Wye Valley Sculpture Garden

BIO

I come from a family of artists and craftspeople. 
My great, great, grandfather was a wrought iron gate maker, my grandfather was a woodcarver who trained at Kensington School of art, my mother studied fashion design, and my father was a landscape designer and photographer. 
Making and drawing is in my bones.

I have always derived great pleasure from drawing and the first time I encountered clay I never looked back.

I completed my art foundation at Cambridge college of Technology under the inspiring tutorage of the sculptor Mike Gillespie, Epstein’s former assistant.

I studied at Camberwell in the early 80’s when they still taught all the traditional figurative skills.

I had a few years working for the film and model making industry, mostly making consumer products for Disney, Warner’s, Lucas Films and others, until I was able to pursue my own work in my own studio.

My work is predominantly figurative and representational, but the representation is the vehicle. What I am exploring and investigating is the emotional response of the viewer.  This is my concept.  Whilst making a piece I am consciously trying to understand the emotions that I have to it. Hoping for a similar dialogue and emotional response from the viewer.

Once you have the physicality of the clay and the likeness of the model in hand then it becomes interesting. 
How we all read instinctively the angle of the mouth the tension in the brow, the eyes, …  tiny manipulations can create different emotions in the viewer. Not only are you dealing with weight, gravity, tension, poise and fluidity, but the language of the body.  The best figurative work has this ability to affect the viewer emotionally.  It is successful if it gets you in the guts! 

All sculptures in this gallery are for sale, for any enquiries or more information please email Gemma
info@wyevalleysculpturegarden.co.uk

BIO

Steph grew up in rural Herefordshire following her grandmother Jean's love of music and painting.

She explored further creative media whilst studying at Herefordshire College of Art and continued to explore and create works alongside her professional career as a consultant ecologist.

More recently Steph has been exploring metal working techniques, developing skills during her time as technician for a well-established local sculptor. Steph has been developing her own portfolio of steel sculpture, drawing upon her love of the natural world.

All sculptures in this gallery are for sale, for any enquiries or more information please email Gemma
info@wyevalleysculpturegarden.co.uk

BIO
Paul Burton had a long and successful global career in the mining supply industry where he experienced so many locations, people and cultures. Following his retirement in 2017 Paul has returned and now concentrating full time on his first love of contemporary art, in particular sculpture. His return to art is influenced by his extensive experiences living and working around the world in the mineral extraction industries, in so many diverse places ranging from the Gobi Desert to the frozen wastes of the Arctic Circle.

His unique steel, slate and glass creations are inspired by the earth’s resources and look to incorporate his unique “Earthlight” sculpture creations back into the landscape. Paul’s home and garden in rural Worcestershire is his showcase setting for his work. The Kenswick Manor west wing Garden, designed and constructed by multi Chelsea Gold medal garden designer Peter Dowle, provides an excellent backdrop to Paul’s individual work and is a great place to visit to meet Paul and view his work.
This Earthlight range of work is Paul’s observation and statement on where we are in the conflicting debates on the resource management of our planet. These sculptures placed in the landscape with an aspect to the rising or setting sun are powerful visions. Their intent is to question the western environmentalist paradigm.. A qualified observation is that our world would be a very different place to live without the mineral extraction that has contributed to our modern lives. Everything we consume is from the earth (mined, grown or from the ocean). However this industrialisation and modernism has been historically reckless with no real consideration of the environment.
For example, without mining there would be no trains, planes, automobiles, Internet, computers, phones, no cancer scanners or man on the moon, but it has come at a cost. These Earthlight pieces make a statement, They are from the earth and the composition is made up of, slate, silica, steel, lead, crystal et al. They display the earth’s bounty in a beautiful and powerful way, but at the same time providing a portal through them for us to consider the impact on the environment. Each piece is unique and comes with its own narrative.

All sculptures in this gallery are for sale, for any enquiries or more information please email Gemma
info@wyevalleysculpturegarden.co.uk

BIO - Working in clay is my addiction!  The amazing material allows me to make unique hand built abstract forms which express my interest in landscape, plants and surface texture.  I have been a professional potter since 2006 and have a studio in the beautiful grounds of a restored Victorian kitchen garden.

All sculptures in this gallery are for sale, for any enquiries or more information please email Gemma
info@wyevalleysculpturegarden.co.uk

BIO

Since 2000 I’ve been a freelance artist and sculptor working primarily in the public realm and have created works for a number of local councils, national organisations, schools and historical sites including a number of CADW sites.

I’ve made all sorts of things from castle gates to figurative and abstract sculptures. In 2009 I was shortlisted for a commission to produce a sculpture for a hospital garden in Plymouth. I didn’t get the commission but as preparation for the interview I created 3 maquettes of proposed sculptures and later decided to make one of them at full size.

The cast bronze piece is titled “One of three” and is a folded pebble form with a bubbly texture and a semi - polished aperture piercing it, and sits on an ebonized oak plinth. Having been sited in my garden since it was made, it has never been shown publicly.

All sculptures in this gallery are for sale, for any enquiries or more information please email Gemma
info@wyevalleysculpturegarden.co.uk

BIO

Ed’s artistic career started in 2017, after 8 years Primary School teaching. It was then that he decided to have a change of direction and begin pursuing his real passion for sculpting, as it appeared to be the right place and right time. His childhood was filled with creativity. “Making models was my chief source of amusement. Sculpting came so easily, an area I could excel, feel valued and enjoy many hours lost in other worlds. It was a meaningful way to engage with the world around me.”

Although his career started relatively recently it began much earlier at the age of 16 in 2006 as a hobby in his parents’ garage. “My teachers at school challenged me with the project theme titled: ‘think outside the box’ I took this as an opportunity to do just that. I experimented with less conventional materials. My Dad also had a wealth of experience in metalwork from his earlier days he could share with me too. After buying my arc welder and angle grinder I quickly began to experiment and soon recycling metal became cheaper, topical and interesting too.

For the last 7 years birds have been my primary focus of study. I only like to sculpt wild animals, because there is something to be discovered about them and share with others. Birds are the only wild animal I encounter on a regular basis. As someone who spent hours making ‘stop-frame’ animation videos growing up, movement fascinates me. I like to know how they move. For example, the legs if done correctly can bring lots of life and agency if done correctly. Otherwise, it looks awkward or dead. This is why I study lots of photos and videos to make sure I’m understanding this right.

 Another reason I love birds so much is because they occupy another realm. They do what is other worldly to me. They fly, perch, splay feathers, land on vertical surfaces and balance on the thinnest of stems. They therefore offer endless possibilities.

I am currently working my way through a series of iconic birds, ones that are instantly recognisable. This year is the long-tailed tit. Like a caricature I really want to identify and understand the main features. Because I don’t work in colour, shape is really important. Being sociable, I have begun to explore different ways I can group them.

All sculptures in this gallery are for sale, for any enquiries or more information please email Gemma
info@wyevalleysculpturegarden.co.uk

BIO

Hayley is a self-taught artist who over recent years has evolved from a painter to wire-sculptor. She uses a variety of single strand wires, including copper, steel and aluminium to construct intricate animal and bird forms and then mounts them on to all sorts of interesting found objects such as old gates, water troughs, weathered driftwood and reclaimed wood which she sources while exploring the local countryside. Sometimes these objects can be the spark of an idea for a specific piece, other times, the bird or animal is the starting point.

Hayley’s wire sculptures have proved very popular and invitations to exhibit at prestigious events have led to her work being sold both nationally and internationally. In 2021 she was commissioned by Willmott Dixon Construction Company to make a sculpture for the new Chestnut Primary School built in Yatton, North Somerset.  This large stainless steel Sea Eagle being her first Public piece.

All sculptures in this gallery are for sale, for any enquiries or more information please email Gemma
info@wyevalleysculpturegarden.co.uk

BIO
After teaching and practising textiles for the last 20 years, I have recently completed an MA in Contemporary Crafts (Hereford College of Arts).

During this time I developed work that explores the intra relationship between materials and their environment. 

All sculptures in this gallery are for sale, for any enquiries or more information please email Gemma
info@wyevalleysculpturegarden.co.uk

My work merges boundaries of different mediums to create textures and patterns which allow light and surface to interact with each other.

The movement of light is first captured through photography and the textured forms are a response to how this movement can alter and transform surfaces. 

These two pieces have been assembled in situ;  the natural surroundings that they are placed in has dictated their structure and form. 

BIO

I am an artist whose work explores human experience. I work in clay to capture moments in our lives that define; my work celebrate the beauty of human form and our athletic nature. My sculptures are cast into predominantly bronze-resin or bronze and incorporate other materials in the presentation of the figures.

For over 10 years I have been making sculptures to sell in galleries; I have various galleries around the UK that sell my work and have exhibited at Art Fairs internationally. Other exhibitions include showing at Royal West Academy, South West Academy, Byard Art and I have completed various private commissions, plus a public sculpture commissioned by Churchill Living in North Bristol.

All sculptures in this gallery are for sale, for any enquiries or more information please email Gemma
info@wyevalleysculpturegarden.co.uk

BIO

Renée Kilburn is a professional ceramic artist, who moved from Sweden to England in 1994 to study Ceramic Design at Central saint Martin’s College of Art and Design in London.

Deciding to stay in the UK, she now lives in Weston-Super-Mare and creates unique brightly glazed work by making a basic shape that is either coiled, slab built or press moulded. Hand modelled details are added to give each piece a sense of movement and it is not important to copy nature, but to evoke in the viewer a smile that one automatically gets when seeing the wonders of colours and shapes in nature.

Renée’s chosen material is a high fired white stoneware clay that makes every piece frost proof and suitable for display outdoors. Every detail is hand painted with shiny, brightly coloured glazes that make the pieces come to life in the 3rd and final firing.

All sculptures in this gallery are for sale, for any enquiries or more information please email Gemma
info@wyevalleysculpturegarden.co.uk

BIO

I have had a fascination with glass, its vibrancy and relationship with natural light for some 20 years. I have been working with glass, with a few years break, since studying it at Queens Road art college (Filton college) from ’94-’97.

In the past few years, my work has taken an exciting turn in collaborating with Ian Richardson, a wonderfully creative metal sculptor and fabricator. This has allowed me to explore the meeting of metal and glass and to expand into outdoor work. Here truly, it is possible to see the interplay of colour and light meeting and reflecting back into the specific environment. I spend time responding to the environment, looking at line and colour before designing, cutting, fusing and enamelling, firing, and eventually, silver staining.  

All sculptures in this gallery are for sale, for any enquiries or more information please email Gemma
info@wyevalleysculpturegarden.co.uk

BIO

Claudia's interest in sculptural forms has led to the development of life-size birds and animals. These pieces are formed out of beaten, forged and welded steel. They are then galvanised, etched and left to weather naturally.

All sculptures in this gallery are for sale, for any enquiries or more information please email Gemma
info@wyevalleysculpturegarden.co.uk

BIO

Nature and the local Countryside has always been a source of inspiration to my work. At the same time wildlife and in particular Hares have been an interest. Each Hare I make is created using the coiling technique.  I use Earthstone Crank Clay, with a manganese wash on top and fired to a high stoneware temperature. Each Hare I make is individual and unique. I love to model the features and stance of each animal I make. These Hares look interesting individually and equally in pairs or small groups.

I have always loved working in Clay. Over the years I have worked with a range of subject matter and making techniques. I completed a BA (HONS) Ceramics in Cardiff, Howard Gardens in the early 90s and from there taught Art for 17 years.

I continue to enjoy running occasional pottery workshops for adults and children.

All sculptures in this gallery are for sale, for any enquiries or more information please email Gemma
info@wyevalleysculpturegarden.co.uk

BIO

As Paul Flint and Sam Rankine, we operate under the banner of Flint & Rankine Ironwork, crafting bespoke pieces for enthusiasts of organic and flowing design in garden and interior spaces alike.
Employing both traditional and contemporary blacksmithing techniques, our collection boasts a wide array of stunning, hand-forged items that imbue any space with a distinct and individualized aesthetic. We consider ourselves fortunate to be doing work that we love and are deeply committed to providing accessible, proudly British-designed and crafted objects to enhance the beauty of people's homes and gardens.

All sculptures in this gallery are for sale, for any enquiries or more information please email Gemma
info@wyevalleysculpturegarden.co.uk

BIO

BA (hons) Fine Art

University of the West of England

I see rhythm and flow and form in everything, natural, industrial, architectural…it all has a joyful song, maybe obvious or maybe obscured in chaos or everydayness.

I love the noise and energy of the workshop, sometimes a dance sometimes a wrestle, the  process is an inspiration to add to the mix !

I have several pieces here of my own creation and several collaborative works produced with Glass artist Pam Moolman.

Pam’s gorgeous glass almost colliding with my steelwork to create colour and vibrance.

All sculptures in this gallery are for sale, for any enquiries or more information please email Gemma
info@wyevalleysculpturegarden.co.uk

BIO

Nature, light and colour, the ultimate inspiration.

I love to look and study flowers and wonder how am I going to transform them. My palette is natures colour and texture, my medium is fused glass

As a self taught fused glass artist I started my journey ten years ago exploring texture and colour with a desire to create big bright flowers that would bring happiness and vibrancy to the garden. These flowers are approximately 150cms tall, using a variety of coloured glass and frit powders, they are unique in their individuality. They can be displayed outside all year giving a special feature and fun to the garden.

All sculptures in this gallery are for sale, for any enquiries or more information please email Gemma
info@wyevalleysculpturegarden.co.uk

BIO

Much of my youthful career was spent as a humanist activist. I am trained as a software engineer and have worked as a desktop publisher/graphic designer among other roles in different industries before launching myself as a full-time stone carver almost 10 years ago.

All sculptures in this gallery are for sale, for any enquiries or more information please email Gemma
info@wyevalleysculpturegarden.co.uk

I have attended Accademia d'arte, A.M.A, inspiring workshops in France, Carrara in Italy, Germany with maestros Nicole Durand,  Luca Marovino,  Martin Wiese, Eileen Macdonagh. I have taken a part  in Sculpture Trails, exhibitions in the UK and stimulating artist residencies in the UK and Spanish mountains, overall assistant in Morocco. Almost a month  in 2018-2019 spent in Global Stone Workshop- Mamallapuram, south India- archaeological jewel village  and with over 200 stone carving workshops, ultimate destination for artists sculpting in stone, lost wax bronze casting.  Predominately worked in granite and Rajasthan marble, inspirational time spent amongst the traditional Dravidian temple carvers-village whom they got mind-blowing work ethics  and provide the carvings to temples all over the world . Just before covid,  spent time near slate quarries in Italian mountains with lovely Antonella Tiozzo. Last  2 years I am taking part  stone festival (Steinhoggerfestivalen  festival)  in Oslo.  Three days intense  carving, lovely, unique, unforgettable festival. I have gave sessions in other countries but also available in my my workshop in BMS (Butley Mills Studios,Suffolk ) too.

BIO

I have strong concerns about modern ‘throw-away' lifestyles so my aim was to create unique and individual pieces, whilst helping to preserve the natural beauty that surrounds us.

The discipline of blending both ‘cullet’ from leaded artists and new glass, along with many reclaimed substrates fulfils both my creativity needs and my devotion to the environment.

I try to produce work that would enhance and enliven any garden, particularly throughout the dull and dreary winter months. This glass mosaic flower ball was based on my own garden which overflowed with an abundance of colour and insect life every year.

It is made with around 45,000 pieces of hand cut and shaped stained glass, taking 6 months to create, from idea to completion.

All sculptures in this gallery are for sale, for any enquiries or more information please email Gemma
info@wyevalleysculpturegarden.co.uk

BIO

For over six years, I have been creating unique sculptures that capture attention and engage the imagination through simple design and kinetic movement.

My sculptures interpret nature's genius, a balance of complex function and simplistic beauty. Inspired by organic forms and sacred geometry, my pieces are multi-layered and deconstructed. The underlying mathematical language can be broken down into numerical sequences that, when charted, create symbols that echo their surroundings and streamline harmoniously into human consciousness.

I incorporate metals and concrete into my sculptures– materials taken from the earth– and refine them into elegant curves, giving the feeling of movement in their static rest.

My pieces create a union of ease between modern design and nature, blending fluidly with their environment and elements. The feeling is heightened by kinetic factors that accentuate the shared effects of the environment, as both sculpture and viewer react to the same force. I live and work from home (based in Cheltenham), my work primarily developed through experimentation and instinct

All sculptures in this gallery are for sale, for any enquiries or more information please email Gemma
info@wyevalleysculpturegarden.co.uk

BIO

In 2004 after a career in social housing, I decided to do something totally different and I joined the Portfolio Course at Hereford College of Art. This course gave me the opportunity to have a go at a wide range of arts and crafts. I was drawn towards the 3D workshop as the range of tools and equipment was mesmerising, plus it was quieter so I could just get on with things without waiting. I am not a patient person! 

Since completing this part time course I have studied many crafts in more detail including evening classes in blacksmithing and welding, and workshops in bronze casting, stone carving, glass fusing and silver smithing. I worked for 2 years with Caro Burberry who introduced me to a wide range of approaches and techniques to sculpture making. All this help and support has given me an insight into how different materials work and what I can, and cannot, achieve. 

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In 2008 I started “Arts in the Marches”, organising garden sculpture exhibitions and various craft workshops and showcasing local artists’s work. I am a founder member of Made in Ross, an arts and crafts collective based in the Market House in the centre of Ross-on-Wye. Since “retiring” totally from social housing in 2017 I have had more time to develop my own work, making garden sculptures in metal, glass and stone, plus smaller items from fused and recycled glass. I particularly enjoy the challenges of working with recycled materials and found objects and the joy of repurposing.

All sculptures in this gallery are for sale, for any enquiries or more information please email Gemma
info@wyevalleysculpturegarden.co.uk

BIO
I am a sculptor based in Bristol and interested in creating interesting forms, mixing materials, in this case marble, granite and stainless steel. There is a referral here to simple standing stones but also with a directional quality. The shape of the two uprights came from taking two identical triangular shapes, flipping one and joining to make an asymmetrical shape …… playing with the idea of taking symmetry to create asymmetry. The two stones, one granite and one marble reflect the natural world and the bases the industrial world reclaimed. They are not necessarily a pair and their form is created so that they are not mirrors of each other but do relate of course relate to each other and I feel look good when in some close proximity.

All sculptures in this gallery are for sale, for any enquiries or more information please email Gemma
info@wyevalleysculpturegarden.co.uk

BIO

My artistic career started two years ago after teaching ADT in a Secondary School, when my life took an unexpected turn and producing art was an essential part to my recovery.
After doing many short courses at Swansea Met and creating work at home, producing my own work again feeling exhilarated by the making process and discovering sandblasting, I decided to pursue a new career combining my two passions my love of the coast and Art.

I have always been a creative and practical individual, realising from an early age that creating and learning new techniques made me happy and where my strengths lay. Having grown up near the Gower Peninsula, I have always felt connected and immersed in this environment. It has enriched my life and is a source of inspiration for my art. This breath-taking, natural imagery of our spectacular beaches, the abundance of beautiful scenic coastline kept drawing me back throughout my life. 'Hiraeth' continues to fuel my artistic endeavours.

The beginning of my pieces, whether ceramics or glass, I start by making a few quick sketches, taking several photos. I make a few marks, adding tone and texture to help bring the image to life, hoping to capture the experience of being at that place. It helps me get an understanding, shaping my ideas quickly and giving me a sense of awareness of the power of the elements on our coastline.

My ceramics and glass are a response to the Gower coastline, an attempt to capture something of the experience and energy of the place, how it looks and feels to be there on that day. Particular importance is placed on light, texture and movement. I want to evoke similar feelings to that of the actual scene hoping to capture the rawness and beauty, the awe and wonder of this ever changing landscape. I love every aspect of the coastline and it always brings out the best feelings in me, its always been my place to go, where I often clear my head. Using light, texture and movement I hope to convey the energy and fluidity, the interaction of the land, sea and sky. This stunning unique environment is both an inspiration and a challenge to express. I hope I do it justice.

All sculptures in this gallery are for sale, for any enquiries or more information please email Gemma
info@wyevalleysculpturegarden.co.uk

Creator of the Wye Valley Sculpture Garden.
I specialise in making large geometric sculptural forms that are designed to be a strong focal point in any garden or interior design.

Working in metal and glass that stand the test of time and travel with you throughout your life.

All sculptures in this gallery are for sale, for any enquiries or more information please email Gemma
info@wyevalleysculpturegarden.co.uk