WINGED FIGURE PROGRESS

The winged figure in progress. The grain texture reflects feathers which I like. The form of the piece of wood has helped the wing shapes in the way that it has worn over time and tide. Nature has re shaped the piece of wood, back into a natural form. I will marry another piece of wood to the wing form to create a whole figure. I like the idea of two elements coming together to create the whole.

WINGED FIGURES

Detail of the start of a new 'winged figure'. I am working on a series of winged figures. Inspired by working on location at the river, the bird life, and the sound of the wading birds have filtered into the figurative pieces.

NEW BASE

This morning I revealed the cast base from the previous post. It came out well, with a good level of grain detail that I was after. When it is dry I will stain the plaster to create more depth and tie in with the wood of the sculpture.

CASTING A BASE

Just cast a base for a new winged figure. Will wait until the morning to break open the mould. Should be lots of wood texture from the shuttering.

LARGE SCULPTURE

This is a detail of a large recent sculpture. A piece of wood found and sculpted from the river Alde. Time and tide have done their work. The piece is cast into a plaster base. Then patinated with river mud.

ARTSPACE EXHIBITION

I am showing some sculpture and wall hung constructions at ARTSPACE in Woodbridge as part of a group show. Opens on the 13th December.

BEACH HEAD

A very wet and windy morning on the beach. The elements were definitely in full force. I was out gathering some rusty metal wire that had washed up. Also pocketing a few pieces of interesting wood. This piece caught my eye. A ready made profile. One for the pocket.

CHRISTMAS SHOW at CAROLINE WISEMAN

I will be showing some of my work at the Christmas Show at Caroline Wiseman Modern and Contemporary in Aldeburgh. Opens on the 1st December. For more info, Aldeburghbeachlookout.com

TIME AND TIDE CAST

I have been working on a new series of river casts this week. They are mainly of winged figures. This one below is a standing sentinel river figure without wings. I have patinated the plaster with a mixture of powdered earth pigments and other natural colours. This adds depth to the texture captured from the river bed. Time and tide is definitely captured in this figure. A preserved time capsule.

I am working towards having some river casts translated into bronze.

NEW WINGED FIGURE

This new winged figure is in progress in the studio. I cast the figure at the river last week. I had to leave the cast in the mud over night due to the tide rushing in. It worked well and the extra time leaving it allowed the mud to give a darker stain on the plaster. this adds to the depth of the piece. I have just cast the pyramid base. Will let it all dry out then consider how best to finish it.

HEAD/MASK

A good walk along the high tide line produced lots of interesting finds. This is the best.
An old broom head. Looking like a tribal mask. Will wait for it to dry slowly, then see what to do with it. Probably not too much as it's perfect he way it is.

NEW SCULPTURE WITH EARTH PIGMENTS

Here is a new sculpture. 25cm high. A well worn piece of hard wood, found at the river.
I have coloured it with ocher and burnt umber pigments. This picks up on the texture the wood, and gives depth to the piece too. I like the idea of having 'traces of pigment'. Something often described on ancient artefacts. Another layer of narrative to a previous life.

RIVER CASTING, LOW TIDE

An early start to the day today to catch low tide for some casting. Not early enough as the tide turned and re claimed some of the work before it dried and I could release it from the mud.
I will return tomorrow to see what effects time and tide have had.

ALDEBURGH DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL 2018

The Aldeburgh DocFest has finished now. It was a great event.
Very proud to have my sculpture awarded to Nick Broomfield yesterday for documentary film making. It will be flying back with him to L.A.

I have an exhibition running for all of November at The East Coast restaurant in Aldeburgh, in association with the festival.

 

MORE FLINTS

I am collecting quite a few flint stones now from the river. I have started incorporating them into sculptures. Maybe with some cast in bronze too will be interesting. Its an idea to develop.

DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL EXHIBITION

This morning I installed my exhibition at the East Coast Restaurant. It runs for the month of November, in association with the Aldeburgh Documentary Festival 2018.

I am showing 10 recent wall hung constructions and 4 new sculptures.

Hope you can make it along.

EARTH PIGMENTS

Now experimenting with natural earth pigments. Using them watered down on some sculpture.
Below a mix of yellow ochre. Adding some natural earth colour is an interesting development, will see where it leads.

PALMA

Just had a good 3 day break in Palma. Inspiring place to spend some time.

EXHIBITION IN ALDEBURGH

I have an exhibition coming up at The East Coast Restaurant in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, in association with the Aldeburgh Documentary Festival. It is from the 1st - 30th November. A collection of 10 recent constructions and 5 sculptures. Hope you can make it.

SHADOWS

The sun is out this morning, casting some interesting shadows from recent work. Gives a new dimension and poignancy to the sculptures.

CONSTRUCTION

Here is a new wall hung construction. A collage of found elements from local boat yards. No colour, shape or form added. I like crossing over from sculpture to relief wall hung work.

CORRECTION

I stand corrected. It was a hen harrier I saw this morning. Just checked on line, and I remember seeing a distinctive white stripe across the base of the tail. A very beautiful bird.

OUTDOOR STUDIO

This morning I was at my outdoor studio searching for new pieces for sculpture. Last day of September and the weather was perfect. Very still and bright. Saw lots of bird life on the mud flats. A red kite flew right by me as I was leaving. Gathered some very interesting pieces of wood and flint. My outdoor studio never disappoints.

BOAT

This is a great old boat from todays visit to the yard. In need of some attention. Great texture and colour.

BOAT YARD FIND TODAY.

Had a good morning hunting through the boat yard this morning. Collecting fragments to use in wall hung constructions.
Picked up this very small fragment of copper which forms a perfect profile.

LOW TIDE, ELM

Here is a very recent river cast. Mounted on an elm base. Interestingly lots of the wood I collect is elm. Used as it has great resistance to rotting in salt water. It also happens to be my favourite type of wood. It has the most interesting grain, almost reflecting the ripples and flow of the river.

RIVER CASTS

Below are 2 recent river casts, taken from wooden sculptures made from pieces of wood found on the location where I made the casts. This way of working is interesting as it forms a cycle of creation from the original found piece of wood, sculpting it in the studio, then returning it where it was found to make a plaster cast at low tide.
This captures a moment in time and gives the human form layers of time and tide.

LARGE BRONZE

I have just installed a large bronze commission for a collector in Suffolk.

It is sited in a wonderful location in their grounds in woods. Really good to connect my work to the landscape, close to where I gather the wood and material that I use.

The bronze is 105cm high patinated with the subtle tones of the wood it was cast from. With burnished bronze coming through where there are chisel marks.
The piece is mounted on a re claimed oak post.

GUARDIAN at ARTSPACE

Guardian. Showing now at ARTSPSACE Woodbridge. Runs until the 19th September.

 

EXHIBITION

I have 12 recent Sculptures showing in a group show in Woodbridge at ARTSPACE.

The exhibition runs from

14th Sept - 19th Sept 2018

64 Thouroughfare, Woodbridge IP12 1AL

LARGE FLINT

This is a large flint, left high and dry on the flood plane. Reed beds cut back, landscape exposed.

RAINBOW

The rain passing during work on location at my outdoor studio.

RECENT RIVER CAST

I have been working hard at my outdoor studio. Casting figures. Below is a recent mother and child cast. The mud was a perfect consistency for casting, even through the rain I am pleased to say.




Mother & child. 2018

BRONZE CASTING

My large bronze was cast at the weekend at the foundry. Probably on the hottest day of the year. 35 degrees outside, even hotter inside. Tom and the team did a great job.

BLUE MOON construction

This is a new small construction I made recently. Incorporating found elements from local boat yards and a river cast figure.