Workshop
Constant calling of baby birds
My Pied Wagtail parents are unflagging in their flitting and flapping after insects for their noisy brood. I see them every few minutes returning to the nest with beak-fulls of flies, run-picking on the way. As they approach the nest a loud, demanding chirping erupts, so without looking I know when next meal is […]
In the workshop – carving Long Tailed Bird
Long Tailed Bird is in the finishing stages now – you’ll see the progress since I was rough shaping the sculpture the other day. Now concentrating on silky smooth finish and sharp feather detail.
Open Studio weekends
It is very busy here preparing for Open Studios – finishing sculptures and making plinths so my pieces look their best for when you visit. My ‘Open Studio’ venue is the Village Hall in Lastingham this year – it is right in the middle of the village, parking is easy right outside, […]
Dappled stone
Sunlight is filtering through the leaves and flower buds of my apple tree onto my stone as I work. We’re caught in a hypnotizing play of mottled light and dancing soft shadow. I’m spellbound by the shifting shapes spotting the stone, mingling, pattern-forming and wish I could carve quickly enough to capture their outlines. […]
The Display of the Pied Wagtail
The other evening I sat in the sunshine after shutting up the workshop, gazing, thinking about nothing at all really – mellowing. Suddenly I was aware of a loud, musical twittering and just yards from my feet were a pair of high-spirited Pied Wagtails. They commenced the most spectacular display, something I’ve never seen […]
Easter Sunday morning
Woke exceptionally early (too much chocolate the night before?!) and was met by a frost. Anxiously did my round of checks at the workshop, new seedlings, just planted out sweet-peas, my re-located Good-King-Henry plant, tender parsley, my tiny Oak – all okay! Collected the goose eggs, and hadn’t at all needed to decorate any, […]
North Yorkshire Open Studios 2017 Brochure
We’re just eight weeks away from the start of North Yorkshire Open Studios 2017. (That’s come round quickly!) On Wednesday I went to a meeting at the Milton Rooms, in Malton held by the NYOS17 organisers to collect the printed publicity material, brochures, posters, signage and to get all the information about the […]
Chisels for Cutting Letters in Stone
New chisels arrived at the workshop today, looking very smart in their own canvas tool roll. Actually I’m quite pleased with this, as I want to keep these chisels just for lettering stone and it holds them safe from being chinked together, and the cutting edges protected against knocks. Previously I’ve carved sculpture and […]
Eye-catching spring sunshine
The view from my workshop. Sometimes you have to just down-tools, pause and let in the beauty of your surroundings. From inside the workshed I was aware of it, a light change of sudden dramatic intensity, it flowed in and over everything, a dazzling spectacle cast in green and gold. I felt the weight […]
What is it with Mice and the colour Red?
As the weather gets colder I find the little creatures start to come indoors – when I say indoors I mean the workshop. I can tell, as they leave little brown tell-tale signs, and also footprints in the stone dust. Once I came to put my gloves on and found the fingers chewn […]