Blog
Snow Curlew
I’m making good progress on my Curlew sculpture despite the east wind bringing with it snowstorms. Carving continues – the flurries don’t last long, and they give me the chance to stand back and look properly at how things are developing. This stage of working the sculpture is thrilling – there’s definitely a Curlew […]
Big Garden Birdwatch 2021
I’ve been watching the birds all weekend, but actually timed myself for an hour this morning as part of the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, after the snow flurry finished, and the sun came out. One of my aims this year was to carve the first bird I saw – spend the day, once the […]
Snowdrops carved in stone
I’m working on Snowdrops, carving them into riven slate – I’m excited that my chisel leaves pale marks, helping to give the impression of white flowers. It seems a marvel that they manage to push their delicate heads above ground in snow, frost, and flood, but they’re especially well adapted to life in the […]
Bear thoughts
As I carve and the bear shape sculpture emerges I’m thinking about the Medieval Bestiary and the bear illustrations in manuscripts, and how different my idea of bear and how I would like it to look, is. The Bestiary describes that their general attributes include eating honey, but can only eat the apples of […]
Polkadot – cat sculpture
Recently I was commissioned to carve a sculpture of a cat called Polkadot, so throughout December and into January I carved away bringing feline features into a piece of Yorkstone. To the memory of Polkadot. You can see details of the carving process and the finished piece here.
Photogenic Pebble Vase
One of my serpentine Pebble Vases is featured on the front of the Alyson Fennell Photography 2021 Calendar. I just received my copy from her and am enjoying exploring every page. Alyson styled and took the most beautiful image of the vase, filled with lavender, which is also shown in May, which is a […]
Little Bird with ivy
I’m quite a fan of ivy, I know not everyone’s favourite, but there are so many benefits to wildlife in having thick clumps of it, as ground-cover or clambering its way up walls, buildings or trees, that I allow it pretty much free ramble. The ivy in the garden is providing wonderful, and essential […]
Wintry Workshop
My footsteps in the lane made crunchy noises and my breath formed thick white clouds in front of me. A glimpse through the hedge of my workshop – all very still and crisp. By the time I reached the gate, the sun was making everything golden, and sparkly. And thawing patches of grass. My […]
Merry Christmas
M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S & H A P P Y N E W Y E A R
The Rockefeller Owl
What an extraordinary story this is – the Christmas tree ordered for the Rockefeller Centre in Manhattan, New York City arrived and when workers were unwrapping and installing it, they found a small owl hiding in the branches! It appears as if the owl, a Saw-whet owl, had travelled some 200 miles in the […]