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I am a soapstone sculptor based in South Mountain, Ontario. Born in England, I came to Canada at a young age and was raised in the Ottawa area. Growing up in the country, I developed a love of nature, and even as a child would pick up interesting looking rocks and bring them home. Years later, I began dabbling in various forms of art, beginning with a shop class in Elementary School. The three small soapstone carvings I created back in 1982 now sit among my "newer" pieces as ironic foreshadowing.
I was "re-introduced" to soapstone carving in 2001 when I met a talented Cree artist who willingly shared his expertise. While retaining his appreciation of line and equilibrium, I soon branched into my own style which often reflects the fluidity of the world around me. Most of my carvings are inspired by the natural world, but they are also often dictated by what the stone tells me it should be. It has been known to happen that a buffalo has turned into a whale, or a discarded off-cutting has become a cat or a wolf. For the most part I like to create smaller, more affordable pieces, but will dabble in larger sculptures when the mood hits.
Recently, I participated in the first annual Art in the Park in South Mountain, as well as the two-day studio tour, On Common Ground. I have participated in two private shows at Craig & Taylor Associates, which showcased some of their clients' artwork. I was also featured at Gallery 6 in Kemptville for four months in 2009. In the past, I have had carvings in a few galleries/shops in Ottawa and Montreal. Often people like to tell me where they plan to send my carvings and I enjoy keeping track of where they go. I have pieces in private collections across Canada as well as in the United States, England, Australia, Japan, Germany, Mexico, Argentina, Columbia, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Latvia, Israel and Crete.
Each sculpture is hand carved and polished, and therefore unique. I carve for the love of the stone and the challenge of unleashing its inner beauty.
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