Blog
Spring Vase
The sun shone through the windows today. The shafts of light brought the outside indoors with a feeling of a Spring. With spirits lifted, I arranged fresh flowers, simple purple tulips with their bright new green leaves. Through the long, grey, wet days we’ve been having lately, you’re probably like me, remembering the […]
They hung the heads of traitors here!
Not recently though. It is difficult to imagine it, standing in front of the beautifully and stylishly decorated frontage of Priestley’s at No. 36, Bootham. Before entering through the immaculate gloss paintwork and shine of period door furniture, I glance to my left. There, towering, is the magnificent 11th century archway of Bootham […]
Romance in Stone – Doves
Continuing the Valentine theme that I started with Cupid, today I’m thinking about doves. Very different from the human embrace and ardour, but none-the-less tender and romantic. Bird romance anyway. I’ve watched doves and pigeon pairs and their behaviour to one another is gentle and devoted and their courting attentive and caring. I studied […]
Romance in Stone – Cupid
In the run-up to the 14th it is impossible not to think a little about romance, perhaps you’re thinking a lot! I’ve been looking at how artists, and in particular sculptors – and even more particularly sculptors in stone, have chosen to show love, represent romance or create the magic and frisson of attraction […]
Flighty Bird
Flighty Bird is a sculpture carved in Ancaster Limestone. The piece of stone had lovely colouring, showing mottling and striations, telling of its formation millions of years ago, with varying deposits and layers of sediment. This bird carving was inspired by the many wild moorland birds here – they lie so still, quiet and […]
Garden Birds – Long-tailed Tits
Whilst counting for the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch last weekend, I tried to sketch my little visitors as I watched. A flock of Long-tailed Tits flew in to the feeder, and most of my drawings were of these charismatic little birds – I found it difficult as they all moved around so quickly! I […]
Only Girls Allowed
Only Girls Allowed is the title of an exhibition at the Wensleydale Galleries starting in March – to celebrate International Women’s Day on Saturday March 8th, 2014. I’m very pleased to say that I will be showing sculpture at the gallery for this exhibition, and am just starting a figure carving – a female […]
About January’s Garden
From Geoffrey Chaucer’s ‘The Canterbury Tales’ in the The Merchant’s Tale, about January’s garden – such lovely words and I agree! He made a gardyn, walled al with stoon; So fair a gardyn woot I nowher noon. The whole section where these lines appear. This noble January, with all his might, Honourably, as does […]
Big Garden Birdwatch
This is a Dunnock, perching on the edge of my trailer. This bird became the star of my Big Garden Birdwatch last year. This afternoon I’m getting ready for the 2014 watch, filling up feeders and making sure the birdbaths are topped up with fresh water. I love this dedicated hour of watching my […]
Winter Sculpture
It was lovely listening to Andy Goldsworthy on Countryfile talking about sculpting in winter time and that he relishes the snow and ice. For me the colder days mostly just bring the challenge of keeping warm, though invariably the thought of working with cold stone and chisels is much worse than in reality. He […]