Perch

If you haven’t guessed, most if not all of my art is based around nature, animals, and people. I was lucky enough to grow up in the countryside surrounded by green fields and animals, which is why I’m always been drawn to it again and again. Nature grounds me. I try to surround myself with it in some way everyday, whether it’s at my allotment, swimming, going for evening walks, being at my families farm, or having cut flowers in the house. 

Looking at this sculpture face on, it’s obviously a bird and a person. I wanted to create my favourite bird, the wren- a chirpy chubby little bird that sings their heart out. Often the loudest one, sticks out like a sore thumb. I always see them whilst working in the studio as well as other birds, hopping down onto the table in front of my window not noticing I’m there watching, too busy looking for their next perch. 

I often don’t draw my sculptures, sometimes I have ideas that I write down or try and draw whilst I’m away from the studio but I never fully sketch the perfect idea. I tend to work responsively to what I feeling at the time, partly because I don’t like to be hemmed in with one fixed idea. This one is again reflective and responsive towards our birds. For me, I hoped to illustrate the bond between myself and nature, not to say it’s a literal reflection of me, but what it could represent. 

Oh and I’ve also been re-listening to the Mythos book by Stephen Fry. It’s so well written in a playful tone and also very digestible given the hefty content. I’ve always loved the Greek gods, having studied Classics at school I enjoy the details of Gods. It feels to answer questions about nature whilst also commanding respect for it. So whilst I’m been sculpting this, I’ve also been listening to how Prometheus began sculpting the first human species for Zeus, made out of clay on the side of the river bank- to which the big oaf Zeus stood on a few clay sculptures whilst they were drying in the sun. Relatable due to my clumsiness which made me laugh.

I haven’t quite finished tidying this one up, I’m going to tidy the base of the figure and soften some of the wren feathers. I’ve tucked away the sculpture in a plastic box to keep the moisture in and away from this heat, so hopefully no cracks. I would’ve carried on making during the week but my studio isn’t near where I live and I’ve got to pay my bills with my other job!