Alison Crowther is a sculptor and furniture maker working exclusively with English Oak. Having first studied 3D design at Buckinghamshire College and then Furniture design at the Royal College of Art, her first notable commission were the pews she created for the Prior Silkstede Chapel at Winchester Cathedral (1996) followed by Lover’s Seat at Chatsworth in 1999. Over the last twenty years, she has produced significant, site-specific works for international, corporate clients such as Swire Properties in Hong Kong: the Sheraton Hotel at Ghuangzhou, China; and the Shangri-La Hotel’s iconic Ting restaurant at The Shard in London. She has also undertaken many private commissions throughout Europe and the USA, including Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Island.
Thank you Brian we are certainly working on some longer sessions, with Q and A and sharpening and so on. Let me know if there is anything in particular you’d like to see or hear about.
For the geometrical spheres, how are you able to orientate the rough timber so that you can maintain the geometry? Is there a sphere jig or is it all freehand? I love your work and have several stumps and a few beams I want to begin emulating.
Usually I use one I’ve had for years made from lignum vitae ( the head, with a beech handle), but recently I bought a longer slimmer mallet turned from a single piece of acacia wood and I like it very much.
The covers have several jobs - as you correctly suggest to reduce moisture loss ( I want the wood to remain as green as possible whilst carving it ), but also to protect from dust, bird/mouse poo and pee ( that was more the last studio space I had!), and also is a ritual that ends and starts the day nicely.
Can you tell me please what you use to cover your works overnight and what materials are used for this and the reason why this is done ? , Superb attention to detail as always - thanks
I use two things for covering work. First a layer of horticultural fleece - this is finely woven so protects from dust and doesn’t snag on the wood as easily as blankets, then blankets on top of that. Just blankets at the earlier stages of working on pieces, then with the addition of the fleece as the final carving and finished surface is achieved. Both have the purpose of slowing down moisture loss and protecting from dust etc.
Thanks for sharing, know it is a lot of work to edit these. That said, please keep them coming! Very soulful work, deeply spiritual, and absolutely in love with the scale of the work.
The covers help to slow down the rate of moisture escaping from the timber - we want to carve with the wood as green as possible. Also it is protection from dust as you suggest…in my previous studio the covers also protected from bird poo, mouse pee and droppings!! Thankfully this barn is a little more insulated.
