Workshop
Dints from decades of hammering
As long as I can remember I’ve had this little mallet for stone carving, though the exact date it came into my tool family escapes me. It is at least ten years old, probably twenty! It has absorbed an impressive collection of taps, beats and strikes. The ash handle supports a head made from […]
In the Workshop today – a Stare of Owls
The collective name most often used for owls is a Parliament – but I discovered there are many others, less well known, like Stare, what about Hooting, or Looming. They seem to make more sense to me. A Stooping, or Diss are suitably descriptive as well, or there’s a Wisdom of Owls. Anyway I’m […]
Stone adjusting to its new surroundings
Last week a delivery of stone arrived and it was so cold and still snowing here, that I left it sitting. Today is such a pleasure unpacking, removing the wrapping and straps, letting it breathe and showing the blocks their new surroundings. I really appreciate when the quarry has taken the time to send […]
Sight and Touch
It seems strange to me, but art history is littered with debate surrounding the idea that painting was better than sculpture. Luckily, it doesn’t seem to be an issue today, at least I’ve never felt a lesser artist because I carve stone! Indeed, some painters describe their work as sculpture – art, craft, creativity […]
In the workshop today – a Kingfisher
Carving a Kingfisher – Kingfisher in mind – azure and rufous, fast low flying over the water with short, sharp whistle sound. Flashes of electric blue. I’m working on a series of wildlife images carved within a circular border, in a similar way to my mouse and owl. This is the start of the […]
A newt in the goose pond
The snow melt-water gushes in torrents down the little beck here, bringing with it storm debris and silt, overwhelming and bursting the banks. Floating on the surface of the goose pond I found a newt, not moving, which I picked up and it sat lifeless in my hand. Its little body was like ice, […]
Snowy stoat
Many layered this morning as the forecast was for really cold, glad too, as it was blizzarding at the workshop, and into the workshop! Snow gets in through the smallest gaps and holes, and seems to go round corners to find its way in and I can’t clear surfaces quickly enough. The downfalls are, […]
In the workshop today – sketching in stone
I pinched a bit of time from myself this morning, it wasn’t planned, but sometimes it is good to take a little detour. I sort of allowed myself as I made an early start – the lighter mornings help, especially this morning as the sun is shining. In the fields to the north […]
Storm Eleanor on Lastingham Ridge
I love this view – right there in the middle of the picture is a tree and if you follow down into the valley beneath, you find Lastingham village and my workshop. The trees on the skyline to the right are the very ones I look up at and which create a backdrop curve […]
In the Workshop today – irresistible stone textures
I’m seduced.