The bronze pour and Richard doing a grand job on patinationMonday 2 June 08
The bronze pour and Richard doing a grand job on patination
I've just got back from a few days in London working with Bronze Age foundry who have been casting one of my larger sculptures, 'Emerging Woman', for exhibition. As always it was a fascinating experience and daughter Harriet (who is studying in London) was able to join me to watch the bronze 'pour' - such an impressive event. The team were as lovely to work with as ever, so ... as Arnie would say ... "I'll be back"!!
This sculpture can be seen in exhibition in London at the Sheridan Russell Gallery (June) and the Limehouse Gallery (July and August).
Sunday 27 April 08
This week I was invited by Malvern Hills Gymnastic Clubs to sketch their competition group while they performed for visiting World Champion British gymnast Beth Tweddle (Beth hopes to lead the British Team in the Beijing Olympics this year). The girls performed brilliantly and I loved capturing the grace and energy of their movements as one drawing flowed immediately into the next. It was an exceptional experience and one I look forward to repeating.
Special thanks to Laurie Bilby and gymnast Neve.
Monday 31 March 2008
Majesty
I've been inspired by our sunny yellow daffodils to get stuck into some colourful printmaking. Its been lovely using luscious oil colours and soft textures, working with expansive shapes and movements and just going with the flow of ideas as they come up. I feel some new sculptures emerging too ...
Monday 18 February 2008
Bird God
The well froze over today which means no water in the studio until it thaws! It takes imagination to keep the rubber and resins at workable temperatures at this time of year, but we're getting the knack after a few cold winters. Lovely to hear the birdsong - it inspired my new piece 'Bird God' that I plan to progress into a 7ft 6" high figure, one of a group that will grow over time to inhabit their own garden of Eden.
Thursday 3 January 2008
Fledge 
Navigator I
Having spent the past few weeks investigating ways to make a cast iron sculpture rust resistant (without a thick paint covering) I've finally achieved the effect I want! Using my 'magic formula' devised with info gleaned from museum restoration journals and scientific archives - and lots of test pieces - I'm finally satisfied.
The result? Two new sculptures, 'Fledge' and 'Navigator I', with lovely soft blue-black velvety finishes that will look luscious in the landscape. See them in the Gallery.
Monday 10 September 2007
It will be ready just in time for my exhibition supporting the Autumn In Malvern Festival next month!
Titled 'Imagineer', the sculpture was first seen in its early stage of creation at my studio exhibtion in June. Here's the finished clay... the piece being signed... and George Cox helping make the mould last week. 'Imagineer' will be cast in bronze resin over the next few days. You can see the sculpture in exhibition at Robson Ward in Malvern 1 - 27 October.
Saturday 18 August 2007
An amazing photograph of two 8 foot high sculptures at the studio during the recent floods! Fortunately the studio escaped damage - the water just lapped at the door.
Monday 23 July 2007
I've just spent a week casting iron sculptures from bonded sand moulds at Ironbridge Open Air Museum of Steel Sculpture. The skilled crew from the USA and Poland helped make it an exceptional experience. Many thanks to you all - I'm looking forward to seeing you again in 2008. Also 'thank you' to fellow sculptors Tim Thorpe and Achim Schmidt for the photographs.
Sunday 1 July 2007
We had brilliant sunshine for the Studio Exhibition again this year. Here are some pics of the preview evening.
Friday 1 June 2007
I've just fired my new kiln for the first time - its been a brilliant adventure! I am a complete novice at firing claywork and I wanted a small kiln to fire clay sketches and maquettes. My kiln is a small but robust second hand one. Its probably a decorating kiln for glazing ceramics, so we expected the temperature to level out at about 900 degrees C. I spent the day watching it like a hawk and getting regular phone advice from friend Rob. Everything shimmered orange white inside when I looked through the peephole and at 1050 degrees the temperature was still climbing steadily. I chickened out and turned it off. The adventure continues on Monday...
Sunday 6 May 2007
Kate, Alan and Sarah with one of the sculptures
I have just spent a delightful 2 days giving a helping hand to sculptor Alan Thornhill, cleaning and waxing his wonderful bronze sculptures at Kingscote Park in Gloucestershire. The majority of the sculptures are to be sited in Wandsworth (7) and Stroud Museum (4) later in June. Alan was an inspirational tutor for me when I studied at The Frink School, so it was a real pleasure to work with him. See more of his heartfelt figurative work on his website www.alanthornhill.co.uk
Alan and Kate provided wonderful hospitality, including the most delicious home cooked food. We ended the project with lunch outdoors and were blessed with lovely warm weather and a spring garden filled with blossom and birdsong.
Another bonus was that I got to work alongside my good friend and fellow sculptor Sarah Smith, who had travelled down from Yorkshire for the occassion. Sarah and I were at college together so we found plenty to talk about. See her work on her website www.sarahsmith.org.uk
Thursday 19 April 2007
It can't really be FIVE WEEKS, surely, since my last blog entry! Where does time go?? Lots of rushing around 'doing' (I love doing what I do, fortunately). Sometimes I feel like I need at least 5 lives to fit in everything I want to do and get where I want to go. Sometimes it feels like an uphill struggle, at other times the ride is somewhat smoother. Ever wondered why? Well, I've discovered "The Secret". You can get hold of the DVD at www.thesecret.tv and its the best 4 hours of viewing that you can have, in my opinion - certainly has the 'wow' factor. And the more you watch it, the more you discover. Its becoming so popular that people are having 'Secret' parties and inviting family and friends to watch with them. If you have creative tendencies or love dreaming, this is for you! Have fun and check it out.
Sunday 18 March 2007
Bluebird commission (see larger image in back catalogue)
I have been working on a commission for a lovely lady called Diana. Now Diana and I have never met, but we have discussed the work by phone. Diana wanted a sculpture that expressed a certain feeling - something vibrant and affirmative - and translating feelings into visuals through the shapes, forms and materials in the sculpture has been very exciting, if at times challenging.
This reminded me of a commission for a large mural that I did years ago. The client described her vision of a mermaid kneeling on the sand with hair streaming behind her. When the drawings were ready I took them to her for approval. She thought they were lovely - all the elements that we discussed were present, yet the overall feeling the mural evoked was not quite what she had in mind. So we sat and discussed further, and then it became clear...my vision was of a mermaid on the sandy beach with the wind blowing her hair. Her's was of the mermaid kneeling on the seabed with the water moving through her tresses. A subtle difference in movement, but an important one visually. Happily, this was easy to resolve once we had a common understanding.
It just goes to show how limiting words alone can be when describing a feeling you want to translate into a visual object. And also how tuned in you need to be to your client's view of the world. Diana's commission has proved quite an adventure - I've experimented with different colours and materials to enhance the forms and express those feelings, with lots of 'happy accidents' along the way that I am already feeding into my current other work.
Sunday 4 March 2007
I made a stop on the way back from St Ives to visit my cousin Alison Jacobs in Gweek who is a fab painter. A wonderful colourist with such empathy for her subjects, the directness of her paintings radiating a mix of sensitivity and purpose. We had a conversation around that. Our view is ultimately that you see in others what you have experienced and know within yourself. So, if you are able to sense beauty (and create beautiful things) it is because you can recognise beauty in yourself. That's a very affirming and encouraging thought. It certainly fits with my very happy memories of our childhood holidays together when Ali and I would walk arm in arm in laughter for hours through the bluebells and wild garlic of the Helford estuary. Lucky are those people who have the pleasure of one of Ali's paintings hanging on their walls.
Monday 19th February 2007
Philip and I decided to take restorative few days in St Ives (one of my favourite places). We hadn't tried February before - with fresh fish and fresh air and the sound of the sea, we were bound to be onto a winner. The surf was spectacular and we watched the hardened surfing enthusiasts from the haven of the Tate. The coffee shop at the top of the building serves mouth-watering lunches made from fresh local ingredients as well as home made cakes - and really great freshly ground coffee. We did the exhibitions too. Francis Bacon had some work on display that he had done while in residency at the nearby Porthmeor Studios. A reverent hush descended on each visitor as they stepped across the threshold into the small end gallery. Hmm. Well, it was rather brilliant, but I felt a bit uncomfortable with all that voyueuristic revelling in figures that started to resemble contorted, incised carcasses the more you looked at them. It was a bit like a horrid fascination for me, and a little unsettling after my indulgent yet healthy lunch. Time for another breath of fresh air.
Friday 2 February 2007
The winter months are usually the quietest in the studio. As the temperature drops I tend to concentrate my activities on relationship building, for example visiting galleries and exhibition venues. Its a good time for reflection and gathering influences and inspiration for a burst of new creativity in the spring. This year has been different and our continuing mild weather has led to a really productive time in the studio.
I wanted to create a series of smaller sculptures exploring our dynamic relationship with our natural environment - little snapshots of our lives in motion, that everyone can relate to. I realised I needed to work with a new material or method to get the particular result I wanted - and fate gave me a big helping hand in the guise of Rob Price. Rob, who works for Kidderminster company Bentley Creative Chemicals, is an expert on moulding and casting materials and techniques - what Rob doesn't know ain't worth knowing! And I'm a perfectionist. I wanted high quality materials that would give the sculptures an excellent finish and be affordable for collectors. Rob came up with the goods - a very high quality bronze resin.
Resulting from this happy collaboration, one of the sculptures entitled 'Rider' (see Sculpture Gallery web page) has been selected for the Birmingham Open Art Show (10 Feb - 29 Apr, Gas Hall, Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery). So that's a result. Thanks Rob.
Wednesday 27 September 2006
When people ask me what I do I tell them I'm a sculptor. The next question is usually, "What sort of sculpture?" That can be a little hard to describe in words. For me its much more than about creating a decorative piece of work, its a life mission.
What is it about?
Its about connecting people to themselves. Its about connecting people to others and to their environment. Its about nourishing the soul in a way that transcends culture and religion. Its about reminding us of our amazing potential as human beings.
What does that mean?
It means: Celebrating our uniqueness. Honouring our environment. Promoting understanding and acceptance. Inspiring future generations. Leaving a legacy. Making the world a better place.
Why sculpture?
Because: It makes thought and feeling physical. It has many viewpoints. It communicates through the language of our unconscious. It causes us to pause and contemplate. It enables us to view the bigger picture. It leaves a legacy.
We are all equal, just different. We all contribute, sometimes by what we do, always by who we are.
What do you inspire by being who you are?
Wednesday 6 September 2006
Thank you to photographer Gerry Matthews who sent me this shot he had taken after I bumped into him enjoying the sculptures at Hergest Croft a few days ago. See more pictures of Eve and Adam in the website gallery.
Thursday 24 August 2006
Looking for an interesting day out? Come and see my two giant heads of 'Eve' and 'Adam' along with many other sculptures by a wide range of artists at 'Sculpture In The Garden IV', an exhibition of sculpture set in the beautiful rolling grounds of Hergest Croft in Kington, Herefordshire. The exhibition runs from 26 August to 17 September and is open daily between 12.30 and 5.30
Photos of finishing touches in the studio and installation of the pieces earlier this week at Hergest.
Wednesday 5 July 2006
Ever wanted to see inside the studio and how I create my work? BBC TV did and came out to film just before my studio exhibition last month. View the BBC audio video 'A passion for making sculptures' on the BBC website.
My studio, Beeches Barn Sculpture Studio in Bransford, will be open to the public for one day only on Saturday 24th June between 10am - 4pm. All are welcome - follow the signs on the A4103 Bransford Road. Visitors will have the opportunity to view and buy work direct from the studio, as well as see the process of sculpture from original claywork through to finished bronze.
Here are some photos from the preview evening yesterday.
Thursday 4 May 2006
I am delighted to have had the opportunity to model a portrait of William Boughton, Founder and Creative Director of the English Symphony Orchestra, just before he leaves Worcestershire. Here's the recently finished clay, a foundry proof will be cast later this month.
Monday 20 March 2006
Thursday 16 March 2006
The life-size bronze sculpture of Emerging Woman will be unveiled tomorrow at St Michael's Hospice in Herefordshire. The sculpture was gifted to the hospice by The Elmley Foundation for the benefit of its residents.
Tuesday 24 January 2006
Work in progresss...
Portrait sculpture of artist and writer Ron Hull modelled over the Christmas period in Cornwall.
The finished clay...
Interviewer: "So, if you were talking to somebody else who was thinking about having their portrait done - what might you say to them?"
Ron: "Ah, if it was someone else I would say jump at the chance, you will never have an experience like that again in your life."
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