Artist Profile

I started modelling plasticine figures in the late 1960’s. After several years I decided I wanted to make something which would last longer and not break. Plasticine tends to crack and become brittle with age plus it is not ideal to paint.

I began experimenting using plasticine and clay together, the plasticine for the basic shape then a thin coat of clay for the detail. The clay would dry hard and was easier to paint. It was successful to a point but was still not as strong as I wanted. I now use an air drying clay (DAS) which is much stronger and needs no firing,I no longer use plasticine at all.

I begin with a metal armature which I make from thin  rods then cover with DAS modelling the basic shape. This medium allows me to build up the sculpture until I achieve the detail I desire.

My tools are quite simple, craft knives, needle files, sandpaper and wooden spatulas that I have adapted to meet my needs. When I first started modelling I used poster paints, this was far from ideal as coverage and shading was hard to achieve. I now use acrylics I find them much better to use, I can blend and shade and the colour does not fade.

My interests are Military especially the Third Reich, Film, History and Sport. My interest in the Third Reich may seem controversial but it has always fascinated me that a country like Germany with all its history, culture and sophistication could let itself be manipulated by a political party like Adolf Hitler’s Nazis and commit the greatest crimes the world has ever seen. My interest is historical I have no interest or involvement in politics nor do I  have any neo-nazi beliefs.

I get a lot of my ideas from books and film, I own a sizeable library which is a great help for my research and I also find the internet invaluable when I am trying to obtain further information on a subject.

My sculptures are one of a kind and are not reproduced in a mould or cast in bronze or resin etc. They are all totally original and individually hand made.

I demand the highest expectations from myself and invariably arrive at the finish of each sculpture with a determination to achieve even greater results with my next project.