‘JIMMY’
Made to commemorate the obscenity of the Battle of the Somme in 1916, Jimmy lies among the detritus of war. The life-size skull and helmet are one piece of sycamore; a pool of silver from the empty eye socket runs in a tear down the cheekbone. A line from Siegfried Sassoon’s ‘Absolution’ is formed in the mud: ‘The anguish of the earth absolves our eyes, till beauty shines in all that we can see’.
A woodcarving in one piece of sycamore with black walnut, silver and Welsh slate.
Sherborne Abbey, Dorset, UK.
UP, UP AND AWAY . . !
A private commission designed with a special significance for its owners.
Carved in limewood, with purpleheart and blown glass.
In the possession of its owners. London, UK
AND THAT WAS CALLED LOVE . . ?
Too often, a relationship full of love and promise can end with two people picking over the bones of whose fault it was and who gets what.
A life-size woodcarving in limewood on a faux marble pedestal.
. . . THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS WHAT THEY FIRST SEEM
THE TAP
The old brass tap is pouring ebony wood over quilted musk-wood. The ebony is carved with a twist to look like pouring oil. These days I prefer to use only sustainable timber, this was an old piece of ebony I found in my store.
CELEBRATION
Commissioned as a gift to celebrate a 30th Wedding Anniversary. This woodcarving features the family standing around a table with glasses raised to celebrate the occasion. The sculpture opens to reveal two large freshwater pearls - 30 years is a pearl anniversary.
American black walnut with ebony and holly veneers; freshwater pearls.
In the possession of the owners, London, UK.
THE OCTOPUS BOWL
Turned and carved in one piece of Amarello wood. The only glue on the work was used to insert ebony for the eyes.
The Irving Lipton Foundation collection, California, USA.