WHY SCULPTURE?
I have now been sculpting for more than 30 years – since 1987 – and have been privileged to work with foundries such as Burleighfield; Morris Singer; Pangolin; Castle and Talos.
Also with famous Sculpture enlargers or ‘agrandisseurs’ as they are known in France.
Robert and Olivier Haligon in Paris and Richard Clarke in England.
My hand-eye skills come from over 40 years experience in reconstructive dental surgery where mistakes can never be made.
With a work of art one can usually make corrections but not so when one is operating on a patient!
In the 1970’s, having initially been a collector for many years I started buying French works from Bruton Gallery in Somerset.
I also collected a number of French 19th Century Animalier works by artists such as Barye and Mene.
I always managed to spend a few hours here and there in galleries and museums and my first wife Sue worked as a PA in Christies, so I spent a lot of time browsing their auction rooms absorbing art as if by by osmosis!
My tastes developed and I became more and more interested in contemporary works.
You can see that my greatest influences range from Picasso, Matisse and Moore through Ben Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth to Chirico, Cesar and of course Giacometti and many more.
Rodin however was an early source of inspiration as the father of French sculpture in the 19th century.
HOW I LEARNED TO BE A SCULPTOR
After a very kind and generous sculpture lesson/demonstration from the Dutch Sculptor Kees Verkade in his studio in Antibes market in 1987, what then followed was a series of amazing happy, life changing coincidences It led to me starting to sculpt and work on maquettes in wax.
Kees Verkade – sculptor
Not very long afterwards, having been introduced to cast in bronze, initially at the Burleighfield Foundry, Eric Gibbard, Ted Knell and Dennis Ball all encouraged me to produce one wax after another.
Eric Gibbard – Founder
Some of these works suddenly found their way to being cast as large bronzes for leading corporations and governments as well as private collectors.
Before very long I was lucky enough to have commissions for the Palace of Westminster.
Others followed.
The 17 metre Keris and its arches and a water feature for The National Stadium in Malaysia.
Later, the Opening of the Channel Tunnel.
HM The Queen and President Mitterand opening The Channel Tunnel. Folkestone 1994
The London Stock Exchange and The Financial Futures Exchange, LIFFE.
British Gas & British Telecom.
The Magna Carta Memorial in Egham near Runnymede.
PLEASE COME AND VISIT MY STUDIO IN BEAUTIFUL WEST SUSSEX
May I extend an open invitation to visit my home and my Studio and Gallery near Chichester?
I can make it an exciting day out and all my work is of course for sale. Private and Corporate Commissions are very welcome. Lunch or a glass of good wine might encourage you……………….haha!!
Just call or text me on +44 (0) 7802 896 073
or email me at:- neillawsonbaker@aol.com
BREADTH of MANKIND under construction in March 2017.
This work will be exhibited at The Bargehouse at OXO Tower in the heart of London at the entrance to NOA17 the 21st National Open Art Exhibition in November 2017.