MERRY CHRISTMAS

18@108: Stone

The 'Tudor Roof Tiles' have been selected as part of the Royal British Society of Sculptors 18@108 series of talks and displays in 2009. They will be part of the Stone category. The tiles were first shown this year as part of an exhibition called 'Stone Drawings - linear journeys' exploring my responses to a new landscape and my own personal journey during that time.  

I will also be giving a talk about the use of stone in my work.

Gothic Tears

‘Gothic Tears’ 2003
Small plaster tears were placed amongst salvaged gothic stonework, then left to dissolve or be found.

Sheep Line

Just returned from the Lake District after installing 'Sheep Line' for the 'Coat is my canvas' commission. The work was to celebrate the textile heritage of Kendal. I wanted to show the relationshp of the fells and the sheep. Using rough fell sheep fleece I created a line of the fleece through a drystone wall, tracing the symbiotic journey of stone and wool.

Stone Drawings - linear journeys

White Hall exterior with 'Paper line' hanging in the window.













Tudor roof tile.









'Linear map' - a year long journey.

As part of h-art this year I'm exhibiting at White Hall in Hereford. The exhibition charts my exploration of stone and line - the works are my reaction to a new landscape and my journey over the past year.

Clock Watching

A June birthday commission.
Collecting dandelion heads in May in preparation.

Capturing time.
Holding potential.

'Coat is my canvas' commission

A commission for Kendal's Brewery Arts Centre as part of their 'Motto' project. The work will be on display for the 'Motto' Open Day happening throughout the town on Sunday, 28th September 2008.

Fence

I've just finished a new installation called 'Fence' at the Bishop's Palace in Hereford. It's part of a week long art exhibition called 'Palace Art-Fest' now in it's third year.

'Fence' head on.









'Fence' from an angle.












Shaping the fence in the rain.









Shadows cast.









All lined up and ready to go.











Working at the Rodd back in June trying to figure out the work in willow against the wonderful backdrop of the Hindwell Valley.

Clitheroe Castle and Museum Art Commission

The writer David Lewis and myself have been commissioned to produce an art work as part of Clitheroe Castle and Museum refurbishment. The piece will recall the castle's well. We are both excited about the project and looking forward to working together.

Royal British Society of Sculptors

I'm delighted to say that I've just been accepted into the Royal British Society of Sculptors as an Associate member.

RHS Tatton Flower Show 2008

I have just had the opportunity of collaborating with Rachel Ramchurn to create a site specific installation at the RHS Tatton Flower Show. We were commissioned by Cheshire Year of Gardens 08 as part of the 'Something Beautiful' project. Thank you to everyone involved.

The project can be seen on http://cookandramchurn.blogspot.com

spikes, aloes and pods

Now the Little Moreton Hall commission is finished, I thought I'd put some of my 'back catalogue' on. For 'the unsafe garden' installation, I created three other works alongside the 'fans'.



'pod' was based on the banana flowers, which had produced bananas for the first time since the Palm House had reopened.






'aloe' was inspired by the aloe leaf and the way it unfolds with hooked edges interlocking. I created the sculpture to look as if it was balancing on a fine point hovering above the soil.


The 'spikes' were inspired by the palm 'dasylirion acrotrichum' with it's vicious sword-like leaves. They ran in a deep undulating line through the border around the Palm House. The 'spikes' gave the installation it's title.

'Something Beautiful'

It's finally finished!
We spent a clear cold yesterday painting, cleaning and securing.
All four pieces are now installed and ready for press day and then for the hall opening on 1st March for the 2008 season.










the 'cobble skirt'












'PYRUS' stones












sunlight through 'PYRUS' stone












backlit 'moat seat'










'moat seat'

the beech balls arrive at Little Moreton Hall

I spent yesterday installing the beech balls at Little Moreton Hall.

It was a beautiful crisp, clear, sunny day.

beech balls

I've spent the day photographing 'beech balls' for press images for the 'Something Beautiful' project at Little Moreton Hall. It's been a drizzly, dreak day.

The beech balls are one of four pieces made for the commission.

fans

As part of the installation 'the unsafe garden' at the Palm House, Sefton Park, I created a series of large paper fans based on the leaves of ‘trachycarpus wagnerianus’ .




I went on to develop the 'fans' further and had them made in aluminium.
Here they are at Hillier Gardens, summer 2007.

'flying with the tide'

Here are a couple of images from

'flying with the tide'
an installation at the World of Glass museum
summer 2007

Where I'm up to...

Whilst I get my website up dated, I thought that this was a good way of keeping in touch and letting people see what I'm up to. Over the next few weeks I'll post images of the commission I'm working on at the moment; a series of works in the orchard of a National Trust property, Little Moreton Hall, as part of the 'Something Beautiful' Cheshire Year of the Garden project. Also I'll put some images of work I've done since having the website set up - work that may be new to some of you.