Of the Earth: Elmslie House

The pieces created for this show are the start of an exploration into the metamorphosis within myths, legends and religion. Through these pieces, I am attempting to convey the heightened emotions that are not found in classical portraiture style.

‘Clytie’ will be exhibited in two forms; one in solid bronze and the other made up of thin copper flowers. The ‘Standing Man’ is based on Prometheus’ first man. These themes are taken from Greek Mythology; Clytie returning to the earth and The Standing man being created from it.

Clytie’s’ forlorn expression and pose is influenced by the drama found in classical sculptures. Her smooth features reflect carved marble and emphasise her youth and beauty at the beginning of her metamorphosis into a flower. The earthy, graduated patina transports the piece from the Victorian period into the contemporary art space.

A portrait cast in bronze

This small bronze has been created to celebrate the life of a much loved father, grandfather and great grandfather. It was completed with great sentiment and care as with all of my personal portraits. This special sculpture is now with the family as a way to remember this man whose life spanned almost a century.

Spending time with both the subject and his son (who commissioned the piece) allowed me to work, not only a likeness into the piece, but something of his personality too. This man had a great sense of humour, a sharp wit and an incredible life-story to tell.

Using calipers and photography I took careful measurements of the subjects head and features and scaled these down to the required size. Once finished, the piece was cast in solid bronze and coated in a chemical which produced the deep rich brown patina. It was a fascinating project, not only getting to know the subject but also following the traditional lost wax casting process.

Sculpting from Life: The Standing Man

This sculpture was completed from life at a class run by the Malvern School of Art. With this piece I wished to explore a looser style of working which brings the thought behind the piece to life.

I have always been inspired by the myths of Ancient Greece and the creation theories contained within them. If you’ve not read Stephen Fry’s, Mythos then you simply MUST! This book features the ‘Greek myths retold’ for the 21st century and is the inspiration behind this current theme of work.

The ‘Standing Man’ is inspired by the tale of the creation of man by Prometheus who shaped man from a lump of clay. He created him in the image of the gods and allowed him to walk upright so that he might look towards the heavens.

Burberry Maker's House

Maker’s House is now open to the public for London Fashion week 2016! Through my work with Timothy Richards, I was commissioned to produce a series of busts for British fashion house Burberry® as part of the 2016 London Fashion Week.

Video by George Lawrence

The inspiring iconic brand has work with luxury craft retailer: The New Craftsman, to take over the former Foyle’s bookshop in Soho, London. This event is so exciting because is has resulted in a celebratory that champions the methods and materials of British makers.

The project involved sculpting a series of eight life size busts of iconic British figures: Thomas Burberry, Ernest Shackleton, Queen Victoria, Virginia Woolf, Alfred Hitchcock, Emmeline Pankhurst and Jane Austen. Each one was sculpted in fine clay and cast in British gypsum plaster.

Innsbruck International Bienalle of the Arts

This major project has just been completed by the Timothy Richards workshop. The workshop was commissioned by the artist Heidrun Sandbichler to build a 20” high replica of the New York Stock Exchange front facade. The model is on display at the Innsbruck International Bienalle of the Arts from the 10th to the 20th of March. My work on the project involved sculpting the full complement of figures for the highly detailed pediment area.

The Innsbruck International Biennial of the Arts is ten days of events and exhibitions exhibiting fifteen international artists working with visual arts, video, sound and performing. They were asked to produce work which explores the theme of this 'je, I and ich' (the word 'I' in different languages).

““The theme is absolutely current in an age in which there is a hyper-exposure of the self, linked to the phenomenon of social media, blogs and selfies. The artists invited to this biennial express their reflection in art on being an author, on the presentation of themselves, as well as on sharing stories and memories with the social and traditional public.””

— Innsbruck International Biennial of the Arts

Copeland Replica Shakespeare Bust

Photo: Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

This year whilst working for the Modern Souvenir Company, I’ve been busy sculpting a replica of the great bard; William Shakespeare.

This was made exclusively for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust for their Famous Beyond Words exhibition.

During this time I visited the Trust several times to take detailed measurements, bringing the sculpt with me to work with the original right beside me. The piece is now produced for sale in the museum store and cast in British gypsum plaster by the Modern Souvenir Company.