Category: Sculptor

“Primarily inspired by a passion for dancing, and ballet in particular, in my figurative sculpture I’m driven to capture the liberating and almost meditative experience of being completely absorbed in the moment. Finding and celebrating inner peace became important to me when I stopped dancing; I hope the simple organic curves and peaceful nature of my sculptures will offer the viewer a sense of perspective, and serve as a reminder to appreciate and revel in the wonderful world around them.” – Laura Jane Wylder

Laura Jane’s collection of elegant contemporary bronze and stone sculptures range from small table top a handspan high to impressive larger lifesize pieces for the garden.  Predominantly figurative, the collection also includes serene faces and wildlife.

Each sculpture is powerful yet elegant, as such they suit both classic and contemporary surroundings. The use of unique patinas adds interest and individuality to each limited edition piece.

An aspiring ballerina for many years, Laura Jane sought success in a corporate career following an injury. It was only when she met husband Sebastian she finally found the confidence and support to follow her dreams and live a more creative and adventurous life.

Each original artwork is sculpted in clay by Laura Jane, then husband and business partner Sebastian, a highly skilled mould maker and an expert in casting creates a mould, casts and finishes each sculpture. Hot cast bronzes are cast in specialist foundries using the lost wax method.

This vibrant creative couple specialise in bespoke sculptures as their combined skillset makes almost anything a possibility.

 

For more information please visit www.laurajanewylder.com

www.Facebook.com/laurajanewyldersculpture

PENNY HARDY                                                                                           www.pennyhardysculpture.com

Penny has been creating figurative sculptures for nearly 3 decades, having originally trained as a Scientific Illustrator. Her early illustrative work was for the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew where she provided drawings and paintings for their external interpretation boards throughout the gardens.

Whilst working as a botanic illustrator she was intrigued and fascinated by the beautiful structures that nature instinctively uses to survive in their many challenging environments and this lead to an enduring love of architecture that was inspired by these natural forms. She explored many different techniques and ideas to create figurative sculptures that had the same strength and poised energy that she saw in her surroundings, always striving to convey a sense of physical or emotional movement between states.

Penny’s sculptures have been placed in private collections throughout Europe and the US and as far as Australia and South Africa.

Michael Johnson has been making artworks for public spaces since 1991, his first commission, for the Duchy of Cornwall, a 25-foot-high sculptural work in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, won the Birmingham Design Award and has been featured in many publications. He has now completed over 200 commissions for both rural and urban sites throughout the UK and Ireland. Clients range from national institutions, banks, property developers, to local authorities, landscape architects, community groups and schools. He has held a number of Lead Artist positions in large regeneration schemes, responsible for designing the arts input, commissioning other practitioners, and project managing the implementation of the artworks. He was the lead artist for ‘Turning the Tide’; the reinstatement of the East Durham coastline after 150 years of industrial spoil, the scheme won the interpretation of Great Britain award, achieved heritage status and was opened by the Queen in 2002 by the unveiling of one of the artists sculptures.
In 2014 the artist was shortlisted for the Marsh Award for excellence in public sculpture.
In 2020 the Mussel sculpture in Musselburgh won the Civic Award.
Although the Studios output is focused on the larger projects, smaller works, drawings and prints are made to continually feed inspiration for the larger commissions.

Jeremy Moulsdale creates contemporary, figuratively based sculptures, that manifest the human spirit with lightness and grace. 

He says “My inspiration comes from the moments in life when my soul is touched and my spirit soars. Often simple moments, when I see the moon in the clear night sky or get lifted on the wings of a passing bird. My creative heart is stirred when I feel a sweet reverence for life.”

Now based in Sussex, Jeremy grew up exploring the wilds of North Wales and Shropshire. His love of nature and desire to be creative first led him to become a gardener and garden designer. He was drawn into sculpture through carving pieces of wood that he found in nature. This developed into sculpting in clay and plaster. When he started creating sculptures for gardens, his two passions merged. The first garden sculpture he made was chosen to be the centre piece of a Show Garden at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. Since then his work has been in much demand and has been shown in some of the great gardens of England and can be found in private collections around the world.

Most of his work is cast in limited editions of bronze or iron resin. They are also available in foundry bronze.

“A tour de force in lighthearted and thoughtful art for the garden”.

Clare Bigger is a figurative sculptor who captures the spontaneity of movement in her work, using stainless steel to create contemporary, fluid forms and to bring a lightness and grace to her sculptures. She exhibits internationally, producing both private and public commissions featuring her two passions: sport and nature.

Her childhood was spent in Africa and she has travelled extensively, both fuelling her appreciation and curiosity for the natural world. She also has a black belt in taekwondo, giving her an intimate understanding of movement which imbues her work with a dynamism, whether it’s a swooping bird, a dancer balancing en pointe, boxing hares or a sprinter in full flight.

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Starting my working life as a sheet metalworker, I felt I wanted to formalise my credentials. So following a couple of years when I studied 3D design, I signed on for a degree in Spatial Arts, within
the architectural school London Met University.

My self-given title is: Artist, Sculptor and Journeyman. With many opportunities now in my path, my creative practice thrives on taking stories from conversations and formal interviews, lovingly preserving them within my sculptures.

My abstract work has always been large sculptural and outdoors
which is where I find inspiration, I have a love of nature’s curves and movement which appear everywhere I look, in rivers, rocks, birds the sky or human body to name a few.

Most of my work these days is kinetic and has movement in one form or another. It is very important to me to make that movement a seamless and natural as possible, like the swan which looks so
graceful but only achieved by many things happening in unison and
hidden to the observer.

This year has seen me dip my toe (pun intended ) in to water creating after many failures Falling water a water powered piece, inspired by how this has turned out my mind is now expanding to the possibilities this new pieces also water based.

It has taken me 15 years of creating sculptures to arrive at the sort of
work I now produce I cant wait to see what direction life and work
takes me in next!

Deborah is an award-winning contemporary sculptor who specialises in stone.  Her passion for stone carving began in her middle years with a chance encounter at an arts festival. She is now a full-time professional sculptor based in Gloucester. She carves indoor and outdoor pieces from a wide variety of stones. Deborah works together with the stone’s shape, grain and colour until she reaches a kind of skin and the piece takes on a life of its own. Influences on her practice include human and organic forms, social justice and her faith. Her sculptures are a combination of abstract, figurative and prophetic works.
 
This year, Gloucestershire NHS Trust purchased her sculpture called ‘The Hand of Fannie Storr’ to celebrate their first regional director of nurse training. It will be on display at Gloucester Royal. Other works can also be seen at the RWA, SWAc, Delamore Arts and the OXO Gallery on London’s Southbank. 
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Deborah is a founder member of the Cotswold Sculptors Association which after only three years has around 100 members. She is based at Gloucester City works; the site of an old shirt factory where she tutors 3D stone carving courses, for all levels of ability, and works closely with her clients to produce commissions.  

www.debsharrison-sculptor.co.uk