I do not begin with material. I begin with an idea that has settled into form.
Some ideas develop over time, while walking, observing landscape or considering characteristics which define the essence of natural structures. Others arrive more directly.
In 2007, driving home through the Galloway Hills, I watched a farmer stripping slate from a roof and discarding it into a trailer. Slate offered something different: workable layers, precision, the possibility of controlled structure.
There is no fixed routine for generating work. Some sculptures evolve gradually - in my imagination, being imagined and reimagined - before becoming something physical. By the time I begin drawing or modelling, much of the internal resolution has already taken place.
Commissioned work is different. A focused brief sharpens the work rather than slowing it. The objective remains the same: clarity of form.
For bronze and stainless steel works, I typically develop an original at a manageable scale. Clay allows fluid adjustment with minimal resistance.
Once the form approaches where it needs to be, it is translated into plaster and refined further. Other modelling materials are occasionally used where appropriate: each serving only to carry the form forward.
Where larger or smaller editions are required, digital scaling methods are used when precision demands it. Proportion must remain intact at every dimension.
Slate is constructed layer by layer. Each piece is shaped individually. The more layers introduced, the more fluid the curve becomes: almost like adding further points along a line.
Soft curves with gentle transitions are central to my work. Each line should feel as though it reaches its conclusion naturally or turns gently into another, meaning the eye doesn’t settle unnaturally. The form is continuous.
Glass introduces light as a structural element. A thinner section may carry a clearer teal hue: greater mass deepens the colour to that of a moody emerald. Internal structure matters as much as surface.
In works such as Light, the sculpture remains restrained for much of the day, revealing its full character only when conditions allow.
Mirror polished stainless steel introduces reflection and architectural clarity. Forms are cold-formed, welded and refined by hand. The surface must remain calm and uninterrupted.
In Pine Cone, Fibonacci sequences govern interlocking spirals. Abstraction is achieved through subtraction - retaining only what defines the structure.
Scale changes experience. Monumental works introduce awe not only through size, but through clarity of construction. Different sites demand different responses.
Every sculpture begins with a conversation. Whether you’re considering an existing work, or exploring a bespoke commission, get in touch to discuss possibilities and availability.
