2016 Update 2: Green Men, bay windows, and some letter carving!
Green Man
If you’ve read my blog or seen my work before you’ll know how much I love the Green Man concept. And I have completed another one, based on the architectural drawings of Augustus Charles Pugin of a church in France. To be honest I’d started it a while ago and it had been hanging around my workshop, then I got the bit between the teeth and attacked it, carving the features much more deeply than I had initially.
And here, below, is the finished piece. A bit of dust on the nose and some debris on the moustache, but a carving I’m rather proud of.
At the time of writing I’m making a maquette of a new Green Man based on one of my drawings from a few months ago. I shall post the carving when it is complete.
Bay window Capitals
There seem to be no end of the bay windows re-installations of late. People are buying up dilapidated Victorian and Edwardian houses and understandably want them to look as good as new. I like bay windows as they offer the best of both masonry and carving worlds. Here are some photos of capitals in various states – the one below is at an early stage.
Below is a mid-stage.
And this is towards the end of the process.
Here is the second one with it’s top on, not quite complete but nearly there. All for a house in Hampton, SW London.
Another capital – this for the side into the wall. All the carvings have been taken from photos and measurements taken by myself on site. There was no ‘original’ or model in the workshop to base it on.
Letter Carving
A long time ago (well, September) some friends of mine got married. They’re wealthy so I decided to make them a gift rather than buy one. I’m rather embarrassed to say I took quite a long time to get round to it, but I came up with this in Portland stone, and gilded by myself. I won’t mention their names as they haven’t seen it yet.
This was it prior to gilding. And I have no idea why that old banana is on there. It is not part of the gilding process…
And here is the final one. I designed it using Trajan Roman type and for it to sit and be displayed on a mantlepiece or bookshelf.