Sculpture Vulture

Today, Lucy Branch talks to David Breuer-Weil who is a painter and sculptor. His works have been installed in major public spaces in London including Hampstead Heath, Hanover Square, Grosvenor Gardens, Marble Arch and around the world. His work can’t help but stop you in your tracks – it’s not of this world, it’s fragmented parts, it’s out of another dimension! 

Join us and BE INSPIRED BY SCULPTURE.  You can find images of David Breuer-Weil's work and a transcription of the interview at  Sculpture Vulture Blog - SCULPTURE VULTURE

Please support the show by purchasing, Bronze Behaving Badly, about the foundations of preserving sculpture and architectural features. Or, one of several novels such as, Restoration Murder, by Lucy Branch.

This podcast was brought to you by Antique Bronze specialists in sculpture conservation 

Today, Lucy Branch, talks to, Nicola Godden, who is a figurative sculptor. Although the majority of her work Is for private owners, she has created well known and well loved monuments including Icarus for London 2012 Olympic Village, Sir Peter Scott sculpture for London Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre in barnes and Hammersmith Man on the Hammersmith fly over among others. 

Join us and BE INSPIRED BY SCULPTURE.  You can find images of Nicola Godden's work and a transcription of the interview at  Sculpture Vulture Blog - SCULPTURE VULTURE

Please support the show, please consider purchasing, Bronze Behaving Badly, about the foundations of preserving sculpture and architectural features. Or, one of several novels such as, Restoration Murder, by Lucy Branch.

This podcast was brought to you by Antique Bronze

Today, Lucy Branch talks to Mark Richards whose list of public monuments is vast including, The Matthew Flinders Monument in Euston Station, The Vernon monument, Portsmouth, The Roger Casement Statue in Ireland, The Big Tom McBride Sculpture in Co Monaghan among many others. We discuss the role of medieval guilds in his career choice, his moral compass when it comes to serving communities and what it takes to create such a vast body of work.  

Join us and BE INSPIRED BY SCULPTURE.  You can find images of Mark Richard's work and a transcription of the interview at  Sculpture Vulture Blog - SCULPTURE VULTURE

Please support the show by buying one of Lucy Branch's novels about the dark side of the art world or via https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lucybranch

Today, Lucy Branch talks to Christine Charlesworth who specializes in figurative and portrait sculptures. She's an Elected member of the Society of Women Artists, and The Royal British Society of Sculptors. She was one of the Official Artists with BT from 2010 leading up to and including 2012 Olympics. In 2021 alone, she has completed public commissions for Greta Thurnberg for Winchester University, Dame Ethel Smyth, the English composer and member of the women's suffrage movement for Woking and, Emily Wilding Davison, in Epsom - the activist and suffragette. 

Join us and BE INSPIRED BY SCULPTURE.  You can find images of Christine's work and a transcription of the interview at  Sculpture Vulture Blog - SCULPTURE VULTURE

Please support the show by buying one of, Lucy Branch's, novels about the dark side of the art world. Her 2021 New Release is Restoration Murder  

Today on the podcast, Lucy Branch, talks to Charlie Langton who is one of the most sought-after equine artists of our time. His sculptures revels in the difference in attitude, character and physicality that sets champion racehorses apart. He has undertaken major commissions of famous racehorses including his over-life-size bronze tribute to four-time Gold Cup Winner, Yeats, in the parade ring at Ascot Racecourse. His interview is particularly interesting because his area of work is so niche, anyone who thinks that they couldn’t possibly build a business by focusing on just one thing will be proved wrong by his story.

Join us and BE INSPIRED BY SCULPTURE.  You can find images of Charlie Langdon's work and a transcription of the interview at  Sculpture Vulture Blog - SCULPTURE VULTURE

Please support the show by purchasing, Bronze Behaving Badly, about the foundations of preserving sculpture and architectural features. Or, one of several novels such as, Restoration Murder, by Lucy Branch.

This podcast was brought to you by Antique Bronze specialists in sculpture conservation 

In today's episode, a VERY special guest and I, discuss themes in sculpture that have arisen for us in 2021. We have our say on the 'retain and explain' policy for historic monuments and discuss the need for standards around commissioning public sculpture. We talk about the do's and don'ts of signing away your copyright and when to be ballsy about business contracts - all this with a glass of gin in hand, at least for Lucy Branch. 

Today, Lucy Branch, talks to, David Williams-Ellis, contemporary sculptor whose works are inspired by Romanticism. His work is in private collections all over the world and can be seen dominating public spaces and flagship buildings from Scone Palace in Perthshire to the IFC Building in Shanghai, Swires in Hong Kong and above Gold Beach in Normandy. He continues to sculpt both public and private commissions. 

You can find images of, David Williams-Ellis', work and a transcription of the interview at Sculpture Vulture Blog. 

Please support the show by purchasing, Bronze Behaving Badly, about the principles of preserving bronze sculpture and architectural features. Or, one of several novels such as, Restoration Murder, by Lucy Branch.

Today, Lucy Branch talks to Laury Dizengremel, the international portrait sculptor, who is a finalist in the Emily Williamson campaign. Laury has had a full career and is the creator of many public sculptures including Capability Brown, Tony Byrne the Olympic Boxing medalist and Sir George Carteret in St Peters, Jersey. Laury discusses her creative journey, her drive to become a successful professional and her love for her craft.

Join us and BE INSPIRED BY SCULPTURE.  You can find images of Laury Dizengremel's work and a transcription of the interview at Sculpture Vulture Blog - SCULPTURE VULTURE

Please support the show by buying one of Lucy Branch's novels about the dark side of the art world. Her 2021 New Release is Restoration Murder

This podcast was brought to you by Antique Bronze

Today, Lucy Branch talks to Clare Abbatt, a bronze sculptor who has undertaken commissions for Wicksteed Park, St Mary Magdalene Church, Northamptonshire and All Saints Church, Earls Barton. Currently, she has a bronze sculpture short-listed for the Emily Williamson Campaign. Clare  discusses her creative journey, the inspiring story behind her entry in the Emily Williamson competition and her love for the career she's crafted. 

Join us and BE INSPIRED BY SCULPTURE.  You can find images of Clare Abbatt's work and a transcription of the interview at the Sculpture Vulture Blog 

Please support the show by buying one of Lucy Branch's novels about the dark side of the art world. Her 2021 New Release is Restoration Murder

This podcast was brought to you by Antique Bronze

Today on, The Sculpture Vulture Podcast, Lucy Branch talks about what the monument to Oliver Tambo in Haringey can teach sculptors about bronze. This is one of the practical episodes in the series created to educate those in the field of sculpture about what to expect from bronzes located in the public realm.   

Join us and BE INSPIRED BY SCULPTURE. 

You can find out more about the incredible sculptors interviewed this season at Sculpture Vulture Blog 

 If you'd like to know more about bronze conservation or - if you'd like to support the show, please consider purchasing, Bronze Behaving Badly, a  guide for custodians and creators about how to conserve public sculpture in bronze and architectural features.  

This podcast was brought to you by Antique Bronze

This week, Lucy Branch, talks to Eve Shepherd, about her contemporary figurative sculpture. They discuss how Eve's journey began with a mouse and the ups and downs of a professional career in sculpture. 

Eve has carried out many public commissions including works for The National Maritime Museum and a Portrait of Stephen Hawkins for Cambridge University. Today, she talks about her short-listed entry in the Emily Williamson Statue Campaign and, The Betty Campbell Monument soon to be unveiled in Cardiff. 

Join us and BE INSPIRED BY SCULPTURE.  You can find images of Eve Shepherd's work and a transcription of the interview at  Sculpture Vulture Blog - SCULPTURE VULTURE

Please support the show by purchasing, Bronze Behaving Badly, about the foundations of preserving sculpture and architectural features. Or, one of several novels such as, Restoration Murder, by Lucy Branch.  This podcast was brought to you by Antique Bronze

This podcast was brought to you by Antique Bronze

Snippet from the interview:

The Sculpture Vulture Podcast is back for Season 2 and in this first episode, we catch up with, Lucy Branch, and a sculpture at University College London by Bouke de Vries and what's been going on since Season 1 for some of the sculptors’ interviewed in the previous season including Rodney Munday's Work for Project Blackjack, Amy Goodman's Aborfield Horses and Hugh Chapman's latest work, Transcending, made by Lockbund Foundry.  In this episode, Lucy discusses, what conservation is and why it's different to what is done on, the popular show, The Repair Shop. She discusses what conservators do, what their role is and why sculptors and custodians need one!  

Please support the show by purchasing, Bronze Behaving Badly, about the foundations of preserving sculpture and architectural features. Or, one of several novels such as, Restoration Murder, by Lucy Branch.  This podcast was brought to you by Antique Bronze

Today, Lucy Branch, talks to Andrew Simcock,  labour councillor for Didsbury East, who had a realisation that there was something wrong with public sculpture in Manchester: there was only one monument to a woman, Queen Victoria. He decided change needed to happen and threw his energy and entrepreneurial mind into getting a sculpture of, Emmeline Pankhurst, made for Manchester.

He's now onto his next campaign, bringing about a monument to, Emily Williamson, the founder of The Royal Society for The Protection of Birds. Andrew won't stop there, he wants to see 50 public monuments of women created around the country by 2028 to coincide with the anniversary of when Women in England, Wales and Scotland received the vote on the same terms as men (over the age of 21) as a result of the Representation of the People Act 1928. 

Andrew's advice to sculptors about what it takes to win a major competition is insightful and valuable to anyone hoping to see their work immortalised in the public realm. 

Do Donate to The Emily Williamson Campaign and see this important monument MADE 

Join us and BE INSPIRED BY SCULPTURE.  You can find out more about the podcast at SCULPTURE VULTURE

If you are looking for a new book, the novel mentioned in this interview is currently available free from Sculpture Vulture.

This podcast was brought to you by Antique Bronze

This is a special summer episode of the podcast to coincide with an important date for the Emily Williamson Statue Campaign: the release of the short-listed maquettes on July 1st. This campaign is to create a much needed memorial statue of the magnificent, Emily Williamson, the founder of the society for the protection of birds.

Emily Williamson watched her favourite species, the Great Crested Grebe, being hunted to extinction for the plumage trade. Appalled, she begged the British Ornithologists’ Union to take a stand against ‘murderous millinery’. They ignored her letters.  In anger, she founded her own, all-women Society For The Protection of Birds.  The year was 1889, and the fashion for feathers was reaching a terrible crescendo. The society later became the Royal Society Protection of Birds (the conservation charity we now know and love in the UK!)

Do take a look at https://www.emilywilliamsonstatue.com/  campaign

Join, Lucy Branch, sculpture conservator and author,  and BE INSPIRED BY SCULPTURE.  

If you are looking for a new book, and enjoy thrillers about the dark side of the art world - one of Lucy Branch's novels is currently available free to download from Sculpture Vulture.

This podcast was brought to you by Antique Bronze

Lucy Branch's latest novel, Restoration Murder, is published and out now wherever books are sold. She tells us about her most recent moment of clarity and what that means for the podcast, who's coming up in Season 2 and when you can expect it. 

This podcast trailer was brought to you by Antique Bronze

Today, Lucy Branch talks to Philip Jackson,  an award winning, prolific sculptor who has created some of our most well-known and well-loved public sculptures particularly in the UK but also elsewhere in the world including The Bomber Command in Green Park, Bobby Moore at Wembley Stadium, The Manchester United ‘Trinity’ sculpture, The Jersey Liberation Sculpture to name only a few. His creativity knows no bounds as he does an extraordinary amount of private work and exhibitions and in that work shows an entirely different side to his creativity. His distinctive Venice-inspired sculptures are brooding and ominous and for me, who loves the dark side of art, endlessly fascinating.

Join us and BE INSPIRED BY SCULPTURE.  You can find images of Philip Jackson’s work and a transcription of the interview at  Sculpture Vulture Blog - SCULPTURE VULTURE

If you are looking for a new book, the novel mentioned in this interview is currently available free from Sculpture Vulture.

This podcast was brought to you by Antique Bronze

Snippet from the interview:

Lucy: I began our discussion today by asking him, if he'd always been creative?

Philip: I think I probably have, yes. I mean, I sort of just decided to be a sculptor at the age of eleven. So I suppose you could say that's for a very long time.

Lucy: And so was it someone at home that encouraged that, or school?

Philip: No, I went to boarding school very early. My parents were in West Africa. My father was in the colonial service. And so I used to go out to Africa every summer, but in the Christmas and Easter holidays, I would be farmed out to my grandmother or my great aunt. They were quite elderly so I had to, as it were, find my own amusement. But they did have very good libraries of books. And so I spent quite a lot of time reading. And I discovered Graeco-Roman sculpture and I thought it was the most extraordinary thing that these wonderful things could be made by the hand of man. And then, I think at the age of 11, I bought what I think was probably my first book, which was a secondhand book on sculpture that was being done by people that were actually still alive. So I suppose the penny dropped that, you know, this wonderful thing called sculpture had been done since Graeco-Roman times and before, right up to the present time. And I thought, well, you know, that's what I want to do. So I suppose that's really how it came about.

Lucy: Right. Did you then start to pursue it more?

Philip: Yes. I mean, my school really didn't teach art in the way that schools teach art these days. And so I, sort of, ploughed a fairly lonely furrow to try and find out how you carve things, how you model things, and all that sort of thing. And then at the appropriate age, I was staying with my great aunt and I said to her, "Look, you know, I think I want to go to art school." And so I went for an interview and everything and got in. And, you know, so it's gone from there.

Today, Lucy Branch talks to Jason deCaires Taylor, who is a sculptor, environmentalist, and professional underwater photographer. He has permanent site-specific work spanning several continents and predominantly explores submerged and tidal-marine environments. He's the only sculptor in the series who does not work in bronze, but I can't hold that against him because his work is utterly fascinating. He has a deep understanding of the crisis that humanity is facing with the damage that they're doing to the environment. The fact he enables expression of this through his underwater sculpture is well worth listening to. 

Join us and BE INSPIRED BY SCULPTURE.  You can find images of Jason deCaires Taylor's work and a transcription of the interview at the Sculpture Vulture Blog - SCULPTURE VULTURE

If you are looking for a new book, the novel mentioned in this interview is currently available free from Sculpture Vulture.

This podcast was brought to you by Antique Bronze, Specialists in the Conservation and Restoration of Sculptural and Architectural Features

Snippet from the interview:

Lucy: Have you always been creative?

Jason: No, not necessarily. No, I actually started my art career much, much later on in life. I studied sculpture at university, but then, after that, I sort of did a whole range of different professions, none of which were particularly creative. But it was only later on in life that I managed to, you know, make it a full-time profession.

Lucy: What sent you off to art school then?

Jason: Oh, yeah, certainly. I mean I come from a family that...you know, there's many, many painters and sculptors and, generally we've always been involved, in some way, in the creative arts. But yeah, I think it was a really, sort of, natural choice for me to go to university. You know, when you're at that age and you're, sort of, weighing up all the different options of what to do in life, I kind of just went with what I enjoyed the most and what I loved doing, and it was certainly art.

Lucy: So, a family, being artistic, who were quite happy for you to do that. That's not always the case.

Jason: No, I was very lucky. You know, I had parents that really encouraged me to, sort of, follow my own vocation. Yeah, some people are not as fortunate but, for me, it kind of really worked out.

Lucy: What did you do after you left university?

Jason: Many different things. It was quite, sort of, an interesting path. I mean I studied sculpture and ceramics at Camberwell College of Arts. And after that, I actually had that dreaded feeling, like, "Oh my god, you know, how am I going to make a living out of this?" I actually found it quite... you know, the equation of taking on jobs maybe that I didn't like too much but they paid the bills. I always wanted the creative part to be free and not constrained in any way, which, I suppose, everybody does. But, practically speaking, it's not always possible. So, I really turned against that and I thought, "I'm just going to try some other different types of jobs and see what I enjoy doing."

Today Lucy Branch talks to semi-abstract sculptor, Simon Gudgeon about his incredible large-scale bronzes. Simon Gudgeon is based in Dorset, and he and his wife have shaped the land that they bought to give his semi-abstract sculptures the backdrop that they truly deserve. He manages to fuse figurative sculpture with abstract, landscape with fantasy and otherworldliness. He's the kind of sculptor that surprises you with every new work he does. 

Join us and BE INSPIRED BY SCULPTURE.  You can find images of Simon Gudgeon's work and a transcription of the interview at  Sculpture Vulture Blog - SCULPTURE VULTURE

If you are looking for a new novel, and you're a lover of adventure and sculpture, you can claim a free book from Sculpture Vulture.

This podcast was brought to you by Antique Bronze

Snippet from the interview:

Lucy I began our conversation today by asking him if he'd always been creative.

Simon: I think so. Yes. I mean, as a child, I used to like making things, and that's primarily what I love doing. I mean, I'm a sculptor, yes, but I just love making things. So all the pieces in the sculpture park, pretty well I've made. And that carried through...I mean, I did law at university and actually qualified as a solicitor, but retired the day I qualified because I hated it too much. And from there, I went into landscape gardening, garden design, and gradually became an artist in my 30s, painter initially, and then sculpting when I was 40. So I suppose, yes, pretty well everything I've done has been fairly creative. And even when you do something like the law, you’ve still got to be quite creative.

Lucy: Definitely. Just in a different way, perhaps not so much with the physical things. And was it something that you felt was missing from the law? Did you need to do something practical to feel fulfilled as well as sort of mentally creative?

Simon: I don't know. I just didn't like it! I mean, I did three years at university, I went to Law College then I did two years’ articles. I did six years in total to qualify. I think one of the problems with law is that you're essentially always dealing with somebody who's got a problem. And people aren't always at their best with the problem. So it just wasn't being a nice environment. Also, I was brought up in the countryside, and being in an office all day really wasn't for me. I didn't like that side at all.

Lucy: And so was there anybody at home who had that creative urge as well, that sort of "making things" urge that inspired you?

Simon: My grandfather always had a lovely workshop. All his old tobacco tins were painted on the front with all the sizes of screws and nails. And yes, his workshop was wonderful. And he was initially the one who said come into... you know, if we went to stay with him, he would take us into the workshop to make things and show us a little bit. He was mainly woodwork, which I'm not actually. I don't really do much woodwork at all; metal for me now.

Lucy: Yes. Well, bronze is such a beautiful material. I'm a little bit biased. But the thing is that I always look at the other materials and think it hasn't got quite such range.

Continue with the interview and see images at https://sculpturevulture.co.uk/sculpture-vulture-blog/

 Today, Lucy Branch talks to Louisa Forbes about her public sculpture. Louisa blends themes of religion and mythology into her classical figurative sculpture and is inspired by the idea of a connection with people thousands of years ago. She has exhibited extensively and has permanent public works in many places including Churchill and Trinity College in Cambridge, Chelsea Old Church, and St. Thomas' Hospital in London. Louisa discusses her creative  journey in becoming a professional sculptor, her inspiration and love of bronze. 

Join us and BE INSPIRED BY SCULPTURE.  You can find images of Louisa Forbes' work and a transcription of the interview at the Sculpture Vulture Blog - SCULPTURE VULTURE

If you are looking for a new novel and LOVE sculpture, then you can get a free copy of one of my novels about the dark side of the art world from Sculpture Vulture.

This podcast was brought to you by Antique Bronze

Snippet From The Interview:

Lucy: I began our discussion today by asking her if she’d always been creative?

Louisa: Yes, basically, in a word. I mean, I started when I was little. I was the fourth child, and I think to amuse myself apart from anything else, I used to go down to a stream at the bottom of the garden and play with the clay. And it just...when I started actually producing things with it and presented them, I got a rather exciting reaction from people. So I think that was an attention seeker as a child, how it started.

Lucy: Well, mud pies are always such fun, but I've never produced anything that was worthy of any merit, not with mud, anyway. And so, was there anyone else in the family quite interested in making things?

Louisa: My grandmother, my father's mother was a very eccentric lady who was a Girton girl and studied Classics, but she also went to the Slade in about 1907.

Lucy: Oh, incredible.

Louisa: And she was there around the time of Augustus John and Professor Tonks. And so I used to go to her when I was stuck trying to draw an ear or something, and she used to, sort of, give me the classical basis of drawing. But, sadly, she obviously passed away. She was quite elderly, I think, when she had her children, so she was a pretty old lady when I knew her. But she was very interesting.

Lucy: And so, was there a school influence as well? Was there a good encouraging art mistress or...?

Louisa: That was my teacher, History of Art A Level. So, I did Classical Civilisation, History of Art, and Art A Level. So it took me from, sort of, 500 BC right up to 1955.

Lucy: Covered all the bases.

Louisa: There was a school trip with the History of Art lady who was a famous History of Art teacher. She was absolutely wonderful, called Susana Svoboda. And she took a gaggle of us awful teenagers off to Florence, bless her, on a couchette, can you imagine?

Lucy: Incredible.

Martin Jennings statues have been commissioned by the UK's greatest institutions: the National Portrait Gallery, St Paul's Cathedral, the Palace of Westminster, the University of Oxford, and many others. His statue of John Betjeman, the driving force behind the saving of St. Pancras station in the 1960s, welcomes visitors from all over the world to the capital city. He won the Public Monuments and Statue Associations Marsh Award for Public Sculpture in 2017.

Join us for a new episode and BE INSPIRED BY SCULPTURE.  

You can find images of Martin Jennings work and a transcription of the interview at SCULPTURE VULTURE

If you are looking for a new book, the novel mentioned in this interview is currently available free from Sculpture Vulture.

This podcast was brought to you by Antique Bronze

Snippet from the interview:

Lucy: Today, I began our chat by asking him if he'd always been creative.

Martin: Well, that's a big, open question. I think we all are from birth, and I have, I suppose, been so in different ways. I went to university, studied English literature, and looked at art literature, as it were, from the outside before I went to art school to start making things myself.

Lucy: And so, it was books and literature, words, that drew you before the form and fine arts?

Martin: Yes, it was. I come from a very artistic family. My mother was a painter, and I have several brothers who are writers and journalists, and also painters and good at drawing and that sort of thing, and calligraphy. In fact, what I first studied at art school was calligraphy and lettering. But I came to it rather late in my 20s. So I'd struggled with playing the piano at school, and, as I said, most of my exposure to the arts was through books and reading. But as a visual artist, well, I didn't really start till I was in my early 20s. But it has gone on continuously since then.

Lucy: Was it somebody that influenced the moving towards sculpture, or did it just feel like a very natural progression?

Martin: there was a moment at school I remember, I went into the art teacher's sculpture studio. And as soon as I saw the working life he had, you know, surrounded with blocks of stone, and with dusty books on the bookshelves, and just, sort of, dust everywhere, I came to the conclusion that this was the life for me.

I'd never have to put a tie on ever again. But I then went to university, and it took me until after I left university before I really approached it seriously.

Lucy: With my own children, we have a studio at home, and there's all sorts of projects all the way around them, but because it's so familiar to them, they kind of go against that. They want to do the opposite of what I'm interested in. But for you, I suppose, the familiarity of having your mum painting, and the materials, and those things at home, just felt much more natural to you?

Martin: It certainly seemed like an occupation that could command respect, insofar as my parents were forever talking about art and artists, mainly painters. So where other people

Join Us And Be Inspired By Sculpture. You can find images of Paul Day's Work and a transcription of the interview at Bronze Friezes with Paul Day - SCULPTURE VULTURE

If you are searching for your next novel and are interested in the dark side of the art world, you can download one of my novels for free at Sculpture Vulture Books where sculpture is always at the heart of the story. 

This Podcast was brought to you by Antique Bronze (Experts in the Conservation and Restoration of Sculpture and Architectural Features) 

Snippet From The Interview: 

Today I began our discussion by asking him, my favourite question, have you always been creative?

Lucy: Have you always been creative?

Paul: As far as I can remember, as a child, I enjoyed from the very beginning drawing, colouring in, painting pictures, and cutting things out with scissors, and I had a mother who was, and is still, very encouraging in arty and crafty things. But also, I was number two to an elder brother who, at three years of age when I turned up, already occupied the main stage in all the family gatherings. He was a natural imitator, raconteur, and loved the limelight.

Lucy: Tough act to follow.

Paul: Well, quite. I was the younger brother who, obviously, with three years less in development of language and everything else, could never keep up with or overshadow this strong and powerful figure in my life. And I think that drawing was the one way I discovered quite early on, to draw some of that limelight and attention onto myself, and to be able to make, for example, members of the family laugh and smile with my pictures, whereas I wasn't able to do that with my oratory or my ability to tell jokes, of which I don't really have an ability to tell jokes.

Today, Lucy Branch talks to Michael Speller,  charismatic contemporary sculptor who has many works in public places in the UK including outside the iconic Millbank Tower in London, Greenwich Hospital and Loch Lomond as well as abroad.  His work is all about distinctive figurative forms which play with ideas around balance and rhythm in our lives.  Michael discusses his creative journey in becoming a professional sculptor, his inspiration and his love of bronze.

Join us and BE INSPIRED BY SCULPTURE.  You can find images of Michael Speller's work and a transcription of the interview at https://sculpturevulture.co.uk/figurative-sculpture-with-michael-speller/

If you are looking for a new book, the novel mentioned in this interview is currently available free from Sculpture Vulture. 

This podcast was brought to you by Antique Bronze

Snippet from the interview: 

Lucy: I began our discussion today by asking him, if he'd always been creative?

Michael: Yes. I've been creative all my life in different guises, really. I suppose the first thing was I created my own mobile beach cocktail bar and ended up taking it to Corfu and doing a summer in Corfu. So, there was a commercial element to it, but also the most important thing to me was just creating something that had never been created before. And this was like a big ball wheelbarrow but built up with a wooden stretcher and a trap door underneath a parasol with a parrot called, Harriet, hanging off the side of it and crushed ice underneath and cocktails. Now, the funny thing with it, the whole idea was it was supposed to move but basically it never moved because everyone ran to me and were so enthusiastic about this mad thing on the beach that I always had queues and I was handing in brochures the next summer to all of the core marketing people.

Lucy: That's fantastic. really entrepreneurial as well.

Michael: Exactly. And then progressing from that my catering element was where I started…that's what I did at college. I did a catering management course at Oxford Poly as it was then. Then I went on to start my own catering business which, again, was a little bit unusual. We're talking a hell of a long time ago now but it was the first, sort of, delivery service. This is before even pizzas were delivered or they were just starting to be. This was an up-market delivery service with monkfish and prawn sort of pies and loads of exotic ingredients. And I was racing around in a dinner jacket serving these in Blackheath and Greenwich.

Lucy: I bet they loved that.

In today's interview, Lucy Branch, speaks with Rodney Munday, whose work can be found up and down the UK including The Minster Church of St Andrew, Plymouth, Oxford and Cambridge University and Chichester and Worthing Hospitals to name only a few. 

Rodney's work is figurative though his range is wide. He has created many Christian themed sculptures, but also animals and commemorative works in bronze.  Today Rodney shares his thoughts on his creative journey, his inspiration and his love of bronze.

Join us and be inspired by sculpture.  You can find images of Rodney's work and the transcription of the interview at https://sculpturevulture.co.uk/bronze-sculpture-with-rodney-munday/

If you are looking for a new book, you can get the novel mentioned in this interview for free from Sculpture Vulture.

This podcast was brought to you by Antique Bronze  

Snippet from The Interview: 

Lucy: I began our conversation today by asking if he'd always been creative?

Rodney Munday: Well, my creative journey really goes back as long as I can remember. I've always drawn and as a child, I used to make little plasticine figures. And when I first went to school, I was given some little plaster molds for pushing plasticine into for taking...demolding little bits of sculpture really and that memory has always stuck with me and I think when I started making molds for my own work, that all came back. So yes, it's been a long journey. 

Lucy Branch: Was it always going to be your profession or did life take you in another direction first?

Rodney Munday: I suppose life's taken me in a lot of different directions. When I was up to the age of about 11, I thought I'd be a writer and from then on, I wanted to be an artist. But I only really thought about painting because I went to a very good school, art wise. While I was doing A level, I was doing life drawing with professional models every week, but I hadn't done any three-dimensional work though the teacher there told me that I drew like a sculptor. I went to art school but I gave up after a week for all sorts of reasons, really, but one I think was perhaps that it came as a bit of a disappointment after the education that I had at school. Then I thought that I needed to make up my mind quickly because for one thing, at that age, three years is a long time ahead of you. I felt that I needed to make a decision as to what I was going to do and I went back to school and it was just in time to take the Oxford entrance exam. I then read English for three years and one of my main tutors was a sculptor which was interesting. 

Lucy Branch: Well, that sounds to me like it was meant to be. There's no way around it. Rodney Munday: I continued to draw and paint and started sculpting after I left Oxford really. Most of my time was taking up farming because I was born on a farm and that was my profession for a long time. The sculpture just crept in

Hazel Reeves is a brilliantly talented sculptress who tells stories in bronze. 

In recent years she has secured several prestigious commissions among them the Sir Nigel Gresley sculpture in Kings Cross, London commemorating the engineer and innovator of steam trains, and the Cracker Packer statue dedicated to the women who have worked in the Carrs biscuit factory, now McVitie’s in Carlisle, for over a hundred years.

I’ve been keen to talk to Hazel ever since I was involved in doing some preventive conservation work on her incredible sculpture of Emmeline Pankhurst, Our Emmeline, in the centre of Manchester.  Today we discuss her creative journey and why she loves telling stories in bronze. Join us for this lively chat and to look at examples of Hazel's work and read the transcription of the interview, go to www.sculpturevulture.co.uk/hazelreeves/ 

Sample of Interview (Transcription)

Lucy: Today, I thought I’d kick off our chat by asking when she first felt drawn to creating sculpture?

Hazel: Well, I think you have to go back to when I was younger and I was desperate to go to art school and my parents said, ‘No!’ And so, I sort of forgot about that artistic career for many years. Then I was in the Dominican Republic working with the UN on women's rights and I suddenly got back in touch with all the things I was passionate about: music, drumming, dancing, arts. When I came home, it just came to me that I was going to be a portrait sculptor, which was quite bizarre because I'd never actually done any sculpting nor any portraits, but it's the only time in my life I've actually suddenly realized I had a calling.

Lucy: Did your parents have nothing to do with the arts? Was it very alien to them? Is that why they discouraged it or was it that it wasn't a proper job?

Hazel: Oh, all of the above. According to my mum, art is a luxury and you only did arts if you couldn't do anything else. My eldest sister was already at art school and I think they were also worried about having two penniless artists in the family. So it was like, "No, you're more academic. You could go off and go to college." And so it was many years later that actually I rediscovered that this is what I should always have been doing. This is my journey and I wouldn't be the sculptor I am now if I hadn't been on that journey.

Lucy: So it definitely was something that came to...you'd had to sort of squash it down for quite a long time. I wonder what it was about the Dominican Republic that brought it all to the forefront of your mind. Is it the environment there? Is it a creative place?

Hazel: It's a very creative place. I really got into the Afro-Dominican folkloric scene there. That's very much about their music and the dance but it was also a very vibrant place, a very creative place, a very musical place. Also, you're completely out of your normal environment. Making that transition from the UK to that sort of country, where there is deep poverty in some places, but also working with the UN was a tremendous experience. It was particularly the nightlife and the nights out dancing that just really sort of shook my whole system up. It was like, ah, yeah, I'm actually not somebody to be sitting at a desk.

Get your free novel from https://sculpturevulture.co.uk/a-rarer-gift-than-gold/ where sculpture is always at the heart of the story.

The Stables in Camden is home to the Amy Winehouse statue by Scott Eaton. I talk about the recent conservation work I carried out on this beautiful bronze and recommend two other sculptures to visit if you want to be inspired by sculpture. Images of the statues and transcript can be found at https://sculpturevulture.co.uk/sculpture-to-visit-in-camden-mini-episode/

Get your free novel from https://sculpturevulture.co.uk/a-rarer-gift-than-gold/ where sculpture is always at the heart of the story.

If you'd like to see photos of the Madingley Parish Church, Madingley Hall, The Cambridge American Cemetery and Sculpture at Churchill College - Do take a look at the blogpost at https://sculpturevulture.co.uk/sculptures-and-monuments-in-madingley-cambridge/

Get your free novel from https://sculpturevulture.co.uk/a-rarer-gift-than-gold/ where sculpture is always at the heart of the story. 

In this solo-show, meet, Lucy Branch, the host of The Sculpture Vulture podcast and find out about the incredible sculptors that will be featuring in the first season. Find out more about the show at www.sculpturevulture.co.uk 

Get you free novel from https://sculpturevulture.co.uk/a-rarer-gift-than-gold/ where sculpture is always at the heart of the story.