original painting, click here.

Airbrush and sgraffito on Raja Field stone

Size approx. 11" x 15"

SOLD

Owl

Wed, 11 May 2011 18:14:52 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on Smokestack slate

Size approx. 10" x 11"

I researched owl art in caves and found only drawings that look like novice doodles, such as the fingerpaint-like one in Chauvet cave. I've created my own owl design that may have a modern look, but I feel keeps a paleolithic quality and fills the gap in owl art. This slate had a surprise red layer that I carved down into.

Owl design on French-vanilla sandstone.

Size approx. 7" x 10"

Airbrush and sgraffito on Raja field stone

Size approx. 8" x 11"

First Dog and Running Man

Wed, 11 May 2011 18:08:41 -0700

First Dog and Running Man

This design is a visual story of my own inspired by rock art from Spain. Paint is blown onto stone, then the dog's light color is created by scraping the stone (sgraffito), recreating in miniature the art techniques of the first artists. Dogs were domesticated and show up in rock art around 10,000 years ago.

Airbrush and sgraffito on sandstone

Size approx. 11.5" x 6.5"

First Dog and Running Man

Airbrush and sgraffito on Canadian Sunrise sandstone

Size approx. 5" x 10.5"

Airbrush and sgraffito on Raja field stone

Size approx. 10" x 8"

Airbrush and sgraffito on Port slate

Size varies by stone; approx. 8" x 6"

First Dog and Running Man design on French Vanilla sandstone.

Size approx. 8" x 5" (20.32 cm x 12.7 cm)

Lascaux Pony

Wed, 11 May 2011 18:00:56 -0700

Airbrush and charcoal on dark grey Quartzite

Size approx. 12" x 10"

This is a reproduction of a Lascaux horse as I imagine it might have looked, freshly painted 15,000 years ago. Iron oxide and black manganese paint are blown and hand-painted onto the stone, recreating in miniature the art techniques of the first artists. To see a photo of the original painting, click here.

Airbrush and charcoal on weathered Quartzite

Size approx. 12" x 12"

Airbrush and charcoal on pearly Quartzite

Size approx. 10" x 13"

Small Lascaux pony design on sandstone

Size approx. 10" x 9"

Bison

Wed, 11 May 2011 17:55:15 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on Raja Field stone

Size approx. 9" x 9"

This is an interpretation of one of the Crossed Bison of Lascaux as I imagine it might have looked freshly painted 15,000 years ago. Iron oxide and black manganese paint are blown onto the stone, and the outline is emphasized by scraping lines (sgraffito) into the surface; the same techniques used by prehistoric artists.

Airbrush and sgraffito on Slate

Size approx. 9" x 10"

Airbrush and sgraffito on Raja Field stone

This stone is a pearly grey-blue, and catches the light with a touch of gold.

Size approx. 9.5" x 9"

Lascaux Reindeer

Wed, 11 May 2011 16:58:34 -0700

Airbrush on quartzite

Size approx. 14" x 12"

This is a reproduction of a Lascaux reindeer as I imagine it might have looked, freshly painted 15,000 years ago. Raw umber paint is blown onto the stone. In some places I use my hand as a mask just as cave artists did, recreating in miniature the art techniques of the first artists. Reindeer were among the most common food of ice age people (according to their garbage dumps), yet are not frequently seen in existing cave art.

Lascaux reindeer design on French Vanilla sandstone.

Size approx. 12" x 14"

Lascaux reindeer design on Raja Fieldstone.

Size approx. 12" x 14"

Pech Merle Ponies

Wed, 11 May 2011 16:55:30 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on Canadian Sunrise sandstone

Size approx. 7" x 14"

This is a small reproduction of the nearly life-size horse paintings from the beautiful cave of Pech-Merle. My idea was to make them look as they did freshly painted 20,000 years ago. Iron oxide and black manganese paint are blown onto stone, and spots are hand-daubed on, recreating in miniature the art techniques of the first artists. To see a photo of the original painting, click here.

Pech Merle Ponies design on quartzite.

Size approx. 8" x 11"

Lascaux Deer

Wed, 11 May 2011 16:37:31 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on Raja Fieldstone

Size approx. 10" x 12"

This is a reproduction of a Lascaux red deer as I imagine it might have looked, freshly painted 15,000 years ago. Iron oxide paint is blown onto the stone, a light outline is created by scraping (sgraffito) into the surface of the stone. To see a photo of the original painting, click here.

Deer design on Raja field stone

This stone is a beautiful pearl gray with delicate amethyst patterns running through it.

Size approx. 10" x 12"

Deer design on Raja field stone

Size approx. 11" x 11"

Small Deer design on "fossil" sandstone (concretions in stone look like fossil plants)

Size approx. 7" x 10.5"

Small Deer design on Raja field stone

The gold center on this sun looks like an autumn sunset behind the deer.

Size approx. 7" x 7"

Deer design on Raja field stone

Size approx. 8" x 11"

Lascaux Deer design on Ancient Shoreline sandstone. I look through dozens of pieces of this stone to find ones with a flat area I can paint on. It really is a chunk of the preserved impression of an ancient shore.

Size approx. 10" x 14"

Airbrush Raja Field stone

Size approx. 10" x 13"

Airbrush and sgraffito on Quartzite

Size approx. 11" x 15"

First Farmers

Wed, 11 May 2011 16:28:32 -0700

My own design based on late paleolithic art from southern Spain. The domestication of plants and animals marked the end of the way of life that supported cave art, and the beginning of so-called civilization.

Airbrush and hand-daubing on "fossil" patterned slate (concretions in the surface of the stone that look like fossil plants)

Size approx. 8" x 11"

Airbrush and hand-daubing on Arizona sandstone

Size varies by stone; approx. 6" x 10" (15.24 cm x 25.4 cm)

First Farmers design on Canadian Sunrise sandstone. Size varies by stone;

size approx. 5" x 8" (12.7 cm x 20.32 cm)

First Farmers design on Mexican Lace slate. Size varies by stone;

size approx. 5" x 7" (12.7 cm x 20.32 cm)

Dog Takes Man Hunting

Wed, 11 May 2011 16:26:42 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on Canadian Sunrise sandstone

Size approx. 8" x 14"

Design inspired by rock art in Spain. The dog's light color is created by scraping the stone (sgraffito). First Dog is playing a trick on Man by taking him in the one direction where he will not find game. The women sense that something is going on, but will anyone listen to them?

Airbrush and sgraffito on Canadian Sunrise sandstone

Size approx. 16" x 10"

Dancers

Wed, 11 May 2011 16:20:13 -0700

Seven Figure Dancers design on Raja fieldstone.

Size approx. 14" x 7"

Design based on prehistoric art from southern Spain and Saharan Africa, this painting is my own composition. Rituals were an important part of prehistoric society, and bone flutes are among the oldest non-stone artifacts yet found. We will never know what early man's rituals were, but, where there was music, there must have been dancing!

Five figure Dancers design on Raja field stone.

Size approx. 11" x 7"

Airbrush on Canadian Sunrise sandstone

Size varies by stone; approx. 8" x 5"

Four Figures Dancers design on Raja fieldstone.

Size approx. 10" x 6"

Three Figures Dancers design on Raja fieldstone.

Size approx. 8" x 6"

Crossed Bison of Lascaux

Wed, 11 May 2011 16:11:39 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on Raja Fieldstone

Size approx. 8" x 14"

This an interpretation of the Crossed Bison of Lascaux as they might have looked freshly painted 15,000 years ago. Iron oxide and black manganese paint are blown onto the stone, and the outline is emphasized by scraping lines (sgraffito) into the surface; the same techniques used by prehistoric artists. To see a photo of the original painting, click here.

Altamira Bison design on Smokestack Slate.

Size approx. 9" x 15"

Altamira Bison design on quartzite.

Size approx. 8" x 14"

Lascaux Bull

Wed, 11 May 2011 15:57:16 -0700

This design reproduces a Lascaux-style bull painting as I imagine it might have looked freshly painted 15,000 years ago. Iron oxide and black manganese are blown onto stone, recreating in miniature the art techniques of the first artists. This painting is meant to be a "fragment" from a lost cave. To see a photo of the original painting, click here.

Airbrush and sgraffito on French Vanilla sandstone

Size approx. 15" x 9"

Airbrush and sgraffito on golden Sandstone. A smaller version of the top Bull design.

Size approx. 9" x 5"

Airbrush and sgraffito on a purplish-red oxide Sandstone with a ripple pattern throughout.

Size approx. 10" x 8.5"

Bull Hunters

Wed, 11 May 2011 15:55:03 -0700

A composition of my own based on cave art from southern France and northern Spain. The bull is an aurochs, an ancestor of Spain's fighting bulls, a six-foot tall monster that lived in the forests of Europe until the 1600's. This design is meant to be a "fragment" from a lost cave.

Airbrush and sgraffito on Canadian Sunrise sandstone

Size approx. 10" x 14"

Airbrush and sgraffito on Canadian Sunrise sandstone

Its hard to tell in the photo, but the handprints are contained in an underhang.

Size approx. 11" x 9"

Airbrush and sgraffito on Canadian Sunrise sandstone

Size approx. 10" x 10.5"

Airbrush and sgraffito on Quartzite

Size approx. 10" x 11.5"

Two Bears

Wed, 11 May 2011 15:45:36 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on dark smokestack slate

Size approx. 11" x 9"

Bears don't show up much in European cave art. What there is, is sketchy, with the bear's figure left incomplete. Working with bear drawings from various caves, I've come up with my own composition. Pigment is blown on to the stone, and the white lines are scraped into the surface. Smokestack slate has a lovely "gruff" patina that complements the bears and looks ancient on its own.

Airbrush and sgraffito on light smokestack slate

Size approx. 10" x 9"

Altamira Bison

Wed, 11 May 2011 12:33:46 -0700

Airbrush paint and charcoal on sandstone

This painting reproduces a bison fron the Spanish cave of Altamira as I imagine it might have looked freshly painted 15,000 years ago. Iron oxide, carbon black and yellow ochre pigments are blown onto stone, recreating in miniature the art techniques of the first artists. To see a photo of the original painting, click here.