Nov. 7, 2024

Earth, Time and Transformation - Becky Little - BS192

Earth, Time and Transformation - Becky Little - BS192

In this episode, we sit down with Becky Little, an artist, builder, and earth enthusiast, who shares her journey from traditional building to her deeply rooted, place-based art. Becky discusses her Orkney project, EarthBound Orkney, which draws on the land’s Neolithic history, combining locally sourced earth materials to create tactile art pieces that celebrate and reflect the landscape.


Becky explains the influence of geology and place on her work, touching on the ancient methods and materials she integrates, including soil samples, clay mortars, and stone. She explores the philosophy of call and response, as she adapts to the materials and surroundings in a practice that is as much about process as it is about the final product. Additionally, we delve into her fascination with seaweed, which she's woven into her art, embodying the transient nature of materials and place.


Beyond the technicalities of working with earth and natural materials, Becky speaks passionately about the narrative power of her art to connect viewers with the history and future of sustainable, local building practices. This episode captures the essence of art born from nature, sustainability, and an artist’s journey to discover deeper, timeless connections to the earth.


BS129 Links

Support the show and get bonus content on Patreon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New to the podcast? Start here:

Feb. 14, 2022

How to design the natural home of your dreams - Sigi Koko - BS070

Sigi Koko is the principal designer of Down to Earth Design, which she founded in 1998 to help her clients manifest their dreams of living in a natural, healthy home. She works exclusively on projects that are natural, ener...

Listen to the Episode
Feb. 15, 2021

Solving damp problems with lime - Ben Kerslake - BS042

This week I am joined by Ben Kerslake from Carrington Lime . As well as a general geek out about lime, we mostly talk about how to solve damp problems in homes with some simple observation and materials choices. We …

Listen to the Episode
March 15, 2021

How Buildings can Save the World - Chris Magwood - BS044

Chris Magwood not only has a huge wealth of experience building straw bale homes, but has the building science Masters degree to back up his experience. We discuss how the built environment can go from being the worst offend...

Listen to the Episode
Aug. 13, 2019

Prefabricated straw panels & magic mud - Bee Rowan - BS007

Natural builder, Bee Rowan talks to us about Ecococoon straw bale panels. These prefabricated panels are load bearing and highly insulating - the result is being able to build the entirety of your eco home in 2 days! We also …

Listen to the Episode
Dec. 7, 2020

Sand Stories - The sustainability of sand - Kiran Pereira - BS035

Kiran Pereira is the author of the forthcoming book Sand Stories: Surprising truths about the global sand crisis and the quest for sustainable solutions . Kiran was raised in India where she witnessed the impacts of indiscrim...

Listen to the Episode
May 21, 2020

Mud, the ultimate building material - Becky Little - BS018

This week we have a conversation with mud mason, Becky Little from Rebearth . "Rebearth is a Scottish company founded by mud mason Becky Little. We specialise in building, art and education using raw earth and natural materia...

Listen to the Episode