February – Over before it started !

The grass begins to grow around the Yoxmans’ feet.. He is now a feature in the Suffolk landscape, welcomed by all, well the miffed walk on the other side of the street when they see me… its a problem when you live where you work!

Honestly though he has been positivly recieved…

Many people, rather wonderfully, send photographs of him, this splendid one was taken by Ken Durling on a moody January evening …

The press had a field day with him at the end of January, with the Sun and the Daily Mail leading the way, followed by just about everyone else and Loose Women and ‘The Jeremy Vine show on Radio 2.. where I was interviewed with a traffic enforcement officer.. who’s nearest experience to the distraction the sculpture may cause to passing traffic was the ‘Wonderbra’ advert in the early naughties..

I have to admit the debate was far from sophisticated, but good natured.. His nakedness and risk to the safety of passing drivers being the prevelant themes!

Here’s the contribution made by The Sun..followed by The Daily Mail’s genius!

I find myself entertaining lots of college and school groups now, which is a good thing.. aren’t the youth of today a wonderful phenomena!! Masked and often dangerous….

I had an awe inspiring full moon with him at two in the morning it was like approaching a blue whale…

Believe it or not the rest of life still goes go on.. We installed Arbour in a pond in the west country on a freezing day..my dry suit was not dry, and i was colder than I was in Siberia.. Johnny Messum displayed courage beyond that usually expected from a Mayfair Gallerist! It was worth it the sculpture looked beautiful in its new home.

I loved the way it fused with the plant life surrounding the water.. the reflections, even in the mirky agitated water, doubled the impact..

I revisited one of my early public art projects..I gave this set of sculptures a make over .. they’re in Grange Farm, Kesgrave, (Ipswich). They are called ‘Time after Time’ and represent the before and after of the site. The agricultural history and the houses that replaced it. It’s next to a school which was fiull of bird boxes at the time (2007).. I remember it seemed like a good idea to create a bird box view finder to look at the sculptures through, fun for the kids!.. it swivelled and everything, had lens’s inside which, when looked through, flipped the sculptures upside down… all very clever…though I hadn’t reckoned on Blue tits’ nesting in it, destroying my vision!!

A little bronze of Mr Crispin Rope was inserted in a niche prepared for him years back.. It was his vision that secured the development, joining forces with two other farming families (The Jolly’s and The Fentons). He didin’t want to be recognised in his life time, so I made this sculpture from a video.. He sadly passed last year, prompting my return and the installation .

so you see how it goes… Horse is replaced by Engine!!!

Gainsbourough used to make diorama’s of landscapes in shoe boxes (when he couldn’t be bothered to go out) to paint his landscapes from… he used brocolli for tree’s… this then is a tree in the spirit of Thomas Gainsborough.. a Suffolk Artist a Suffolk Oak!!

Brick and Flint..

They had fared quite well, the patina’s came up well after blow torching and hot wax treatments….

Next up is the foundry Xmas trip to Henry Moore’s House and Studios in Perry Green Hertfordshire.

My old mate from college days James Copper runs the place .. well the practical side of it.. restoration , care of studios,buildings, grounds, works, exhibitons … the lot really… Here he is with my other old mate Chris Summerfield.. who actually worked there in the 80’s and even found some of this work!!

Not this piece, a large work James has been restoring on and off for a good few years .. when he gets a moment!!

In the Maquette studio.. which James allowed us to enter!! Mind blowing to be honest..Chris (a great sculptor and retired lecturer ) shows one of the sculptures he worked on for Moore.

Here Chris finds a sculpture he scaled up… he hadn’t been there for thirty years… an emotional day…

We were even allowed to handle stuff.. jeez …..I’ve only ever seen it through a glass window before…

fascinating photos on the studio walls…

And if that isn’t enough.. we had the launch of the Mining Sculpture in Doncaster.. Covid precluded us marching with banners and bands, but the reception in the Mansion House was emotional. A ‘community of the rock’ assembled, over a hundred souls, it was like a reunion, so moving to see all the miners again with their families…

I went to see the sculpture the next day.. obviously relieved to see it still standing…

I’ll leave you with one photo sent to me which was not of the Yoxman.. for some reason the sender thought it was!!!

Tutty by.. stay safe and tell all your friends ..

b t w my Instgram is a regular peep into the life of an honest hard working sculptor.. you’ll love it..@Laurenceedwards.bronze

I’ll see you there…

Lxx