Blog
The wonderful tree bore tiny lambs
All day I’ve been popping my head out of the workshop to see that everything is okay, the plaintive bleating makes me concerned. The sheep in the neighbouring field are lambing. I saw twins born first thing. As soon as they could stand they wobbled over to the trunk of the nearest tree and […]
Dust Monkey
A few years ago whilst exhibiting at Art in Action at Waterperry House I visited the woodcarving marquee. One of the craftsmen was carving oak – a beautiful run of oak leaves and acorns – so I went over for a closer look and to ask questions. Anyway, I ended up having a go – I was surprised by […]
Mushrooms and Maintenance
This little row shows the growth progress of ‘mushrooms’ on the heads of my chisels. Which raises the mushroom question – that is when to maintain chisels which inevitably become ‘mushroomed’ at the head due to use. Some would be appalled to see these, in that they show total disregard to good housekeeping, or should […]
Feeling Cornish
Recently I met my mother for lunch and we spent a cherishable afternoon, chatting, laughing and enjoying memories – my mother is lovely company. I’m not sure how we came to it, but I learned that I was conceived in Cornwall. My parents had planned a holiday there as a bit of a break, shortly after […]
Back to a Land
Opening tomorrow at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park – 7th March, 2015 – is an exhibition called Back to a Land – this is work by Henry Moore with a focus on showing his drawings, prints and sculpture which were inspired by his love of landscape and the rocks and earth that make it. His […]
Little Owl Sculpture
This is the first time I’ve carved Ancaster Weatherbed stone. This piece was so beautifully flecked grey and brown that I thought it perfect to suggest the feather colouring of a Little Owl. I’ve worked Ancaster limestone before, but that was the stone the quarry describes as Hard White. Within the beds (the layers […]
Sculpture – shaping stone
Pushing into the material. Imagining the line.
The Year in Books – March 2015
I’ve gone and got really organised for my The Year in Books, and made some bookmarks. Just simple ones that were easy to do – I printed some sketches I made of my geese onto thick card and then cut to shape. I think the tassels make them look rather smart – these were made by winding […]
Golden things
Precious golden things. Today my favourite things are golden – the bright gold spring sun on my yellow daffodils, making colours to match my ammonite fossil and the stone I’m carving. Rich, deep natural earth colours – umber, ochre, and sienna pigments – valued warm golden shades. Satisfying, quenching.
Have we angered Sylph
Or was it Zeus, god of storms, thundering through the night on his chariot drawn by the four horse-shaped winds. Something disturbed the elements, the agitation kept me awake for hours. Perhaps it was needed – this morning is clean and calm and gentle. The windless warm sun makes it difficult to remember the ferocious power nature roared […]