Blog
Crafted by Hand exhibition
This weekend I’m exhibiting at Crafted by Hand in Masham for their two day Autumn show. Today is busy with final fettling of new pieces, painting plinths and getting packed up for an early start tomorrow. Crafted by Hand Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th November, 2017 Masham Town Hall 10 am – 4 […]
Plume
I’ve been working on a series of maquettes for a piece called Plume – this is one of them carved in Portland Limestone. I become rather fond of these models, they are a collection of open, honest, sometimes unresolved, sometimes unfinished, experimental trial runs. They teach me a lot about what needs further work, […]
And the artwork was beautiful
A family visited my stand at Art& show York at the weekend and one of the youngsters left a note in my Visitor Book about his experience of the show, which summarizes the event perfectly I think …. ‘and the artwork was beautiful’. It was such a busy weekend so I didn’t manage to […]
Twosome
A sculpture of two birds carved in Tadcaster Limestone – I love the spotting of colour in the tails of each bird, and it also appears lightly on their heads too. Such delicate mottling, which I think lends Twosome a gentle grace. I’ve sanded the birds smooth to give a fine finish. This pair […]
Tall-tailed Bird
Here is my sculpture Tall-tailed Bird, carved in Cornish Soapstone – the one I was sanding the other day. The sculpture is now finished and polished ready for my exhibition at the weekend. Art& York exhibition – Friday 27, Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 October, 2017 – I’m on Stand No. 83. Look forward […]
In the Workshop – sanding my heart out
There are no shortcuts with sanding – it just has to be done if I want a flawlessly smooth surface. This bird sculpture will be polished, so if I’m not thorough I’ll be found out. As I work through the grades of abrasive I’m feeling the finish as much as seeing it, finger tips […]
On seeing your sculpture of an otter
A wonderful thing happened to me the other day. Some days are like that, out-of-the-blue loveliness which brings smiles and big happiness. It is otter related. A lady, Isobel Thrilling, sent me a poem she had written in response to seeing my Otter sculpture – I asked her if I could share it, as […]
Two Birds sculpture
I’ve been working on the two birds sculpture Side by Side, finishing off their heads and smoothing their roundy bodies, so they’re ‘birthed’ proper now.
Side by Side
The stages of carving a sculpture are always good to record – I rather like looking back at progress and seeing just how far I’ve come – something to show for my aching hands! This is a sculpture of two birds together. Initially I thought they might be a pair, each an individual carving, […]
Abundance in Red
Already my geese have scrumped all the apples from the lower branches, and are very good as a team – one pulling at the leaves and twiggy ends, the other two jumping up to reach the apples. The riper the apples get, the easier this is for them, as a knock or nudge with […]