Birth date |
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Born 1966 London |
Introduction |
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Nick is one of the only portrait artists working in stone in the UK today and one of only eleven stonecarvers in the uk to be elected a member of the master carvers association.
He specialises in Italian marble and indigenous British stone but also works in Bronze. He studied sculpture and stone carving as part of a formal apprenticeship and is involved in new sculptural commissions as well as restoration projects. Nick is greatly influenced by the Classical European portrait carving tradition and travels widely to study the form. |
Education |
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1983 studied Art and Design in Eastbourne College under artist John Meadows. 1986 studied sculpture at Sheffield University. 1994 Specialising in figurative carving he completed his stone carving qualifications at Weymouth and Portland College. After graduating he joined a heritage restoration company working closely with English Heritage on listed buildings and monuments. In 2000 Nick began a three year period working for Hollywood movie company Warner Brothers as a sculptor developing new projects with director Tim Burton. This culminated in seven of his sculptures being seen on screen in the film ‘Corpse Bride’. His portrait work brings together his artistic, craft and technical training and experience. Nick’s preferred media are stone, clay and bronze. He now runs his own busy carving studio. |
Awards |
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2012- Elected a member of the Master Carvers Association. |
Selected Commissions |
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Aldous Huxley-2007
Mary Poulsom, Industrialist-2008
Terry Nutkins-2009
The Very Reverend Hewlitt Johnson 2012
Lord Wolfson of Marylebone- 2012 |
Artist's Statement |
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A portrait can be a bust, a full length figure, or a relief carving of any part of the body in a classical, stylised or abstracted form. The ultimate challenge for me as a sculptor is capturing life and movement in a natural material. I find the human face endlessly fascinating with all its different moods and expressions. Carving in natural stone offers me endless possibilities with all its colour, grain and texture. Each new commission combines these two elements in different ways to produce a unique work. My portraits aim to successfully capture not only a likeness but the presence and personality of the sitter. |
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Statement |
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I work from life wherever possible supported by drawings, measurements and photographs. The process begins in clay with one, or possibly two, ‘pre maquettes’ which allow the client and myself to get a feel for the pose and each other. This is important as we will be working closely with each other throughout to agree every aspect including size, expression, stone type and costume. A full size clay maquette follows and I ask the sitter for at least two sessions where I work directly from life. These typically take an hour each. During this stage the client can make as many alterations and suggestions as they wish. The clay allows for these to be made easily and there is no time limit on this part of the process. It is essential for the client to feel totally happy before translating the piece into stone. What excites me most about this process is that every piece of stone brings its own unique properties to the finished portrait. This often involves the client in a visit to the studio for final touches.
If the piece is to be finished as a bronze, a trip to the foundry is necessary to agree the final patination. Patination is a process where the colour and finish of the bronze is applied and greatly affects the final look.
I have experience in sculpting solely from photographs if the subject is not available for a sitting. I also offer a copy carving service. I can accurately duplicate existing sculptures. Where historical figures are concerned I work with all available two dimensional references to do justice to the subject.
I am available to discuss any ideas or requirements by telephone at any time. |
Travel nationally |
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Yes |
Travel internationally |
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Yes |
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Prices |
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Portrait Format: |
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Head and Shoulders |
From £ |
7000 |
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$ | null |
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Half Length | From £ |
11000 |
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$ | null |
 |
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Full Length | From £ |
20000 |
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$ | null |
The
Prices quoted are for the standard mediums of oil on canvas and bronze
(in
the case of sculpture). For other media, prices may vary, please enquire
directly with us for more specific quotes.
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