Balleric

I am a self-taught artist/sculptor

As a child I loved to draw, paint and create and was recognised throughout my school years.

However, at that time, it was not the norm for a Yorkshire coal miner’s son to become an artist or creative.

Therefore, along with virtually everyone I grew up with, I found work.

I started work as an engineering apprentice where I learned to weld and fabricate steel to casting and machining then on to an engineering design job.

Along with work and the love of sport and life, a few career changes, Art was something I appreciated.   I became a viewer rather than a creator.

A few years ago, I had some time and worked on an idea with some wire which prompted me to begin to create simple pieces.

I have spent all of my life as a competitive sportsman with a strong interest in anatomy.   It was therefore not a difficult shift to the choice of subject matter.

The human and animal form give me much to work with as both have fabulous structures and detail to work with.

I begin with a wire base skeleton to ensure accurate proportions then I add detail of muscles to build the piece from a flat form to 3 dimensions. 

Throughout this time, I felt I could extend my work from table top or mantle shelf pieces to full size work using steel bar rather than wire and fabricate and weld to scale.

I now work with steel, copper, clay and use wax along with bronze casting process.

 

 

Steel