Description
‘Wall Fern’
Galvanised fern for wall mounting
Collect from gallery £120
Including UK delivery £135
H 35 x W 21.8 x D 13.5 cm
Neil’s first encounter with the world of the blacksmith was as a child in the Devonshire village of Shebbear, where he spent hours watching the village smithy at work. At this time, some 45 years ago, the seeds were sown and Neil was hooked on smithing!
After successfully completing several college courses in blacksmithing and related skills in Hereford (a nationally and internationally recognised centre of excellence for the training of blacksmiths) Neil set up his workshop in the beauty of the Herefordshire countryside several years ago. At the same time he was offered casual work teaching smithing at Herefordshire College of Technology and he has since progressed to become course tutor on the National Diploma in Blacksmithing.
For Neil the organic form is very important – he takes his inspiration largely from nature , interspersing this with a love of the fantastic. Neil’s art work has a unique dynamism to it, bewitching those new to his work and “old hands” alike. Neil’s art is available in a wide variety of forms, ranging from such items as a bowl or a candle holder, right through to larger pieces such as gates and railings and again to much larger pieces such as a garden bench which takes the form of a crocodile, or an 8 foot high fire breathing dragon. Such pieces are difficult to describe, and are best appreciated in the “flesh”, as it were! (The work is also very tactile!).
Neil’s signature pieces – large, individual pieces of art that elicit admiration and are a source of inspiration to those who relate to his unique artistic expression of himself – are testament to his skill, knowledge and ultimately his love of both his art, the natural world and the artistic challenge they present him with.
The beautiful craftsmanship apparent in all of Neil’s art was officially recognised when he was awarded the Associate Membership of the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths. Additionally, Neil’s work continues to win him acclaim both nationally and internationally and he is recognised within his field as a major talent, a producer of unusual, interesting and unique pieces of work.
