I am still planning on buying the building that I currently run my business from.
This would make my idea to get involved in the training of the next generation of stonemasons one step closer to happening, as you know I already have small groups visit my shop to do activities and I go to outside event to run my stone carving activities.
I have a lot of interesting commissions on the go at the moment and these keep me busy and make sure my business continues to blossom.
I currently have an 8mth commission list, one is to carve a portrait and will take me roughly 4 months.
I love being back in Sandwich, people see my shop, come in and alot of them come back to commission or buy something. I support charitable trusts with the sale of some of my creations, so having a shop front is important for me but also for others. I also love to talk to people to explain to them about my projects, the types of stone that I use, places to visit and other things to see in the area,
I understand if you are asking why should you help me? If you know me and have talked to me, then I hope that you understand me. I’m not just a business, I have the opportunity and the ability to help, even if it’s just putting a poster up, offering a raffle prize or being a tourist attraction.
I am another business in Sandwich, I offer a unique shopping experience, helping to make Sandwich interesting and if we have interesting shops, not just a selection of chains, then people will want to visit us and keep our town vibrant.
The money I raise will help me buy and restore this 130 year old building, continue to carve my sculptures, creations and commissions and get involved in training and helping the community.
Here is the link to my crowdfunder page, please can you pledge whatever you can afford.
It had great sentimental value and my visitor asked me if I could re-colour it.
This beautiful print was called Fisher folk, originally painted by Rita Cotter. She used to illustrate nursery rhymes in the 1980s.
Once I had take the print out of it’s frame, it became obvious that I wouldn’t be able to use my watercolours as the paper was not only textured, it had a slightly shiny surface.
I discussed with my customer the colours that we could identify and looked at images of original paintings online, to make sure that I used a similar colour scheme.
By using an assortment of coloured pencils, I set about adding colour back to this lovely print.
Something that I noticed Rita Cotter did, was to outline everything with a fineliner pen, and most of the shoes are black.
I experimented and found the right nib size, but it was also important to read the nursery rhymes, the 2 fishermen in the middle at the bottom are the same man and the 4 boys in the bottom right are the same boys, so they couldn’t have different colours.
My customer was thrilled when she saw it, and like her mother before her, she will be giving it to her son on the birth of her first grandchild.
This is a picture of it back in it’s frame, I tried to prevent reflections on the glass, but I couldn’t. So please don’t worry, that’s not a crack in the glass, merely a reflection.
If you have something that you would like repaired or made good again, please feel free to discuss.
And if I can’t do it, I will help you find someone who can.
I saw the call for entries for the Royal Academy Summer exhibition this morning and it has fired me up to enter some of my sculptures..
The theme is Interconnectedness, as those of you who know my work, this is a theme that runs through my sculptures. In fact my most recent carving that I am working on now, would work beautifully.
These are my preliminary sketches for my most recent sculpture, it’s still very much a work in progress, but shows the continuation of my ideas.
This is how all my sculptures start and here are the two that I will submit, however my newest one would be ready by the Summer.
‘Family’ Hand carved out of Lavoux limestone.
Photography by Ed Francis.
And ‘Mother cradling her child’
Photography by Ed Francis.
I will be carrying on with my YouTube diary and will talk about my ideas, so please keep an eye on that.
I have had such a busy year, so many ups and so many downs, but I try and concentrate on the positive things.
I completed many interesting commissions, from my sculpture of Aloy for a house in Walmer, the compass rose for Sandwich Quay, a Grotesque in the form of a family man, a leaf sculpture and bird bath for a local garden. I even repaired a Tang Dynasty terracotta polo player. I completed many house signs and carved some animal portraits.
My year started off with a broken ankle, but I pushed through. I entered several awards and was shortlisted for a sole trader award. I went to No 11 Downing street as part of the celebrations of these Small Awards.
On the 10th July, what was the hottest day of the year, I met the King at Walmer Castle, we were able to have a quick discussion about apprentices. Something that a lot of you know that I would like to one day be able to offer.
I attended some really interesting events and gave talks to local groups.
I attended the opening weekend of the Maison Dieu, a project that I have been involved with from the beginning. I carved a piece that was presented to one of the directors.
At the sunken garden eco fair, I had 25 people have a go at stone carving and one young lad found that he wants to be a stonemason, at Dover castle I ran my popular activity at the Trans Manche Geo Park festival, roughly 60 people of all ages were able to try their hand at stone carving.
I had fun taking part in two medieval festivals, Le weekend in Sandwich with the Medieval Centre and at Betteshanger Park. People watched me complete the carving that I started way back in 2023, before I moved back to Sandwich. They could also try their hand at stonemasonry.
I had a group of local school children visit my shop in Sandwich, where I gave a demonstration and they took a rubbing of my Invicta horse carving.
14 1st Walmer Beaver scouts came and spent their evening at my shop. I split the group into two and half had a go at at stone carving, while the other half took a rubbing of my Invicta Horse carving. I asked them all to design a grotesque and then the swapped over. We had a competition for the best design and the winner received a carving of their initial. I am really looking forward to doing this more in the coming year.
I continue to carve my commissions and next year, I have some really exciting carving jobs to get on with, one is a portrait that will take me roughly 3-4mths.
My shop has had a bit of a makeover, as I have a problem with the flat roof where I do the bulk of my work, I have moved my more of work forward.
Here’s a short video of my shop from my YouTube channel.
A walk around my shop this Christmas.
I had quite a few people come and do my 1 hour taster session and one lady had 10 hours for her 80th birthday present, she loved it so much she paid for an extra extra hour.
I need your help, though, in order to continue doing all of this, (except breaking my ankle, I don’t want to do that again) and helping to champion the historic and ancient craft of stonemasonry, I need to buy my shop.
Last year, my landlady offered me the shop to buy, sadly she died before we could finalise the agreement.
There have been a lot of complications and the building has been valued £115,000 above what I was originally offered it at. Due to these complications, they can’t honour my landlady’s wishes.
As you know I want to get involved in the training of the next generation of stonemasons, I don’t want to start this until I have a secure base of operations. The shop comes with a flat above, this will give me a place to live, (I currently live with my Mum) and anyone who comes for a short job release, if they need, could potentially stay with me. This isn’t just about me as a business, but it also impacts the local business community, too many business premises are being turned into residential properties. I’m not just a business, I help with the promotion of our town and the businesses, charitable foundations and historic buildings, so this is incredibly important.
I have set up a crowdfunder page and hope with your help to raise enough funds to buy and restore the property.
Please can you pledge whatever you can afford to help me continue helping where I can and doing what I love to do.
I have been working hard to bring you so many wonderful Christmas gift ideas.
This lovely gift bag is the gift that keeps on giving, beautifully hand made, there is lots of choice as to the type of fabric and sizes, prices start at £5.
The hand painted slate letters start at £3, but the one shown is £5, resin paperweights with curious creatures, shells and fossils, prices start at £17 and my sweet little resin hearts at only £3 each, various colours available in each of these items.
From small stocking fillers to beautiful sculptures to ornament the home and garden.
My gorgeous new carving designed from the butterflies that were in my Mum’s garden this year.
I have been busy working on commissions, but I have also found the time to carve some new stone carving and letter cutting.
This grotesque is carved out of a very soft piece of French limestone, very similar in texture to Bath stone, but without the fossils. I thought it would be fun to carve him with his hand holding a tealight.
New carvings and some of my other pieces available to buy in my shop.
All of the above are available to buy in my shop in Sandwich.
Some of my most recent completed commissions.
Griffin Cottage was a re-do, My customers brought their existing, worn house sign and wanted me to re paint it, but without the image, I cleaned up the wood and re-painted the board before drawing out and re-painting the name.
The Shrubbery was carved out of Cornish slate and painted to my customers specifications
The birdbath was carved out of Portland limestone, it compliments the leaf sculpture that I finished last month and I will be putting them in my customers garden before Christmas.
The memorial is a simple, timeless design and is going to be placed in a memorial garden on my customers property.
