Taylor's Corner, Knutsford

Bob Taylor was a well loved and respected member of the community in Knutsford who died in 2008. The Britain in Bloom group decided that they wished to commemorate Bob with a tree and memorial and the idea developed into a memorial garden with a wood sculpture, designed in consultation with the community. This project was completed in 2009.

The fallowfield Loop Sculpture Project

This project came about after I approached Sustrans for support practicing cutting for my CS30 Chainsaw Cutting and Maintenance Exam (I have been cutting for a few years but now with my CS30 I can cut in public places). Sustrans mentioned they would welcome any sculptures on the cycle path, this got me thinking, why not create a project where the local residents and users of the Loop can get involved and feel part of what happens around them, whilst at the same time the sculptures evolve from what happens on the Loop.

With the help of The Friends of the Fallowfield Loop I applied for Funding from Awards for All (Lottery Funding) and I was able to run two very popular 'Making sculpture using Nature' workshops in Highfield Park and a separate Teachers workshop 'The importance of exploration, discovery, failure and recovery' that encourages pupils and teachers to learn from mistakes and enables schools to make sculptures in their own gardens and nearby parks.

The public were invited to go on a 'Cycle for a site' along the Loop to look at potential spots for the sculptures.
Inspiration for the sculptures came from The Fallowfield Loop, in particular one day I was sketching and a family came walking along that seemed to embody the perfect essence of what the Loop is about.

The Fallowfield Loop Sculptures.

The sculptures look great, the site is fantastic and I am pleased to report that four days later there has still been no vandalism. Thanks to all those who attended the unveiling.

Installing the bases...

I could not have installed without Tom and Ken from Sustrans, thanks for your help and patience. We had to dig 2ft holes for the steel rods to go into, then poured in concrete. The rods will be fixed with a resin glue bond to the inside of the sculptures.

The Fallowfield Loop Sculptures - in progress

So they are still indoors, but are fully sanded and awaiting installation, that should be at the end of June.

The Fallowfield Loop Sculptures - Sanding in progress

All three of the sculptures have been cut, the final hand sanding is happening, a few coats of oil and they will be ready for installation.

'Art in the Park' - The Fallowfield Loop Sculpture Project

I held two very successful workshops 'Art in the Park' in Highfield Park, Levenshulme. members of the public were invited to join in and make their own sculptures using the natural elements around them. You can see images of this at www.theflsp.blogspot.com.
I think everyone enjoyed themselves thoroughly.

The Fallowfield Loop Sculptures - in progress

I originally wanted to capture the movement that occurs on the Loop but when I started making sketches and maquettes it became apparent to me that a majority of users were families, and that it would be fitting for the project and my own practice to develop this theme. At the present time I am concentrating on creating a male, female and child. The male is cut very angular and solid contrasting with the female which in my mind will be soft curvaceous and rounded (she has not been cut yet). The child is to have no obvious sexual orientation but rather hold characteristics from the two 'adults'.
You can see male and child in progress.

Fallowfield Loop Sculpture Project

I am in the process of making three sculptures for The Fallowfield Loop. The Loop is an eight mile stretch of cycle/pedestrian/walkway through Chorlton, Fallowfield and Levenshulme. I got funding through discussing the project with Sustrans, (they own the route) that led me to Friends of Fallowfield Loop who have embraced the project with such enthusiasm it has really been great.

You can find out more at www.cycle-routes.org/fallowfieldloopline.

Friends of the Fallowfield Loop have been funded by the National Lottery through Awards for All.

Two Sisters

These are the same tree from Highfield Park, in Levenshulme. Obviously one trunk section is finished and the other is about to begin. I am hoping to make them a pair, and so for the time being they are the two sisters. This is a new departure for me into slightly more figurative work. This has come about from the shape of the trunks more than anything I think.

'Bulb' 6 months later

This sculpture is really improving with the elements. It still also feels remarkably smooth. A very nice thing to touch and look at.

RHS Show Tatton Park

Thanks to all the gardens that supported this collaborative project, without them we would have very different results.
The idea of this sculpture is that it embodies the the way in which we both work in the most simplistic manner. Justine is currently working with negative space and high- lighting negative space. I wanted to cut the wood as simply as could be and get a really nice smooth finish.
These small pieces were then put together by us to create shapes and forms that reacted to the garden they were in.
You can see more at www.cookandramchurn.blogspot.com

The Collaborative process

This collaboration has been worked on pretty much through email, blog and telephone. I have removed some images as they were part of a conversation that Justine and myself were having, I have left some relics so you can see how we worked (the text below would normally result in an email or phone call from Justine).

We will continue to collaborate and you can see this progress plus the full works at Tatton by visiting www.cookandramchurn.blogspot.com

RHS Show Tatton park Preparation

Working in collaboration with artist Justine Cook we will be making something for the RHS show at Tatton. Here are some ideas, the smaller sculpture on it's own would be part of a set of three but I'm still not sure if they would be strong enough in that huge environment to hold their own. It may be better to do something with the wood slices, hmm Justine I hand over to you...

A Birthday Commission

Black Spiral

This piece can be seen in the making further down this page. I burnt it with a blow torch to get a crisp black finish.

Curve

This is a piece of Beech Tree that came from Arley Hall Gardens.

The view through 'Bulb'

I think this picture is great. As you can see I couldn't have installed them on my own, so many thanks to all those who helped.

'Hug' and 'Bulb' at Arley Hall and Gardens

Second Installment

A concrete base has been put down to stop the plinth rotting and add stability. Each plinth section had to be drilled and then with help lifted onto the steel rods.

Installation Stage One at Arley Hall

Today we were drilling holes to concrete the steel supports into the ground. Thank you Barry for all your help.
The logs on the ground will form the plinths for the sculptures.