Lizards are known for staying still for long periods of time.
I was out and about a couple of weeks back and passed close by to one of my old sculptures and decided to pop and see it. I am always a little aprehensive when I go and visit old work, I guess I am always a tad worried that someone has taken a dislike to it or that it wont have weathered well over time. Clients are often worried about graffiti on the artwork but I can honestly say that I have only had to remove graffitti on 2 sculptures in almost 15 years of making art in the public realm. Needless to say, I was was very pleased to see the Lizard basking in the long grass near Ansley Common in Warwickshire. The piece was part of the quarryman’s walk project about 5 years ago and the sandstone reptile has weathered well over time.
I am coming towards the end of the carving for All Saints school and will post some finished pictures over the next few days.
Fabio lays down the law.
With the hum of the vuvuzela ringing in my ears after a week of World Cup mania, I decided to pledge my support for our National Football team by carving these likenesses of manager Fabio Capello and team captain Steven Gerrard. Of course this is notstrictly true. These are in fact a couple of carvings based on the designs by pupils of All Saints Primary School in Coalville. Following a pleasant upturn in the weather, I have been outside merrily carving the sculpture that will eventually sit at the front entrance to the school. By the end of his week I will have been assisted by every student in the school. Each one, from 4 years through to 11, chipping away some stone to help to create the finished artwork towards the end of next week. Whether or not England will still be in the World Cup by the end of next week remains to be seen, hopefully no-one will be throwing eggs at my Fabio effigy if things go belly up though.
I have been working in All saints Primary School in Coalville, Leicestershire this week. As you can see from the picture I took with me a very large rock. It is 2 tonnes of Bath stone. At the start of the week, the children came up with some ideas for the sculpture and we decided that we would create a sculpture containing some of their own portraits tied in with some objects that relate to Coalville and their school. So, as well as some things that relate to Coalville’s industrial heritage, we have some flowers and wildlife. Probably the best design amidst this is a wonderful image of a child sitting at the foot of a tree playing a recorder that is emanating music notes. Every now and again during workshops like this, a child will conjure a wonderful idea which can be incorporated into their sculpture. It would have made a very fine sculpture on its own. Over the week, kids have been helping me to carve the stone and this will continue until it is done ! I will post pictures of the work as it progresses.
Handsome sculptor carves big rock.
Kilkenny Limestone for the Bevin Boys Memorial
I enjoyed watching the Junior Apprentice last night. It was the episode where Srallen asks the youths to organise and sell paintings in a London Art Gallery. I felt a certain amount of sympathy for the poor kids as they tried their hardest to flog some ropey prints and paintings for hundreds and thousands of pounds. My personal favourite was the artist who had photographed herself in other peoples houses whilst house sitting for them - a bit spooky but definitely stood out from the others. It was a big ask for the teenagers having to spot the paintings that might sell, negotiate with the artist, arrange the pictures in the gallery and then drum up sufficient clients to make a buzzing exhibition – and then sell the pictures. Cant imagine too many of them will end up being a self employed sculptor, if they did, then their tasks would include promotional work, advertising, applying for commissions, accountant, secretary, salesman, designer, IT manager, purchaser, sculptor, vehicle maintenance manager, sweeper up and tea maker. Get used to it kids – its as good as it gets !
On lighter note, the Kilkenny Limestone arrived for the Bevin Boys memorial which I will start in the next few days. I will put some pics up when I have got my chisels onto it.
