Blog
Guiding lines to help me on my way
In the workshop today – I’m beginning an owl sculpture. Before I start carving into the block of stone I quickly sketch an outline of my idea – the drawn lines act as a guide so I don’t take off stone where I shouldn’t! I’ll keep you updated as I go along.
Chisels for Cutting Letters in Stone
New chisels arrived at the workshop today, looking very smart in their own canvas tool roll. Actually I’m quite pleased with this, as I want to keep these chisels just for lettering stone and it holds them safe from being chinked together, and the cutting edges protected against knocks. Previously I’ve carved sculpture and […]
Westonbirt Weekend – Gardens Illustrated Festival
At the weekend I exhibited at the Gardens Illustrated Festival held at Westonbirt School, Tetbury in the heart of the Cotswolds. It was dark by the time I arrived to set up, but there was lots of activity in the marquee which was flood-lit and festooned in bunting with all the spaces marked out […]
Recumbent Rabbit
There are four favoured digging spots for the rabbits at my workshop, each showing regular fresh excavation and soil scattering. One is behind the greenhouse and leads under the hedgerow, another (shallow) is at my bonfire site, a third at the corner of, and into, my stone store shed, and the last out in […]
Spring Begins
To celebrate the beginning of Spring today I’ve cut a few stems of flowering currant from the garden and brought them indoors. I’m cheered and envigorated by the fresh new growth, and they smell gorgeous. Simple stone mini pot is now in the shop.
Ground Bird
I’ve been watching ground feeding birds, it astonishes me how acute their vision is and how quickly they peck up tasty morsels. There have been lots of blackbirds feeding in wet ground nearby, pulling worms – they sort of bird prance about, looking with focused intent, then dart forward head down, wings hunched, tugging […]
Art& show – York 2017
In October last year I showed my sculpture at The Art Market in York, which was a very busy and successful event, so I was hoping I would be selected again this year. Since that time the artists who organise the exhibition have been really busy, they’ve grown, with exciting changes and new […]
Tranquility Garden update
A little while ago I promised to share images of the Swan sculpture and Birdbath once they had been installed at the Tranquility Garden, Evesham Road Cemetary, Stratford upon Avon – so here they are. Yesterday I spent carving the feather motif on the plinths to complete the work for Hilary and her team […]
Hand Carved Stone House Name Plaque
Hand carved and lettered house name plaque in sandstone. I’ve been busy carving breezes in trees, tiny leaves and a lightly flittering bird.
Eye-catching spring sunshine
The view from my workshop. Sometimes you have to just down-tools, pause and let in the beauty of your surroundings. From inside the workshed I was aware of it, a light change of sudden dramatic intensity, it flowed in and over everything, a dazzling spectacle cast in green and gold. I felt the weight […]