A Ruled Surface!

The KDDA Winners Award.

KDDA Awards in Production

I have been really drawn to this ragstone as a material for sculpture, especially in the final stages of the polishing process. It has been a very effective method, having the tiles laminated, as it has helped emphasis the diverse colours in the limestone and the geology of the ragstone from within the Gallagher’s Quarry at Hermitage Lane, Maidstone.

The geology of the ‘Hythe Beds’ is so called because they outcrop in the cliffs at Hythe. They run westwards through Kent into Surrey and from the Greensand Ridge. Maidstone and Sevenoaks sit on this Ragstone and the villages of Sutton Valence and Wateringbury are on the top of the ridge, which is where my studio is located. Its named Quarry Farm for that very reason, above the Weald of Kent. 
The Ragstone occurs in bands between 15cm and 60cm thick, alternating with a loose material called Hassock. By mixing the beds from a variety of different blocks,I have attempted to add detail, contrast and texture to each award by simulating the quarry face on a smaller scale.

The form I have chosen for the awards is modeled on the Kentish Oast Cowl. These wonderful white cowl chimneys can be found on oast houses, which dot the landscape of Kent and beyond. These distinctive buildings were originally designed for drying hops as part of the brewing process, but most surviving oast houses have been converted into houses today. Early oast houses were simply adapted barns, but by the early 19th century the distinctive circular buildings with conical roofs were developed in response to the increased demand for beer!

Seven awards have now been created for the different winning categories for the KDDA awards. The dimensions for the carvings have been created using 49 ragstone tiles, which have been laminated together and fixed to an angular base. A further sculpture will be created for the over all winner of the Kent Design Development Awards.

From the Massive to the Miniature!

Go With The Flow!

Filters and Sunshine!

My mantra for the last few weeks has been, “Spend another day on it’, Spend another day on it”, so much so is my desire for accuracy! Unfortunately this is the way it has to be when you are not content with how the overall sculptural form is looking. For me, it has to work from all angles. Strangely, some of the best angles and perspectives are when you are above the sculpture looking down and through it. I will take some photos from above and post them when complete. However, it’s the slight changes needed to a curve or if a line is too straight which makes all the difference. If the lines are not working together it can throw everything out, which makes it unsettling on the eye as well as the adjoining line or curve. The only solution is to get out the pencil and to draw straight onto the sculpture, ready to carve, trim and tighten, pulling everything together. 

With the sculpture having its final hole cut through the bottom section I am delighted how this looks as it still has retained a solidness to its form. It will slowly become wider, with the crescent opening until it emphasises a greater lean, sweeping and twisting around the back of the sculpture.

The next step now is to begin the drawing, transferring and texturing of imagery onto the front bands of stone. These will include the topographical map of the Cobtree area, leaf patterns and water patterns. However, this will have to wait a few weeks, as there is a very important issue of travelling to Italy, in search of sun, sea and stone!!

The Next Apprentice!

I had the pleasure of welcoming a small group of budding artist’s from Barming Primary school to the workshop the other day to have a look at the development of the Cobtree Entrance Sculpture and to try their hand at a bit of stone carving. The children arrived with no hesitation about getting dusty and picking up a hammer and chisel. It was very refreshing to hear the children answer questions about art, their inspirations and even their knowledge of stone and geology was impressive, clearly a reflection of their education from both teachers and parents. Luckily I did not get put on the spot too much regarding answering questions about some of the more abstract works in the studio! It’s a great leveler having your work interpreted by younger eyes; it helps dilute the pretentiousness that once may have been present when conceptualizing your ideas!  With their pockets full of small stones for souvenirs the children were encouraged to be make a trip to The Cobtree Park to view, touch and draw the other stone carvings that have been installed along the sculpture trail.