SPRING 2014 STUDIO NEWS UPDATE

The winter slipped by with a flurry of activity in the studio creating a series of large (and heavy!) ornate bronze swimming pool ladders and step rails for the California design company I am working with and their mysterious European clients. At the same time we were working on a new Black Tipped Reef Shark that has just been completed and is now on display out at the Shell Aero Centre at the Victoria International Airport. I am very excited about this sculpture as it has a large presence (5 ½ feet long) and conveys a real sense of gracefulness as the shark glides over the coral head.

The Giant Octopus coffee table created last fall has been a big hit and we are currently fabricating Editions, 2, 3 4 and 5, three of which are going to a client in London UK this summer. There are a lot of tentacles around the studio these days.

With a new summer season coming we have reinvigorated the sculpture displays at the Shell Aero Centre at the Victoria International Airport as well as the display pieces at Nimmo Bay Wilderness Resort. 

New projects coming up this summer include a custom designed garden fountain, a new version of “Board Dog” (English Bull Dog on a skate board), a small fox sculpture, a small version of the reef shark, a cast Narwhal Tusk mounted on a rock base and yet another octopus pose and coffee table design.       

All of my foundry work is now undertaken at South Island Bronze Works in central Saanich under the skilful eye of fellow sculptor Nathan Scott.  This has allowed me to increase my annual capacity and shorten turn around times for custom commissions.    

Once again I will be participating in the Saanich Peninsula Spring Studio Tour (June 7 and 8th) and hope to be able to submit entries to both the Sooke and Sidney Fine Art Shows this summer and fall. 

Thanks for your interest and support and please check back soon as I plan to post more frequent updates over the coming months. 

Winter Update - December 2013

The Black Tipped Reef Shark sculpture is now finished and the casting process has begun. I expect to have this piece completed in bronze in February 2014. This piece is close to 6 feet long. The photograph shows the completed sculpture in painted clay with some of the mold divide shims in place. This piece is mounted on a cluster of staghorn coral branches. 

Soon I will start on a smaller version of this sculpture which will be available in the Spring of 2014. I am also casting Ella, a very large English Mastiff Cross, that was privately commissioned. Ella will be on display for a few weeks at the Pier Hotel in Sidney during January before she is installed at her home.

Continuing on from last year's commissions for a design firm in Los Angeles, I am now working on some custom swimming pool & ladders and rails with a mythical fish theme for their client in Russia.

Other sculptural projects that are on the burner and will start to come to life this spring include a life-sized beaver and a life-sized Pacific White-Sided Dolphin.  

Thanks for your interest and support during the past year. Looking forward to an exciting and creative New Year in 2014.  Happy New Year to you all.

October 2013 New Works in Progress

October 2013 New Works in Progress I am very pleased to announce that both of my entries into this year’s Sidney Fine Arts Show, the “Giant Octopus Table” and “Languid Cougar” received Juror’s Choice Awards. There were over 400 artists and 2000 entries submitted to this year’s show. I am already planning my submissions for next year when I plan to enter both the Sidney and Sooke Fine Art Shows during the summer and fall of 2014. We are now getting ready for the Fall Studio Tour October 26 and 27. I will have lots of completed bronzes – small and large – as well as works in progress on display, demonstrations and there will be a welcoming assortment of refreshments and snacks. If you are in the area ….(see map in Contact section). A new sculpture of a Black Tipped Reef Shark that is underway in the studio. This piece will be mounted on a sculpted piece of staghorn coral. The shark is 1.5 m long and stands 65 cm high. This piece was inspired by my young daughter who is passionate about sharks and their preservation. I expect to have this piece cast in bronze by Christmas. New photos and a refreshed web design are coming soon.

Summer Update – August 2013

The summer lull is over and I am now working on a number of new sculptures including an Egret, a new and smaller version of the Swimming Octopus that is being done for Octopus Investments in London UK and Ella, a beautiful, full of character and very large Mastiff Cross. Some other projects on the go are a new bear sculpture, a small muskox and a White Tipped Reef shark which I hope to have completed later this fall.

I have two new sculptures on display at the Shell Aero Centre at the Victoria International Airport this summer including the giant octopus coffee table and a life-sized mountain lion. Both of these pieces will be entered into the Sidney Fine Art show this fall.

If you are in Sidney this summer be sure to visit the Sidney Sculpture Walk that includes 13 new works by local artists including my entry of the “Board Dog”.

Until October…..

Spring 2013 Studio News and Update

My winter was particularly busy this year as I was commissioned to create a number of unique specialty items for a client furnishing a large villa in Russia.  These creations included a large ornate chandelier weighing close to 180 pounds, a staghorn coral dining room table, a series of wall sconce lamps and vanity sinks in the form of giant clam shells, an elaborate bronze towel rack and custom door hardware. A total of 73 bronze pieces, small and large, were made over the past four months.    

 With the Villa Project now complete I am refocusing on projects like the giant octopus table that were started last fall and a new coffee table with sea turtles mounted on a beautiful piece of weathered driftwood. I am also working on a series of new projects including a small Grizzly Bear, Muskox and Walrus sculptures with plans to create a life-sized Blue Shark sculpture over the summer months. I have just completed a life-sized sculpture of a cougar that will be cast in bronze during April.

Once again the studio will be part of this year’s Saanich Peninsula Studio Tour on June 8 and 9. If you are in the area drop by during the tour and take a look at the new projects underway as well as my collection of completed bronzes in the garden gallery. Selected pieces will also on display throughout the year at Haro’s Restaurant in the Pier Hotel in Sidney and at the Shell Aero Centre reception area at the Victoria International Airport.      

 This photograph shows my new cougar sculpture under construction in clay.