'...sketching and drawing is an important practice it helps me use clay to conceptualise ideas and bring them into the world...'
'...when I was a child I was dyslexics and was treated very badly..."
'...in school the only place I thrived was pottery, painting and design technology...'
Rebecca Woodcock is a figurative artist who specialises in drawing and ceramic sculpture. she uses the human figure to help communicate and play with both naturalism and abstraction using the human figure helps to create a dialogue around our shared humanity and of her own experience of being a woman. Rebecca uses clay to conceptualise ideas and engineers strategies to bring them into the world.
..."I draw and sketch constantly, this helps me to explore the possibilities of gestures feelings, gesture and marks. What I want to tell the viewer will be evident in the end sculpture. Sometimes the finished work is in fine porcelain captured in a moment, it is still with a high quality finish offering a completion. Other times a figure is in wild clay or heavy gorged clay offering an unfinished quality that seems as if it is still moving in space offering a suggestion of movement and a dialogue for connection..."
Rebecca comes from a family of artists and artisans. At aged four Rebecca was given her first potter’s wheel after Richard Batterham and Clive Bowen gave her first one-to-one throwing and building sessions in their pottery studios. She painted her first wall mural aged three with her mothers assistance. In 1987 Rebecca trained as a 3-dimensional designer in Ceramics and textiles at Kidderminster and Stourbridge School of Art and design. Rebeccas artistic practice has been a consistent throughout her life.
Teaching has been another important element of Rebecca life. As a young thirteen year old teenager Rebecca started volunteering at Lea Castle NHS Mental Health residential home and Special Educational Needs (SEN) school. She helped individual find their expression in Art and Ceramics until Lea Castle closed down. After a period working in London Rebecca returned to being an artist in residence and teacher in 2000. After working within various instututions Rebecca worked as an assistant professor for Wolverhampton, Newcastle and St Petersburg University in the Far East in 2014 during this time she taught and travelled widely throughout the Far East teaching and completing residencies. In 2020, Rebecca returned permanently to England and I reopened her ceramic studio.
Rebeccas has spent a life time teaching, travelled and creating sculpture and drawn form.. As a qualified teacher and lecturer Rebecca has over 35 years experience teaching design, art and art history in education and in communities throughout UK and around the world to a wide range of ages. Rebecca is based in Bewdley, Worcestershire and works as a figurative artist and sculpture full time. Rebecca also holds one-to-one and group workshop.
Memberships:
South Wales Potters Association (SWPA)
Midlands Potters Association (MPA)
Craft Potters Association (CPA)
Artist group and solo shows:
Elemental Exhibition, Group Show, Bath, 2019
Elemental Exhibition, Group Show, October until November, Bath, 2017
Jilin, Beijing, Shanghai University China, Group Shows, June 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 2020.
Elemental Exhibition, Group Show, Bath, 2017
Wolverhampton Museum and Galley, Group Show April until June, Wolverhampton, 2016
Wolverhampton Museum and Gallery, Group Show September until October, Wolverhampton, 2016
Elemental Exhibition, Group Show, October until November, Bath, 2016
Bewdley Open Studio: Group show, Bewdley, 2015
Open Studio: Group show, Bewdley, 2014
Itismo. A.E: Group show, Mexico, 2014
Wedgwood: Group show, Stoke-on-Trent, 2010-1014
Stigma: Group show, Greece, Italy, 2013
BAMS: Group show, Finland - 2013
Open Studio: Group show, Bewdley, 2013
Open Studio: Group show, Bewdley – 2012
Pennant Melangell: Group show, Llangyng, Wales – 2012
Pendle Witch in Print: Group show, Lancaster – 2012
BAMS: Group show, Glasgow – 2012
InterimMA: Group show, Victoria Street, Wolverhampton – 2012
The Public: Group show, West Bromwich - 2011
Interim: Group show, Eagle works, Wolverhampton – 2010
Open Studio: Group show, Bewdley - 2010
Tree: Solos show, Besant Gallery, Wolverhampton – 2009
Open Studio: Group and solo show, Bewdley - 2009
Who said that? Group show, Kathmandu Art Gallery, Kathmandu Nepal – 2009
Boundless: Solo show, Sikkim Book Gallery, Sikkim India – 2009
Spill: Solo show, Besant Gallery, Wolverhampton – 2009
New Art West Midlands: 2009
Open Studio, Group show, Bewdley - 2009
Travelling Artist: Solo show, Besant Gallery, Wolverhampton – 2009
Portrait of a Journey: Solo show, Besant Gallery, Wolverhampton – 2009
Portrait: Solo show, Besant Gallery, Wolverhampton – 2009
RBSA Birmingham: 2009
Loosing Protest: Solo show, Besant Gallery, Wolverhampton – 2009
Open Studio: Group show, Bewdley - 2008
RBSA Birmingham: 2007
Loss: Solo show, Worcester House, Worcester – 2008
Loss: Solo show, Custard Factory, Birmingham – 2008
Young at Art: Group show, Stourport-on-severn - 2008
RBSA Birmingham: 2006
It’s Fashion Darling: Group show, Bournemouth School, Bournemouth – 1993
Field: Group show, Stourbridge School of Art - 1999
Form: Group show, Stourbridge School of Art - 1988
Function: Group show, Stourbridge School of Art - 1998
Publications
Beijing Art Magazine, China: 2018 - 2019
Beijing 798 and 789 Gallery writer, China 2018 - 2019
Shanghai Art Magazine, China 2018 - 2019
Changchun Art Magazine, China: 2019
Jilin Art Magazine, China: 2017 - 2018
Wolverhampton University Alumni Magazine: 2013
British Art Medal Society (BAMS): 2012 & 2013
Wedgwood Artisan: 2012 & 2013
Mirror in the Mirror book: 2012
You Can’t Buy Wisdom at the Art Market book: 2012
Kidderminster Shuttle Newspaper: 2010
Birmingham Evening Standard: 2010
Worcester University Alumni magazine: 2008
Loss book: 2008
Worcester Alumni: 2008
The Shuttle Newspaper: 2007 and 2008
The Bridge Newspaper: 2007 and 2008
Bournemouth and Pool University Alumni magazine: 1993
Bournemouth Newspaper: 1993
Stourbridge Newspaper: 1988
Community art projects:
The Form and Vessel, On Line - 2015 - 2023
The Big Ceramic, Ceramic Assistant to Gwen Heeney, Clay in Action Wolverhampton - 2014
Ceramic Assistant to Gwen Heeney Brick Community Projects - 2010 - 2014
HM Prison Juvenile Service, Art Inside London - 2010 to 2012
Nepal, Art for children in the community - 2009 to 2010
Banardos Children Charity, Art project for social cohesion within the community - 2008 to 2009
Banardos Children Charity, Art project for new mothers and baby within the community - 2008 to 2009
Youth Art Worker, Art in Action community project - 2005 to 2006
Mental Health in the community, Art project for mental health awareness - 2003 to 2004
Homeless and Mental Health Charity Camden, Art project for children and women - 1995 to 1998
Bosnian War Children Charity, Art box project for healing - 1994
Artist in resident, competitions and commissions:
Political Art History, artist in resident, University of Shanghai - 2019
Master on-glaze painter Yan Yen Ching, Jingdezhen Ceramic Factory - 2018
Independant state: Commission in ceramics, South Korea ceramic festival - 2018
Indépendant state: commission in ceramics, Taiwan ceramic festival - 2018
Indépendant state: commission in ceramics, Jingdezhen ceramic festival - 2019
Artist in Resident, Changchun University, China: 2016 - 2017
Renaissance oil painter, Jilin University, China: 2017
White: Figurative Ceramics, China, 2017
AA2A Artist In Resident, Wolverhampton University: 2015 - 2016
British Medal Art Society (BAMS): 2016
International Teacher competition, Jilin University China: 2016
Figure and Form, Tibet mural commission, 2016
Wedgwood Porcelain and Bronze Artisan: 2012-2014
Scania Keltruck International: Sculpture Competition Winner, 2012
Wedgwood Porcelain and Bronze: commission 2012
New Designers Fine Art Craftswoman: Finalist at Design Centre, London – 2012
British Medal Art Society (BAMS) Medal competition: Acknowledgement for Design Excellence, 2012
SPEED Business Enterprise: 2011-2012
Wolverhampton Scholarship Master of Fine Art: 2010-2012
Independent state: Mural commission, India – 2010
Independent state: Mural commission, Nepal – 2010
Barnardos Children’s’ Centre: Mural commission- 2009
Barnardos Children’s’ Centre: Mural commission - 2009
Barnardos Children’s’ Centre: Mural commission - 2008
Figurative form: commission sculpture - 2006
Figurative form: commission painting- 2006
Figurative form: commission sculpture - 2005
Figurative form: commission sculpture - 2004
Figurative form: commission sculpture - 2003
Figurative form: commission sculpture - 2002
Figurative form: commission sculpture - 2001
Qualifications
MA Fine are and Ceramics ( University of Wolverhampton)
PGCE (University of Stafford)
BA (Hons) Ceramics and painting (University of Worcester)
HND (Hons) Design Bournemouth and Poole School of Art and Design
Ceramics and 3'Dimentional design Kidderminster and Stourbridge school of Art and Design