Latest News
Hare taking the spring air
Hare carved in Yorkstone – 10″ x 6″ x 6″ I wanted this hare to be a little bolder (than Hare Hesitant), so gave this sculpture the appearance of a Hare raising its head, looking out, taking in the spring air. The Hare Looking Out sculpture is pictured here at my workshop, doing much […]
Whinbusks in bud
I walked up onto the moor yesterday morning, there had been a hard frost overnight covering the ground dusty white. Through the cold came the birdsong and the gleam of the rising sun and I felt the push of spring despite the chill. Once on the moor path along Lastingham Ridge, I’m aware of […]
Hare Hesitant
‘Mad as a March Hare’ they say…. March is right in the middle of the Hare’s breeding season, the males searching out the females, chasing and circling them. If a male tries to get too close too soon, the female stands up on her hind feet and turns on him striking with her forepaws, […]
Is my fossil a Rough Horsetail?
From time to time I find fossils in the sandstone I’m carving – most always they look like plant stems or leaves, and occasionally seed pods. It is always a rather exciting revelation as I excavate them, trying to keep the fossil complete. The reason these discoveries are so compelling is that they represent […]
Crested Tit
As part of my collection of Little Birds, I’m working on a Crested Tit today. I’ve never seen one, and although they’re common in Europe, the only place to see them in the UK is Scotland. They’re found in coniferous forests and ancient pinewoods in Inverness or Strathspey. The Crested Tit is lively and […]
Goldcrest
This is the first of what I plan will be a flock of Goldcrest – or – as I think I’ll call it, a Castle of Kinglets! A ‘Castle’, ‘Court’, or ‘Princedom’ are collective names for Goldcrest, from the bird family Kinglets and Firecrests. Goldcrests are the UK’s smallest bird and have a golden […]
Curlew
Curlew sculpture carved in Yorkstone – 17″ x 7″ x 9″ I’ve shown this large, elegant wading bird at rest in this sculpture, with its head turned, resting over its back and wing. Although it is a quiet pose, there is still alertness in the eye. Curlew fly up to the moorland here around […]
More on the Hawfinch idea
The idea of carving a larger Hawfinch sculpture is still with me (after my thoughts during the Big Garden Birdwatch) and I’ve been making some preparations by sketching and making clay models. I’m working on ways of showing the rather flamboyant wing feathers, which have a twisty-curvy ruffled appearance at the tips Additionally, I’ve […]
Snow Curlew
I’m making good progress on my Curlew sculpture despite the east wind bringing with it snowstorms. Carving continues – the flurries don’t last long, and they give me the chance to stand back and look properly at how things are developing. This stage of working the sculpture is thrilling – there’s definitely a Curlew […]
Big Garden Birdwatch 2021
I’ve been watching the birds all weekend, but actually timed myself for an hour this morning as part of the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, after the snow flurry finished, and the sun came out. One of my aims this year was to carve the first bird I saw – spend the day, once the […]