People are always surprised when I say that I can’t paint or sketch. The fact is, colour doesn’t really interest me, so I have never spent the time to learn to paint. I love form, obviously- I’m a sculptor! so I love detailed pencil drawing and I have done some and want to do more. However I find ‘sketching’ really difficult and when I make a new sculpture, I never sketch it first. Sometimes a client will ask to see sketches and when this happens my heart sinks!

The truth is, it’s a good thing I can show an extensive back catalogue of work that I’m proud of, because no one would ever employ me on the strength of my sketches! I have thought endlessly about this and the conclusion I have come to is that I think three dimensionally. It’s obvious really; in my mind I can see what I want to make and I retain that, while I’m working. Why would I turn it into a 2D drawing, with all the issues of perspective and angles, so I can turn it back into a 3D sculpture? Now I understand this, my struggle with art, until I discovered sculpture, all makes sense.

Now, I prefer to work directly in clay and for a large sculpture I start with a small maquette. I like to think of this as a three dimensional sketch and enables me to work in the round from the start.

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