Blog
Inspired by Birds
All my bird sculpture is now delivered to the exhibition at the Craft Centre and Design Gallery in Leeds. We all got a bit dizzy on route, as I got caught up on the ‘loop traffic’ system in the city centre, and seemed to go round and round rather than getting anywhere. We got […]
Meeting Members of Pickering Art Club
Last year an invitation came from The Vale of Pickering Art Club to give a talk at their Annual General Meeting in February, (last week) and I really enjoyed putting together a little presentation about my stone carving process for them. I got such a warm welcome and interest from the group, lots of […]
RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2019
In previous years I’ve sketched the birds I’ve seen during the Big Garden Birdwatch survey. This time I thought I’d try and model them in clay instead, sculpt them directly during the hour watch. It is a wonderful challenge, requiring me to work very quickly, where normally I would be slow and meticulous to […]
Turtle Dove Conservation – Exhibition
Last year I went to a talk about the Turtle Dove Project in North Yorkshire and was really inspired by the work that was being done. At the time I really wanted to do something to help too, and began to make my surrounds a little more Turtle Dove friendly. I have wondered if […]
Symbolic Stone
There are as many reasons for buying art, collecting objects or commissioning sculpture as there are people who do it. Sometimes someone falls in love with a sculpture because it evokes a memory, other times because the shape, texture, or colour are irresistible. On occasion it is hard to put into words why a […]
An exhibition for bird lovers
In the workshop I’m busily making new work for my first exhibition of 2019 at the Craft Centre and Design Gallery in Leeds – the show is called Tweet – aptly, as all the pieces on display are works inspired by the beauty of birds. The line-up includes a range of disciplines – […]
Breaking stone – in a good way!
Mostly when I go to the quarry for a block of stone, there isn’t a piece just the size I’m looking for. This means either I compromise and make smaller than originally intended, or I get a larger block and trim off when I get back to the workshop. My aim is usually to […]
The Nuthatch – a very endearing bird
Last year was a bit of a Nuthatch year for me. During the Big Garden Birdwatch at the beginning of 2017, it was the Nuthatch I sketched. Little did I know then that the pair at the feeders were to nest in my old Sycamore tree, and raise young, that year and last year […]
Happy 2019
H a p p y N e w Y e a r
New Year’s Eve celebrations
My geese join me in a little New Year’s Eve celebration at my workshop as the light fades on 2018. I’m tidying and putting things in order in readiness for a new year beginning. We sat until it was quite dark, remembering, reflecting, rejoicing and looking forward to bringing dreams and plans and sculpture […]