Blog
Goose Feather Quill
At the moment my geese are moulting and feathers are strewn all about at the workshop – mostly they are the downy small ones, but there have been some larger wing feathers too. Artist, painter and printmaker John Walker (who I met on Facebook) suggested that I should have a go at drawing with the […]
Apple Picking
The stormy weather of rain and strong winds over the last few days has brought down lots of my apples – so today in the pouring rain I collected them up and picked others ready to fall from the tree. I’m impressed with the harvest – it is only the apple tree’s second year and […]
Moving Stones
I love this image by Bror Julius Olsson Nordfeldt (1878-1955) painter, etcher and printmaker, of men moving stone. I’ve done this so many times – look, the old man there has a bar to lever the stone free and dislodge it, so his companion can get a hold. It is a beautiful print, showing […]
Routine Maintenance – making my forklift smile!
Lately my forklift has been showing signs of age and becoming temperamental. Perhaps it was just a reminder to me to do some routine maintenance. Yesterday I got down to it and found I needed a new battery and alternator. With these fitted, oil and water checks done, and greasing all round, I’ve got my […]
Invitation – Talk & Tour
As part of my exhibition The Museum as Muse at the Ryedale Folk Museum, I am giving an informal talk on the 18th October, 2013 at 4pm. This will be just after a short tour of the Harrison Collection, which the Museum have very kindly organised. I can highly recommend a visit to the Collection, […]
Snail Sculpture
A sculptor by the name of Nerio Festa made these little snails – as soon as I saw them I made a note to myself that I must be more creative with my offcuts! After moving to San Francisco in 1994, Nerio Festa began creating natural, artistic pieces with steel, recycled metal, stones and paper. […]
Letter Blocks in Stone
Alphabet blocks are traditionally a children’s toy, and learning aid – and making these brought back early memories of pushing a little cart round the garden, full of wooden blocks with a letter painted brightly on each face. I built with them, toppled them and made names in a row. These stone ones are playful […]
Work Boots
When I first got these boots they were stiff and actually, a bit uncomfortable. I know from having had many pairs of work boots in the past, that this is just a temporary inconvenience. Very soon they lose their new polish and ‘wear-in’. Steel-toe-capped boots have saved my feet on many occasions! I’ve rested stone […]
Stone Ant
On occasion I have unintentionally disturbed an ant’s nest whilst gardening or moving stones – and felt guilt as I’ve watched the frantic carrying of the pristine white eggs by a mass of scurrying bodies. They have clever and successful social structures and organisation within their nests and it is incredible how quickly order is […]
Autumn Feeling
With the damp, misty starts and colours turning it is beginning to feel very Autumnal. It is a season I love. Today was warm, the rain was warm and the sheep in the next field stood sheltering, all still, but for chewing, and I caught their thick lanolin smell heavy in the air. I smelled […]