Cat's Eye Carving

Commissions and carving.

I love playing around with the letter forms to create the word, these two, hand carved and painted Forest of Dean sandstone, Petals like a Primrose and Petrichor, the smell of the rain after a dry spell.

The Star, my customers favourite Tarot card, hand carved out of a piece of French limestone 14 x 19 inches. A Forest of Dean sandstone house sign, hand carved with a Roman Font.

The last of these three is a plaque that I was commissioned to carve by the Worshipful Company of Masons. It features the heraldry of this historic livery company, I hand carved this out of Welsh slate and the base is St Bees Sandstone, the letters are hand carved and gilded.

I needed to shape the top of the stone before I could start this memorial, this meant cutting the corners off. The mandala pattern was an important part of the design and had to be drawn out using geometry first.

I am using the corners to carve images from the memorial to add a connection for the whole family. The first corner, I cut in half to create a pair of bookends and carved the Mandala pattern into. The second corner is waiting to be carved but will be a triangular bowl of Peony flowers to draw the three pieces together. The stone is York Sandstone.

These last three carvings are very different, the Green man is hand carved out of Forest of Dean sandstone and features 3 little mice, the Green man is eyeing them up playing amongst his leaves.

The clock is one of my most requested designs, with the different coloured numbers.

Vine Tree cottage, where I have used the shape of the stone and the vines to create unique house sign, commissioned as a present.

If you would like to discuss a commission for a unique stone carving, please feel free to get in touch via my contact page.

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Jesmonite casts.

I have been playing with the pigments for my lastest jesmonite casts. For my Hengist and Horsa bookends, I have used a black pigment and for the others I have been experimenting with slate dust.

My latest jesmonite clocks with different colours, small but unique. £18-£25.

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New jewellery.

I am designing and creating some more of my unique jewellery.

These earrings have been made using Welsh slate, glass beads and sterling silver wire. I make all the fixings and hooks so they can be made to a size that suits you.

My pendants are made using Welsh slate and sterling silver.

I can make the thong out of leather or waxed cotton to any length you would like, on a sliding knot, with a magnetic, lobster or screw fixing, these findings are not silver.

As you wear my unique jewellery, it absorbs your skins natural oils and darkens, this ultimately connects each piece to you.

I welcome commissions, so please feel free to get in touch.

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What’s new in my workshop?

I have been busy working through my commission schedule, the Green Man is hand carved out of tetbury limestone and represents about 40 hours work.

House signs are my bread and butter and it’s always fun to use colours creatively and add motifs, the tw numbers are hand carved out of Welsh slate, the Number 3 has 3 different greens, gradually dark to light and the 24, cut it into a circle with the addition of the daffodil.

The Bookends and Shelvin Farm house are the next two on my list and thankfully the weather is cooler so I can feel comfortable in my dust mask.

I have some interesting conservation work to get on with before the frosts start, I am doing some re-pointing using lime mortar, this is the foundation of my training as a stonemason and when done properly not only looks beautiful but can protect homes from damp and erosion. Cement traps the water and doesn’t allow the bricks or stone to breathe.

In this instance, I was pointing the empty joints, the next stage of this job is to cut out cement and some dead bricks, ready to re-point with the lime mortar.

I have another day on this part of the job, I will be starting the next part next Spring, this type of work can’t be carried out once the frosts have started.

Please feel free to get in touch for a free, no-obligation quote on all aspects of stonemasonry, conservation, stone carving and letter carving.

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Moving

I have moved my business to Sandwich in Kent.

As you will know from previous posts, I have been spending a great deal of time in my home county.

This Summer I have taken part in some wonderful events and my commission list is growing.

I am the stonemason in residence for the Maison Dieu in Dover, I work with the Sandwich Medieval Trust and I have started running stone carving activities for heritage sites.

Just last month, I was offered a wonderful shop in the centre of Sandwich. In just that short time, I have packed up my studio at Taurus Crafts, it is the end of an era, but the start of something new and exciting.

My new address is;

24 Market Street, Sandwich. Kent. CT13 9DA.

I have a space for a gallery, a drawing area, running my popular activities, a work-room and space for visiting crafts men and women to run courses in other interesting subjects.

I have some exciting plans in the works but I need to settle in first.

I will be open from Thursday to Sunday, and by appointment on the other days, this will allow me to get on with my commissions and new pieces for my gallery.

I will also be inviting local artists to exhibit and sell their work.

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