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Lydia Smith, our current Artist-in-Residence at RMS for Girls, will be publishing a fortnightly creative column on our website and via our regular parents communications. The purpose of this column is to give insight and updates into the work that Lydia is doing here at RMS.
Welcome back! I’m Lydia Smith, the Artist-in-Residence at RMS, and this is the third edition of this bi-weekly column.
In case you’ve missed them, you can catch up on previous entries below.
Being an Artist can sometimes be lonely. I need to be focused and undisturbed when working; I also need time to reflect when I’m not working. It might seem like a counterproductive task to ‘do nothing’, but strangely, even when an artist is seemingly ‘doing nothing’, they let their brain go quiet to enable the next lighting bolt idea to enter. I find it hard to stop and relax – It’s something I’m working on!
Sculpting, however, can be a team effort, especially when working on films. When I’m on set, I’m in a team of sculptors, ranging from three to at least twenty-five, depending on the scale of the set. The largest team I have experienced was a team of at least twenty-five; we were sculpting an alien forest set for Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker. While this set was being built, subteams on other stages created entirely different environments – it was a huge production!
Photos credits: Phoebe Wingrove, Lydia Smith.
Talking of teamwork, the team I have had around me at RMS is of such high quality. The knowledge, talent and helpfulness of the RMS staff blows me away. This includes a big thank you to the Marketing team, Events team, Art department and last but certainly not least, the Estates Team.
Being a part of the Estates Team – run by the exceptional Billy – has been a delight. They assisted me when my temporary workshop (behind Alex house) took several thrashings from wind and rain, put me up in the tractor barn when the project moved into the painting stage, installed the sculptures and much more.
I have felt like a team member and part of the RMS community
I have one more person I would like to thank publicly, and that is my Assistant, Joanna. Joanna is not a sculptor. She is a seamstress, teacher, nanny, estate agent and most importantly, my mother. She stepped up to the challenge, and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without her. I always knew I would need an assistant for different project phases, but sadly, my usual studio team was busy with other projects. Working with her professionally has been a joy, she has seen a glimpse into my working world. This project at RMS has been one I have enjoyed professionally and personally, and these sculptures will always have a special place in my heart.
Photos by Phoebe Wingrove
We now have a confirmed date for the Private View and the unveiling of the sculptures. It will be hosted on March 19th.
Keep up to date with this column to find out when the RSVP link becomes live!
Talk to you soon,
Lydia