Cat's Eye Carving

Hand carved commissions. Have a go sessions and my sculptures

3wks of Easter holiday really knocks the wind out of me, running my stone carving activities is an incredibly rewarding experience but very tiring. The most memorable ‘have a go-ee’ was a small girl possibly 6yrs old, very quiet and struggled at first with the mallet and chisel but once she had got the hang of it and her hand eye co-ordination was set she couldn’t be stopped. A future stonemason? who can tell but the fact she tried it and seemed to love it is enough for me. At that age new experiences are the most important part of learning and to have the opportunity to try out things children or adults wouldn’t normally get to try is extremely important and thanks to the kind of childhood I had is probably why I am where I am today.

My creativity knows no bounds and I can’t keep up with my ideas. I have several sketchbooks on the go at the moment and 6 different stone carvings. A medieval face which I am carving in St Bees sandstone from Cumbria, it is a beautiful red sandstone, very dense and hard but it is slightly easier to carve than some of the Forest of dean sandstones. I am working on a piece of Welsh slate which is a spiral design drawn using geometry, A piece of Caen limestone from Normandy, which is hard and dense a lovely honey colour, this I am carving another head but using two spirals almost like two galaxies colliding. Talking of galaxies one of my pieces which will hold water as that is an important part of the design has beautiful patterns running through it, it is a piece of red Forest of Dean Sandstone from the now mothballed Wilderness quarry in Mitcheldean, this is inspired by the spiralling storms and swirls on Jupiter. On a different vein, a piece in Portland limestone one of the rejected designs for my Highgate commission, I am carving this as a sculpture in the round and a relief in a piece of marble. All of these projects represent my idea threads, some old and some just forming.

I haven’t heard any news on the War Memorial proposal that I submitted but fingers crossed.

This development of my ideas is a important part of the process of learning and improving my carving skills. I am not the best, yet but with each new carving my ideas mature, my understanding of the raw material grows, my carving technique and ability to carve what is in my head improves. 

My commissions are coming in thick and fast now so my waiting list is now 10wks. I am currently working on a Sun Altar in Portland limestone a selection of house names and numbers and a wedding present and a new design for my Loch Ness commissions.  If you have an idea that you would like to discuss I am happy to make a rough sketch design for you and we can discuss your needs further. I continue to make new items for my shop so as soon as these are ready I will post some photos here.

Thank you for reading, hope to see you at my studio soon.