Nesting

Well as promised the photo of me with a celeb!

and a picture of the first 'Nest'.
Am I making nests as a subconscious reaction to moving house? After 26 years the house is on the market and we are downsizing. I keep thinking about Kinder eggs and Easter eggs, folklore and supersitions, I even made a  'Green Man' at Salford - perhaps it's more to do with the book.....

It is amazing how the story I am currently listening to influences the nature of the sculpture I am making. I have been listening to 'The Company of Liars' by Karen Maitland and suddenly my nest became full of snail shells and small bones - all bleached and microwaved for hygene's sake.The creatures become more ambiguous and albino-like as the character in the book - strange. This piece is going to London on Sunday to 'The Discerning Eye' competition so we'll see whether anyone else likes it - Pete liked it but having done a re-take asked me 'What are they?' Well I got more than my 4 seconds looking-at-time so perhaps the judges will look again too.

I have a box of modelling wax downstais and may get going on some hunting dogs. There are several awaiting firing at the moment but they are very fragile and I can't get them standing up so I may have a go in the wax - I want to make a pack but the problem is how to preserve the sculpture afterwards as bronze resin is too expensive - the moulds really. Still if I win a decent prize I can put the money toward it. In fact, thinking on the keyboard as it were, I think that will be my next target - to get a piece cast in bronze. Watch this space!"