Blog
In the workshop today – a Kingfisher
Carving a Kingfisher – Kingfisher in mind – azure and rufous, fast low flying over the water with short, sharp whistle sound. Flashes of electric blue. I’m working on a series of wildlife images carved within a circular border, in a similar way to my mouse and owl. This is the start of the […]
Bird Sculpture Book
In fact it is a monograph on sculptor Geoffrey Dashwood which I’m reading at the moment. It is a magnificent and illuminating book. The sculptor himself has written sections which for me, makes it doubly inspiring. It is a book of brilliance and filled with exceptional sculpture, it heaps such a surge of beauty […]
A newt in the goose pond
The snow melt-water gushes in torrents down the little beck here, bringing with it storm debris and silt, overwhelming and bursting the banks. Floating on the surface of the goose pond I found a newt, not moving, which I picked up and it sat lifeless in my hand. Its little body was like ice, […]
Exhibition in Southwold
One of my very first bird-watching trips was to RSPB Nature Reserve Minsmere in Suffolk. Over the years I’ve visited many times and enjoyed extraordinary bird views and glimpses of bittern, bearded-tits, marsh harriers, otters – I saw my first ever kingfisher there, and loved the walks along the beach, coastal lagoons and […]
As a postscript to stuff Siberian
It still blows in – but now I’ve forgotten about the cold. Thoughts are sculpture. There are contemporary sculptors from Siberia, as well as the ancient Scythian ones. I’ve discovered Dashi Namdakov – and I’m enchanted – mesmerised. His words ‘We shall not run away from our roots, from the forces of […]
The Siberian blast
I’m feeling it here. The snow is light and dry, easily blown up by the wind to sting my face. As the next white blizzard streaks past my workshop door, I’m getting a glimpse of what it is like for Siberian sculptors! It brings to mind treasure buried in the Siberian permafrost and […]
Snowy stoat
Many layered this morning as the forecast was for really cold, glad too, as it was blizzarding at the workshop, and into the workshop! Snow gets in through the smallest gaps and holes, and seems to go round corners to find its way in and I can’t clear surfaces quickly enough. The downfalls are, […]
In the workshop today – sketching in stone
I pinched a bit of time from myself this morning, it wasn’t planned, but sometimes it is good to take a little detour. I sort of allowed myself as I made an early start – the lighter mornings help, especially this morning as the sun is shining. In the fields to the north […]
Owl and Oak leaves
I’m drawing out a design for a stone roundel to be carved with a Barn Owl in flight, oak leaves and a vole scuttling away to safety. The sketches just make sure I’ve got all the details right before I begin carving. The pencil lines are fairly simple, and are as a guide. Sometimes […]
Letters entwined and leaves
This is a keystone for an arched entrance way, depicting entwined letters and tree design making a distinctive shield representing the name of the house. It is a lovely thing to be part of this personalisation of a building. This sort of carving harks back to heraldic achievements, showing supporters, a crest and […]