2012

2012

This year I have been very lucky to have worked on some fantastic commissions.

At the start of the year I was busy sculpting the life-size Pegasus for the Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces memorial. It was a long and complicated project but an immensely rewarding one. I owe a huge amount to Mark Jackson “Jacko” who was responsible for involving me in the commission and not only sculpted Bellerophon and the over life-size Paratrooper, but acted as project manager for the commission. This role that took an enormous of amount of time and effort, and the fact that the memorial was delivered on time and budget is testament to his hard work. The project came to an end when the memorial was unveiled by HRH Prince of Wales on the wettest day of the year in mid July. The project involved a huge amount of different crafts and expertise and as a result I feel that I now have a great team of engineers, stonemasons, foundries and transport to make any project, no matter how complicated, work. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience from start to finish and huge thanks to Jacko and all at the NMA and the Parachute Regiment and Charity for including me in this amazing project. The memorial can be seen at The National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. It’s a truly inspiring place and well worth visiting.

I was then back to more familiar ground with the very exciting commission of an over life-size bronze of the great Goldikova. The project overlapped with Pegasus as both were unveiled within two weeks of one another. I spent a lot of time in France , initially just before her last race in the Breeder’s Cup last year and then once she had retired at Freddie Head’s yard in Chantilly and then to stud near Deauville. She is a feisty character and I have the bruises to prove it. Measuring her was not the easiest thing I’ve ever done. These are the projects that really inspire me. Studying champion racehorses and trying to establish what makes them great. I find it fascinating. There was a small private unveiling in early August with Olivier Peslier mounting the bronze for photographs. It was commission that seemed to flow extremely well, thanks largely to all involved with the horse, who could not have been more helpful and accommodating. 

There were also installations of two editions of the over life-size editions of Yeats at Coolmore Stud in Ireland. I have done several trips there this year to organise and oversee their installation and also to discuss the new over life-size projects that I’m currently working on for them. These three sculptures are a huge project and I feel extremely privileged to be working on them. There will be more details of these next year, as they develop.

I had a solo exhibition at the Sladmore Gallery in June which seemed to go well. It has always been an ambition of mine to exhibit with Sladmore and I was not disappointed. It was a real pleasure to work with all at the gallery and I look forward to discussing the potential for an exhibition in America, hopefully in the near future.

Recently, I’ve been back in my painting and drawing studio working on sketches of hunters in red chalk and also an oil painting of Harbinger which I will be finishing shortly.

I’ve been very lucky to have been so busy this year and thank you so much for all the support I’ve been given, both in terms of work and words. I’m loving what I do more every year and I hope that next year will be no exception.