Sculpture
Wernicke
A bird flew into the house, it was a bit panicked and flapping when it saw me. I stayed still and it flew to the bookcase and perched there. I tried to usher it back out, but each time it flew past the wide open window and back round to the top of the […]
Fossily Bird
Fossily Bird sculpture is carved in Swaledale Fossil limestone. The stone contains an abundance of fossils and fossil traces which are really brought out clearly when the stone is polished. As might be expected Swaledale Fossil comes from Swaledale, a North Yorkshire dale on the River Swale. It is a typical limestone valley, the […]
In the Workshop today – carving triangles
These little simple shapes – I’m just carving triangles – when repeated, grouped, and wandering, magically make patterns. I adore the way they catch the light and the stone surface comes alive. The triangles span out, as they spread they look like stars. But, actually the idea is that they will indicate scales. I’m […]
A little film of me at the workshop
Land of Iron – Filming for North York Moors Earlier in the year I was contacted by Fuzzy Duck Creative, a creative studio in Manchester. They were working with the North York Moors on a new visitor video to be shown at the Moors National Park Centre. The idea was to share with visitors […]
An Owl called Jack
Recently I delivered a commissioned owl sculpture to its new home, the most beautifully tended, flower filled garden. From the moment I arrived butterflies and bees flitted between the beds planted in creatively soft colour swathes and a wondrous mix of textures. Stone paths led me round in curves, to view points, stone paved […]
Joy to the heart
Last night I caught an interview on the television with Isabella Tree of Knepp Wildland, about the re-wilding of the once intensively farmed estate in West Sussex. Of course my ears pricked up at the mention of Turtle Doves, as they have been my preoccupation of late (for this exhibition). Throughout the interview birdsong […]
In the Workshop today – Turtle Doves
Said to represent innocence, purity and enduring love, Turtle Dove lore in deeply notched into our minds – seen in art, poetry, Shakespeare, Egyptian carvings, they were even said to draw the heavenly chariot of Aphrodite herself! The name seems strange doesn’t it, but they’re not in any way related to turtles, these doves […]
A life-size Dog Sculpture
It isn’t at all surprising that for many thousands of years artists have drawn, painted and sculpted dogs, our beautiful, loyal pets are loved so much and become an integral part of our lives. It has been such a wonderful experience for me to carve various dog sculptures over the years and meeting the […]
Mice are Nice
I agree with Rose Fyleman in her poem I think mice are rather nice; Their tails are long, their faces small; They haven’t any chins at all. Their ears are pink, their teeth are white, They run about the house at night, They nibble things they shouldn’t touch, and, no one seems to like […]
In the Workshop today – ferns
After carving Gold Leaf I’ve had many requests to carve similar pieces, with a variety of leaves, sprigs, flora and fauna. This one delicately describes the unfurling of fern fronds. Here I’m drawing onto the stone in preparation for carving, trying to get the very specific way ferns hold themselves to fit onto the […]