Stone designs | Genuine Simulated Paleolithic Cave Art | C. Buck Reynolds

Lions

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:17:48 -0800

Airbrush and sgraffito on gold sandstone

Size varies by stone; approx. 11" x 15" ( 27.94 x 38.1 cm)

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.

Chauvet Rhinos

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:31:49 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on gold sandstone

Size varies by stone; approx. 11" x 15" ( 27.94 x 38.1 cm)

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.

Owl

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:17:13 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on Raja fieldstone

Size varies by stone; approx. 8" x 10" (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm)

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.

First Dog and Running Man

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 16:10:17 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on Port slate

Size varies by stone; approx. 8" x 6" (20.3 cm x 15.2 cm)

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.

Lascaux Pony

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 16:06:25 -0700

Airbrush on French-vanilla sandstone

Size varies by stone; approx. 10" x 8" (25.4 cm x 20.3 cm)

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 onto the stone, recreating in miniature the art techniques of the first artists.

Lascaux Bison

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 16:02:45 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on Canadian Sunrise sandstone

Size varies by stone; approx. 6" x 8" (15.2 cm x 20.3 cm)

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.

Lascaux Checkerboard

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 15:57:38 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on Raja Fieldstone

Size varies by stone; approx. 14" x 16" (35.5 cm x 40.6 cm)

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?

Lascaux Reindeer

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 15:55:38 -0700

Airbrush on quartzite

Size varies by stone; approx. 14" x 12" (35.56 cm x 30.48 cm)

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 Bull

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 17:52:51 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on Arizona sandstone

Size varies by stone; approx. 15" x 9" (38.1 cm x 22.86 cm)

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.

Pech Merle Ponies

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 17:49:16 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on Canadian Sunrise sandstone

Size varies by stone; approx. 7" x 14" (17.78 cm x 35.56 cm)

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.

Lascaux Deer

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 17:46:00 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on Raja Fieldstone

Size varies by stone; approx. 10" x 14" (25.4 cm x 35.5 cm)

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.

Dancers

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 17:40:55 -0700

Airbrush on Canadian Sunrise sandstone

Size varies by stone; approx. 10" x 8" (25.4 cm x 20.3 cm)

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!

Fishing

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 17:35:58 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on quartzite

Size varies by stone; approx. 6" x 8" (15.24 cm x 20.32 cm)

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.

Crossed Bison

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 17:28:35 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on Raja Fieldstone

Size varies by stone; approx. 8" x 14" (20.3 cm x 35.5 cm)

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.

Two Bears

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 16:35:08 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on smokestack slate

Size varies by stone; approx. 10" x 8" (25.4 cm x 20.3 cm)

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.

Dog Takes Man Hunting

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 16:09:54 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on Canadian Sunrise sandstone

Size varies by stone; approx. 8" x 14" (20.3 cm x 35.5 cm)

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?

First Farmers

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 16:03:38 -0700

Airbrush and hand-daubing on Arizona sandstone

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

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.

Bull Hunters

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 15:54:52 -0700

Airbrush and sgraffito on Canadian Sunrise sandstone

Size varies by stone; approx. 10" x 14" (24.4 cm x 35.5 cm)

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.