Untitled (Ostler) - Pallet Wood, Bone, Polyurethane Resin, Steel, Rubber. 2023

Title: Untitled (Ostler)

Dimensions: 282 x 117 x 100 cm

Mixed Media: Pallet wood, stool, horse skull, polyurethane resin cast human skull, rubber.

For me this piece speaks of ancestry and ritual, as well as ancient and exotic ceremonial funerary practices. It eludes to the domestication or taming of animals representative of overcoming and understanding one's inner emotions and feelings.

This piece was on show as part of a group exhibition of work by the Fine Art staff at Carmarthen School of Art, West Wales in the Oriel Henry Thomas Gallery.

 

A Touch of Hope. Bronze, stainless steel, blue pennant stone. 2023.

The Reflection Garden: Prince Philip Hospital - Public commission.

A Touch of Hope: Following the concept direction set out by the staff at Prince Philip Hospital, conversations around this memorial sculpture focused specifically on capturing a poignant moment during the pandemic where a patient and child were witnessed trying to communicate through a hospital window.

This vivid image has the ability to resonate with us all, as most of us have been affected in some way by the pandemic or have seen images of a similar nature dominating the media during that time.

I have set out to capture this single moment using life casts taken from a friend and from my son, to recreate every detail of their arms and hands. Their pointed index fingers reach out as if trying to touch, but are prevented from physical contact by an implied pane of glass. A modest polished stainless-steel frame supports the hands and represents the window frame.

The frame and patinated bronze hands are set upon an imposing piece of Welsh Blue Pennant sandstone. This stone plinth imbues several meanings such as depicting the gravity of the pandemic and the strong resilience and stoicism of the Welsh people and frontline staff involved, both locally and nationally.

The garden itself was funded by Hywel Dda Health Charities and the sculpture was commissioned by Sharon Geggus who was a Covid patient.

Astronaut. Painted polyurethane resin. 2019

Hand cast, finished and painted polyurethane resin astronaut. Height: 53 cm

MIZPAH. Wax, string, steel, cloth, foam. 2017

Under Pressure. Found object and cast bronze. 2018.

Articulated Bronze Crab

Articulated Cast Bronze Crab based on the Japanese tradition of Jizai Okimono. Here is a link to the YouTube video showing the range of movement and 50 points of articulation.

https://youtu.be/VgI9uAcDQDQ

WW1 SOLDIER (work in progress)

The link below will take you to the 'how to' page for this soldier piece. Depending on time and materials I hope to cast this in bronze.

http://dishww1soldier.blogspot.co.uk/

The CHAMELEON

This Chameleon is cast in bronze. It was created using the 'direct burn out' method of casting which involves placing the organic element (in this case a real chameleon) into a kiln. The deceased lizard is positioned in a life-like pose on a piece of wood and the whole thing is encased in a fire-able plaster (investment). Once in a kiln all of the organic material burns out leaving a negative cavity into which the bronze is poured. (N.B no chameleons were harmed in the making of this art work.)

(All work and images copyright of the artist ©)

Bronze Edible CRAB

This Bronze Edible Crab was completed in early 2015. I have always been fascinated with these crustaceans as I used to catch them as a child on the banks of the Cleddau Estuary, Pembrokeshire. There is a link to the right that shows some of the creating process.

(all work and images copyright of the artist).

Title: Untitled (CRAB)      Date: 2015

Medium: Patinated bronze

Dimensions: Height 8cm, Carapace width 19cm, 

Overall width 23cm, Depth 12.5cm

Bronze Skull

This is a life-size human skull cast in bronze. One of the positives of working in an art college is occasionally an anatomical skull will pop up, and I took the opportunity to take a mould and cast this piece. 
(all work and images copyright of the artist)

WELSH MEMORIAL IN FLANDERS

Well, the new Welsh Memorial in Flanders is complete. The unveiling ceremony took place on the 16th of August 2014 in Langemark, Belgium. Around 1,400 people, many from Wales, gathered to see the unveiling of the monument to all of those people of Welsh descent who served in World War One in Flanders. The cromlech is close to Langemark-Poelkapelle, Belgium, and has marked the 100th anniversary of the war's outbreak. It is estimated that 40,000 soldiers, sailors and airmen from Wales died during the 1914 to 1918 war. 
Langemark was at the heart of battle in 1917 as the Welsh advanced through the village on the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele. The dragon stands on what was once the frontline during the Great War and is positioned in such a way that it faces in the direction of Passcnendaele. 
The memorial is the result of four years of campaigning and the majority of the funding came from generous public support and donations. 
It is a great honour to have been part of this journey and to say that my design stands on the top of such an important monument is humbling. 

The finished Welsh Memorial in Flanders, Belgium.

My son and I at the base of the memorial on the unveiling day

A fantastic shot of the dragon courtesy of Chris Butler from Castle Fine Art foundry who cast the dragon.

A proud moment for me standing next to the completed dragon for the first time at the foundry, shortly before the installation day.

For BBC coverage please click on the link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-28808551

Welsh Memorial at Flanders.

Just before christmas 2014, I was invited to put forward a proposal and model for the Welsh Memorial at Flanders. I was one of four artists asked to produce a quarter scale maquette of the Welsh dragon to sit on top of a stone cromlech in Belgium. The commission has come from a committee lead by Peter Jones, campaigning to erect the first monument in Belgium to commemorate the Welsh soldiers who lost their lives during the First World War. My design was ultimately chosen and I was keen to get started on the project.

Below are some press photos that were taken at the Senedd in Cardiff on the 11th of Feb 2014. It is hoped that the people of Wales will appreciate what I have tried to do with the iconic Dragon. The feedback has been so positive I am still shocked by the whole thing.

Here is a link to some of the media articles:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-26147409

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/carwyn-jones-unveils-new-first-6696995

http://www.itv.com/news/wales/update/2014-02-11/world-war-one-memorial-design-unveiled/

Bronze Statues of Lt Colonel Rupert Thorneloe.

In 2012 I received a commission to produce an edition of 10 bronzes for the Afghanistan appeal and Combat Stress charities. The sculpture is of Lt Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, MBE, Commanding Officer 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, who was killed while in Afghanistan in 2009. The 1/6th scale bronzes were auctioned off to raise money for the charities.

Below is a link to the 'making of Rupert', as it gets updated it will cover the process from start to finish.

http://dishsoldiersculpt.blogspot.co.uk

MEDAL

This is my submission for the British Art Medal Society medal exhibition 2013.  The title and theme of the medal ‘A bird in the hand…’ relates to the fact that sometimes you are only able to fully appreciate the intricacies of nature when they are held.

When holding the medal in the right hand (skull side up) the viewer should be able to line up the bronze finger tips with their own, and when closing their hand the medal will flip, revealing the text on the reverse; ultimately placing the bird in the palm.