‘One of my early memories is of a wonderful Cedar of Lebanon in the grounds
of my first school. I was fascinated by the grandeur of its branches, almost
sweeping the ground and seeming to present me with its massive fir cones.
Many years later I would make a sculpture named for it.
Throughout my life, despite the nonfigurative nature of most of my work, I
have drawn from nature. Usually this takes the form of quick impressions of
landscape, often there is a preference for desert or mountain, locations short
on trees. However, the trees of the South of France, mostly palms and parasol
pines have proved fascinating studies, informing later sculptures including the
series Southern Shade.
The great storm of 1987 gave me a chance to draw the sawn trunks of fallen
plane trees leading to a series of sculptures titled ‘Storm Damaged’.
I make my smaller works in wood, birch for finished pieces and humble ply for
maquettes. As I’m Old School, I use pencil and a wooden drawing board, wood
is part of the process so touching wood is easy.’