My first degree was in Fine Art / Printmaking at Brighton University in the early nineties. I used domestic objects directly, such as lace doilies, raffia table mats in various states of disintegration and herringbone pattern cloth to print from. The herringbone print I made into three dimensional paper coats.
After studying for an MA in Computer Imaging and Animation at the then Guildhall University, London (currently Sir John Cass Faculty of Art) I went on to work in digital media for nine years. Clients included LOCOG 2012 (Olympics), BBC, Comic Relief, Save the Children, ZSL (London Zoo), The Royal Society, and Penguin. Much of my work involved creating and animating characters for children, which has ignited an ongoing interest in anthropomorphism. Moving from one of the newest art mediums to one of the oldest, in 2009 I retrained at the City&Guilds of London Art School, for a postgraduate degree in Architectural Stone Carving. I also learnt to model, mould and cast sculpture. Whilst at C&G I worked on some interesting high profile projects, including winning a commission to create and carve an Angel for permanent installation in the Deans Cloisters of St Georges Chapel, Windsor. The college invited me to be the Carving Fellow for two academic years, to assist the tutors and students with stone carving and casting whilst producing my own work. I was also employed by the college to provide a two week course for the undergraduate Fine Art/Sculpture students, in stone carving.
As a figurative sculptor my work is observational whilst expressing conceptual ideas. I feel the need to highlight or resolve issues that spark my imagination through my experience of ordinary or everyday occurrences and by my interest elevating them somewhat. I celebrate the undervalued, trying to convey vitality in my work through the use of texture and form, whilst embracing the developments that occur by chance in the process of making. Drowned Fly– a fly drowned in my tea, my initial response was to be annoyed, but then I realised that the fly had lost far more than me. As an homage to the dead fly I modelled it in clay, I changed the scale to the size of a small song bird, cast it in bronze and then mounted it on a piece of grey slate.
After living and working in London for more than 25 years, I have moved to Kent.
Solo Exhibition
2014 (Nov): Cat amongst the pigeons, The Coningsby Gallery, London
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2019 (Jun-Sept): Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition London
2018-2019 (Dec-Jan): British Art Medal Society Exhibition Sladmore Contemporary Gallery, London
2017 (May): Pilgrims Way Artists Summer Show Lenham, Kent
2015 (July-Oct): British Art Medal Society Exhibition Baroni Gallery, London
2015 (Jun-Sept): Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition London
2014 (Sept-Dec): Imaginative Sculpture protecting the sacred space, Dean’s Cloister, St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle
2014 (Sept): Blackheath Contemporary Art Gallery London
2014 (Aug): Brit Poppy Art Exhibition Pitsford Hall, Northampton
2014 (Apr-Nov): Rock pigeon I and II, St Anne’s Galleries, Lewes, East Sussex
2013-4 (Jan): 161 Open Exhibition, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol
2013 (Oct): Threadneedle Prize Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
2013 (June): The Founders Sculpture Prize, finalists maquettes exhibited, Guildhall Art Gallery, London
2011 (May): Face2011, the Society of Portrait Sculptors, The Gallery, Cork Street, London
Awards / Prizes:
2017 (May): Sculpture Prize, Pilgrims Way Artists Summer Show , Winner
2012 (Nov): The Founders Sculpture Prize (Bronze), Finalist
2011 (June): Zahra Modern Art Foundries Bronze Casting Award, Winner
2010 (Aug): Newby Trust, Bursary
2010 (Aug): Worshipful Company of Masons, Bursary
Commissions:
2020 (Dec): Portrait of Bruce Avis ciment fondu.
2019 (Dec): Fox pewter.
2015 (Dec): Portraits of cats ciment fondu.
2015 (July): Plague British Art Medal Society, bronze.
2015 (Jun): Portrait of Gillian Pflitsch ciment fondu.
2014 (Oct): Vermin Study of Fox, ciment fondu.
2014 (Aug): Mr & Mrs Cable with Stilton, relief carving on Broughton Moor Slate.
2011 (Dec): Angel, Deans Cloisters, St George’s Chapel, Windsor
2011 (Jan): Corbel heads, St John the Evangelist Church, London
2010 (July): Badger grotesque, St George’s Chapel, Windsor
Projects:
2012 (Mar): Diamond Jubilee Barge prow sculpture, Royal Pageant June 3rd, London
2012 (July): Cultural Olympiad of London 2012, The Staffordshire Hoard, Katharine Morling
Fellowships:
2011-13 Carving Fellow, City & Guilds of London Art School
Education:
2009-11 Pg. Dip. Architectural Stone Carving, City & Guilds of London Art School
1997-99 MA Course, Computer Imaging and Animation, London Guildhall University
1995-97 Access Course, Computer Animation, Tower Hamlets College
1990-93 BA Hons. Fine Art / Printmaking, University of Brighton
Collections:
Private collections in London, Bristol, Switzerland and France
Public, St George’s Chapel, Windsor
Public, St John the Evangelist Church, London
Public, St John the Evangelist Church, Hastings