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.

The Private View

A lovely sunny day perfect for the Private View....anyone for tea?

My Exhibition is OPEN!! so please come...

 

Wolves in Rottingdean

at: The Grange Art Gallery and Museum

Rottindean, Sussex, BN2 7AH

September 6th - October 2nd

open Mon - Sat 10 to 4, Sun 2 - 4 (closed Weds)

Wolf Panels

So, here are the wolf panels, part of the Jungle Book display for my forthcoming exhibition. They are carved on tall oak slabs. It's both exciting and a bit nerve-wracking, I haven't had a solo show for a few years, and am including some drawings and sketches, so I guess a crisis of confidence is allowed. But there's still a few things to organise, so I had better get on with them. Exhibition dates & times to follow soon...

The boy and the wolf cub

I have finished Mowgli and the wolf cub! More work than I had expected, the oak was very hard. I am, for the moment, happy with them. I hope Mowgli isn't "cute", but is mischievous and strong. This is the final piece for the Jungle Book collection at my forthcoming exhibition. Now I need to get on with oiling older works, framing drawings, publicity etc.And prepare the studio for the arrival of a large oak beam.......
Meanwhile it is summer again, very hot, and the South Downs are covered with wildflowers. So I am distracted by taking my dog on long hill walks. The artist and her dog...
 

Mowgli in Progress

I have been working on Mowgli and the wolf cub, the last one of the Jungle Book series for my solo show at the Grange, early September. These images show stages of development, though the piece is not yet finished, so please watch out for the next Blog! Meanwhile I am surprised to say that I have become sucked into the Olympics. Never having watched sport before, and only taking part for pleasure, (cycling & swimming,) this time round I have just been so impressed by the athletes' courage, and their urge to do their best. I guess that's all any of us can do really.
                                                                                                                                                                  

 

 

Where I get my wood

In 2003 I was commissioned to work on 5 large scale pieces for Queen Elizabeth Park, Guildford. I had an adventure finding the oaks, getting a bus, a train, then a tiny bus, to a timber suppliers in a field near Midhurst. There I climbed about on huge fallen trunks, with a spray can, marking my chosen pieces with an "S". Sometime later they were delivered to my garage workspace in Brighton by an amiable driver. We had to stop the traffic to make space for his massive articulated lorry to extend its arm, with the oak, into the garage. Anyway, the driver, Dave, was interested in my work and told me he could probably always find the wood I need out at his place.
Since then I have mostly got my wood from Dave, often in exchange for paintings or small pieces of work. We like to do trades. He lives in a beautiful old shepherd's cottage set deep amongst trees, surrounded by wood, both sawn and in the round, and a vast collection of vintage work vehicles.

The pics show Dave sawing up a piece of mountain ash, he is keen for me to try this & let him know how it carves. Then he is sawing the oak I am currently using for a carving of Mowgli.


The oak beams don't look very large, but are massive and weigh a ton. I shall use the 10" one for the totem pole commission I'll be working on from September. But first I need to locate 6 strong men and true, to get it into my upstairs workroom! Let's hope the floor holds....