Graeme Mitcheson – Stone Sculptor, ARBS

On monday  I trundled accross to Leicester with a load of stone in the back of the “custard coupe” . It is the 4th time I have run workshops in Rushey Mead School and it has become a slick operation. The school have breeze block workstations set up ready and even a selection of tools (that the head of D and T picked up from a car boot sale!) so that we can get more children carving during the 3 day workshop. 26 children took part this year, working in pairs in short bursts they set about researching, designing and then carving their sculptures. This years group were particularly hard working, many sporting blisters, there was barely a moan until the final afternoon when they were all clearly shattered. Some good stuff was produced, not least by the 2 lads who hacked their way through their block to create a hole in the centre of their “comet” sculpture. Well done to all who took part.

Next week, the “custard coupe tour” continues up to Newcastle where I will be running some workshops around the Harbottle Park area in Byker. These are related to a large sculpture that I will be making there in September. During the workshops, those taking part will be asked to think of a moment during a football match that they have watched or played in. They will then record their expression during this moment, firstly in a sketch but then into a stone which they will carve themselves. Their designs will then be taken away and incorporated into a crowd scene sculpture that will be sited in the park around November time when I have carved it. From the site of the sculpture, Newcastle Uniteds St. James’s Park is clearly visible, hence the football theme. (They are also all football mad round there too!)

Work by the students of Rushey Mead School

It is an exciting project and I am looking forward to seeing the sort of ideas that I can use in the finished piece.

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.

Puffing Billy

I am delighted to say that I will be returning to my native north east to make a sculpture over the course of the next few months. I will be creating a sculptural gateway for Harbottle park in Byker, Newcastle.  It is a great location for a sculpture with views over Newcastle and the Bridges of the Tyne. The park is in the process of being completely revamped and a number of sculptural entrance features are being created as part of the makeover. Over the summer, I will be involving local residents in the project with a view to installing the sculpture in the Autumn. Watch this space for progress. I was brought up in Ashington in Northumberland so Byker is only around 20 minutes drive from my parents who still live up that way in Newbiggin by the sea. My Dad is quite a talent, he makes the most amazing intricate model trains entirely from scratch. Above is a picture of “Puffing Billy” which, he tells me, is made to a scale 12mm to the foot. His website is well worth a visit at www.georgem.co.uk  Needless to say, my Dad’s help on all things technical has been invaluable over the years, however, I will be requiring him to help with all things related to cup of tea making if I am to be spending a bit more time in the north east !

I installed this sculpture in Market Warsop, Nottinghamshire today. It was a tricky operation as the site was by the stream in a particularly boggy part of the Carrs (a kind of park come nature trail). Usually, I can just turn up with a hi-ab lorry and drop it in place. Today, I hired a hi-ab to take it from the workshop to the car park for the site, craned it off onto my own pick up, drove it across the field (3 times) and assembled it using the fork lift you can see in the picture. This is always more risky as the fork lift does not have the manoeuvrability or the accuracy of a crane lift. Luckily the driver today was excellent and very patient which always helps.  The sculpture looks great on this site and it was much appreciated by the passers by that I spoke to today. So ends one of the longest running public art projects that I am ever likely to be involved in, I was first asked to make the piece in the autumn of 2008. So, 3 arts officers, a number of different sites and a few grumpy water voles later …..

Lowering the sculpture

All done, the Kilkenny Limestone sculpture in Market Warsop, Notts.

and finally there is a happy ending.

Loughborough's iconic sock sculpture

Its been a busy old week. I am installing a big sculpture in Market Warsop in Nottinghamshire next week so have been finishing that and also laying a concrete foundation for it to sit on. Added to that I have been working on a proposal that I have been shortlisted for, while I have also been carving a welsh slate vertical sundial and dusting off some other pieces to take to the “Sock” in Loughborough this weekend. The “sock” exhibition presumably takes its name from the iconic bronze sculpture in Loughborough Market place made by Shona Kinloch. As ever with new public art, it was met with derision when it first appeared but has gradually been taken under the wing of the townsfolk, so much so that it was the focus of a hilarious “act of worship” which even made the local news, definitely worth checking that out on u-tube. Hopefully see some of you in Loughborough at the weekend.