Totem pole finished!

A week before Xmas I finished the totem pole, and it was taken down to Cornwall. It was met there with delight. This was a large undertaking for me, physically large, complex design, and very detailed. A friend was looking at the photos recently and asked "Is it the best piece you've done?" and I suppose one always hopes that the piece you have just done, is your best piece. Until the next one comes along......

Cornish Totem 3

Side 1 all done now, lovely Luke hefted the beam over so now it looks like I've done nothing as I am confronted by a completely uncarved surface. But here is some of side 1, finished.

Cornish totem 2

I am very much enjoying this work, a combination of meaningful faces and medeival style decorative carving: oak leaves, dormice and chiffchaffs....

After the Great Hurricane

25 years ago the Great Hurricane hit Brighton in the middle of the night. Alone with my small sons and dog, I brought them all to bed with me and we had orange squash and biscuits, listening to the terrifying crashing and smashing outside, and the loft hatch banging. I made up a story about A Windy Night. Nobody got much sleep.The next day was eerily calm, a bright clear blue sky, as in this picture. Everyone crawled out of their houses and clambered through streets strewn with upturned cars, smashed glass, and torn up trees. Brighton was cut off as all the roads were blocked, phones and TVs didn't work and this predated mobiles and iPads. Schools and workplaces were closed. The big old trees around The Level were uprooted and tossed aside. Many people were in tears at the sight.

Life gradually returned to normal. There was a constant sound of chainsawing throughout the city, and a smell of woodsmoke as fires, stoked with unwanted wood, burned on the treeless Level. It took me a few days to realise that all the unwanted wood represented free sculpture material. Always a sculptor, but poor, I had been used to collecting any useful materials I could find from skips and local tips. Ahaa! Wood! I had just two old chisels that had belonged to my father, one large, one small. With the help of a friend and a van, I collected a pile of wood, and started carving. I fell in love with the process, watching the grain move as I carved. Smelling the fresh wood. Respecting what had been a tree. I have been carving ever since. 25 years! No wonder my back aches!

Cornish Totem 1

When Tim, who is commissioning the totem pole, came to see the oak beam, I had shortlisted 15 or so images of faces that I would be happy to work from. I asked him to select his eight favourites. We discussed these, and the general layout of the faces amongst tendrils of oak leaves. I sketched my interpretations of these images, and organised the layout, which was a challenge as I can't see half of the beam without getting Mark, Luke, and John in again. I think they are still resting, and contemplating a return to Galillee.

And I have made a start this week, it's beautiful oak and though hard, is carving very well.

Meanwhile, the totem pole oak arrives

While enjoying having the exhibition up, I have also been organising the collection & delivery of ye olde oak beam, for the Cornish totem pole commission.
Dave used his crane to get it up onto Richard's trailer, & we drove it back to Brighton. It was then hefted up stairs to my studio by three brave & fearless men, called, oddly, Mark, Luke, and John. I am sure if Matthew had been available it would have been easier. I was going to photograph them hefting it up the stairs, a step at a time, but was worried that one of them may pass out through over exertion, so didn't!
I have now been working on it for a week, lovely hard old wood, and will update with more pics soon.

Open for only one more week

Hello! So my exhibition is open now for only one more week, till Tuesday Oct. 2nd. It's been going really well, with quite a few sales and great feedback. I've had some interesting encounters with unusual people, listened to their stories, and had too many squishy cakes and tea in Rottingdean cafes.....
Here is the Little Oyster (from Lewis Carroll), followed by some overviews of the show.