About
Approach
With almost twenty five years of experience working with stone, bronze, lime and clay, I have dedicated my life to these materials from the earth and am passionate about bringing life, emotion and meaning to them. Creating work that will remain for centuries to come.
Background
I am currently working on commission from my workshop, an 18th century wooden barn in the South Downs, Hampshire.
Previously Head Stone Mason at Winchester Cathedral. A position I was extremely proud to have held, providing a golden opportunity to protect and conserve one of the nation's important historical monuments and pass on the invaluable skills I have learnt to the next generation of stone masons. Skills that have been handed down unchanged for generations.
I learnt my trade through five years of study, at Weymouth College and The City and Guilds of London Art School funded by The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust and The Worshipful Company of Masons, from years of hands on experience conserving some of the countries most iconic buildings, and designing and creating prominent pieces of public art.
Previous projects have included the design and fabrication of a memorial to Sir Ernest Shackleton installed in the cloister of Westminster Abbey, the fabrication of the prow sculpture that adorned Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee Barge, the casting of two bronze busts of Lord Dowding and Sir Keith Parks for The Battle of Britain Memorial Trust.
Architectural Carving
For thousands of years buildings have been decorated with stone carvings. For reasons known and unknown, each carving presents an important insight into the lives and times of the carvers that created them and the things that were influencing them. In an increasingly disposable world, the addition of hand carved stonework to modern building can provide a sense of beauty and longevity that has been lost to glass and steel.
Memorials
A hand carved memorial to a loved one or a pet is a beautiful opportunity to remember those who have passed in a unique and individual way, with unlimited ways to create a stone that encompasses their passions and loves in life. May be the inclusion of a carved flower, or the words of a song special to them, the process of designing a memorial with the maker can be a cathartic experience, the maker acting as a vehicle to transfer your ideas into a finished bespoke piece.
Sculpture
Whether it's the folds in drapery, a flash of personality across a portrait, or the movement of an animal, there is a particular enjoyment of injecting life and light into an inanimate material. The best compliment to receive is if the viewer's first reaction is to reach out and touch the piece. Sculpture has an ability to touch back and connect with the onlooker, like fire, there's an irresistible draw to just stand and stare.