|
One Carver and his Dog ! |
|
Tools of the Trade |
|
Andrew's work, although far less formal than that of Gibbons, has many of the same attributes when it comes to naturalism. His carved leaves ripple with life, you can almost see them moving in the light Everything is carved so delicately, you dare hardly believe that the material is really wood. The stems of leaves are so fine it seems incredible that they manage to support the leaves, the petals of the flowers are almost transparent they are so beautifully carved. |
|
'The Chaos of Being Earnest' |
|
Biography |
|
At this stage, whilst learning all the new skills that he would practice with such great assurance later, he was working for fine furniture makers, making mouldings and carvings for reproduction antiques, an apprenticeship not dissimilar to that served by the great carvers of previous generations |
|
Andrew was born in 1960, and grew up seventeen miles outside the City of Bristol, in a small Gloucestershire village called Iron Acton. From an early age he expressed an interest in art, drawing and painting during his spare time and winning prizes in children's art competitions. He was educated at the Bristol Cathedral School, where he continued his interest in art, becoming an accomplished painter at an early age. He continued his art education at Royal Berkshire College of Art and Design, and achieved an Honours Degree in Fine Art at Preston Polytechnic in 1984. Then began a new chapter in Andrew's career as his plans as a painter were dramatically cut short by a serious accident in which he almost lost his right hand. He had Micro Surgery which saved the hand, but was left with horrendous damage to the tendons and nerves which operate the fine movement of the fingers. It looked as if his career as an artist would end there. However, through a long process of rehabilitation he regained some strength and control in the damaged fingers, and on the advice of a friend, literally tried his hand at woodcarving. Initially the idea was to use the carving to strengthen the hand and to enable Andrew to regain the delicate finger movements that he needed to control a paintbrush again. But, unexpectedly, Andrew found himself completely absorbed by this new discipline, spending many hours every day learning the new skills involved in this fascinating art form. |
|
Gradually any idea of returning to painting disappeared completely as Andrew became increasingly more obsessed as he learnt more and more of this ancient craft. It was as if he had been meant to be a carver right from the outset and now devoted many more hours to this new found passion than ever he had to painting, working up to sixteen hours a day, keen to learn more and more. |
|
late seventeenth Century, to which end he employed scores of talented carvers in his large workshops. Andrew works on a much, much smaller scale; he works on his own , in a much smaller workshop, but there are similarities of |
|
Andrew developed his skills rapidly, leaving the furniture trade and starting to exhibit his work in Galleries, he developed a style not dissimilar to that of the great 17th Century Master Woodcarver, Grinling Gibbons. Gibbons worked on a far grander scale than Andrew, his flamboyant cascades of lifelike blossoms, fruits, foliage, birds and fish dominated English interiors of the |
|
He still works exceptionally long days, frequently he is to be found still in his studio in the early hours of the morning, just trying to get that bit extra from the piece of wood. His enthusiasm for the art form has not dulled at all over the last twenty years, and he has been rewarded with success over the years, exhibiting in the Manchester Academy, and having exhibited in many Galleries around the country. He now works mainly to commission, but still fits in time to carve ' Cameo' pieces such as the ones that you can see on this Web Site. All are collectors pieces, exclusive in the extreme as Andrew will only carve approximately thirty-five carvings a year Following a happy experience with his previous employee, 'Gnasher' ,Andrew now employs a new apprentice 'Zeb' (see picture above) who also spends his days in the studio, 'carving' the off cuts from the main carvings! |
|
The carved fruits seem good enough to eat and you want to pluck them from the carving. The birds and animals which populate this voluptuous carved world still retain their validity as wood and yet appear living breathing testaments to life. Andrew has always had a love of wildlife and the countryside, so it was only natural that his work should express this deep affection. In 1989 he moved with his wife and three boys to the beautiful Douglas Valley in south Lancashire, where his studio is now based in the grounds of his house. He has ample opportunity to study the subject matter of his work, his house is half a mile up a rutted dirt track shared with a few other houses, and surrounded by miles of open and wooded countryside. Here Andrew walks daily studying the local flora and fauna, observing the changes throughout the year and sketching for inclusion into future fine woodcarvings. |
|
|
