Ermington, Modbury and Ugborough Saturday markets

Last Saturday I had my busiest market day so far. I started the day at Ugborough Sustainable Saturdays by setting up my stall at 9.15 to showcase my portfolio of work. I have retained copies of most things I have made, so I have something to show people. After this, I went to Lambside Farm between Battisborough and Noss Mayo to  relax and enjoy (not stall) a Christmas fair based in farm/workshop buildings. They had some really nice coffee, pie and mince pies. I enjoyed the company of the other artists and sitting by the log burner. Later, I returned home to set up my stall for my local Christmas Fair in Ermington Church 5-7.30.

This was the previous week at Modbury Christmas Fair 2019

Ermington Christmas Fair 2019

Wren commission from my 'Portfolio' collection

I have recently finished making this bespoke wren, which is an indoor sculpture made from lots of different miscellaneous objects. The objects make each one very unique and I like to think it has a clockwork feel, almost as though it is a mechanical bird that might suddenly spread its wings and fly away. 

Dimensions: aprox. 24x13x18cm
Price: (please refer to the right hand column under 'portfolio')
Type: Indoor

Big 'Green' Dragonfly

I have recently finished this big dragonfly commission to be displayed outside. These dragonflies lend themself well as garden art, because they are made from stainless steel. They are also versitile as they can be displayed on a wall or made to stand/rest (for example on a stainless steel rod beside a pond). Like all my work I specialise in using recycled stainless steel. In this case I have used spoons in the tail, a ladel for the body, cutlery handle for the nose, and an assortment of rods I salvage from draining boards, oven racks ect. The wings are made from some special stainless steel that I have baught especially for it's striking iridescent colour and weatherproof. It mimics the same colour found in nature on insects bodies and peacocks feathers.

I currently have these to see in: Salcombe at Gallery 5 and South Sands Hotel; RHS Rosemoor, North Devon; and here in my own collection.

Dimensions: aprox. 50cm2
Price: (Please refer to the right hand column under 'portfolio')
Type: Wall Mounted
Can be made for inside and outside.

Recycled dragonflies

I am currently preparing for Ermington & Modbury Christmas fairs. Here are some of my coloured and uncoloured small dragonflies made from cutlery.

Prices: (Please refer to the right hand column under 'Portfolio')
For more information see the portfolio tabs

Part of the process

I have been collecting and pairing these knives to turn into dragonfly wings. I have a couple of Christmas Fayres coming up at the start of December in Modbury and Ermington, so I will be making some of my dragonflies for then. For more information see my 'Events'

Big dragonfly

Big dragonfly commission in situ at new home

Another piece of outdoor dragonfly art with a 50cm wingspan. I love this photo given to me by a recent client. The back wall sets the artwork off beautifully. Providing a soft earthy backdrop. These dragonflies suit an indoor or outdoor setting, whether it is by a pond, or as a piece of garden wall art as seen below. I look forward to making more of these in the next couple of weeks for RHS Garden Rosemoor to their annual Winter Sculpture Exhibition; RNLI Appledore's Art Exhibtion and Salcombe.

Dimensions: aprox. 50cm2
Price: (Please refer to the right hand column under 'Portfolio')
Type: Wall Mounted
Can be made for inside and outside.

Cockerel 2

Cockerel 2. I have made this for RNLI Art Exhibition at Appledore, North Devon. The exhibition is being held on 24-27th October.

Dimensions: Aprox. 65cm tall
Price: (Please refer to the right hand column under 'Portfolio')
Type: Garden art/Outdoor art/Indoor art
Materials: Re-purposed spoons, teaspoons, serving trays and knives
Suitable for indoors or outdoors

Crow

'Crow' I chose this shape after watching the crows in my back field and garden. There was a flock of them looking for food. I have also recently applied to Delamore Arts sculpture park for next year, so fingers crossed that I will be there for the 2020 exhibition.

Dimensions: Aprox. 40cm x 24cm x 14cm
Price: (Please refer to the right hand column under 'Portfolio')
Type: Interior decor
Materials: Re-purposed cutlery and kitchenware
Suitable for indoors

Stainless Steel Dragonfly

This is a small dragonfly made from stainless-steel. I have made it from 4 knives, spoon, teaspoon, ball-bearings, cutlery handle and an asortment of stainless steel rods. Each dragonfly is unique, so dimensions can change slightly depending on the knives I use. This dragonfly is meant for the outdoors. Dragonfly reference photos courtesy of @joaomsbento on Instagram

Dimensions: Aprox. 28cm x 18cm
Price: (Please refer to the right hand column under 'Portfolio')
Type: Wall-Art/Garden art/Interior decor
Materials: Re-purposed cutlery and kitchenware
Suitable for outdoors

'Wesley' the Ermington Rooster

At the end of June this year I went to photograph and video my local rooster called 'Wesley' owned by my neighbour in the village of Ermington. I had the idea that I would like to create a sculpture and in the crowing position. I spent a good couple of hours watching and photographing Wesley and the hens, as I tried to get measurements and photos of him in different aspects. After a while, to my delight he started to crow, striking this pose you see before you. He was calling back to a neighbouring cockerel. It was enjoyable to make this as I get a lot of cutlery and it feels great to put it all to good use. In particular I like the feathers closest his tail as they show off lots of different patterns that I see on cutlery handles. This piece took me at least 2 weeks to make.

I have made this as my show piece for RHS Rosemoor's 'Winter Sculpture Exhibition' in the gardens. There it will be for sale from November 14th - January 31st

Wesley was a cross between a 'Welsummer' and a 'Buff Sussex'

'Wesley' the Ermington rooster, made from cutlery

Dimensions: Aprox. 65cm tall
Price: (Please refer to the right hand column under 'Portfolio')
Type: Garden art/Outdoor art/Indoor art
Materials: Re-purposed spoons, teaspoons, serving trays and knives
Suitable for indoors or outdoors

Small dragonfly with iridescent wing made from recycled metal

This is a small dragonfly with iridescent wings. I have made it from 4 knives, spoon, teaspoon, ball-bearings, cutlery handle and an asortment of stainless steel rods. Each dragonfly is unique, so dimensions can change, depending on the knives I use. This dragonfly is meant for the indoors, because I have varnished the wings to protect the heat tempered colour effect. The reference photo I used is courtesy of @joaomsbento of Instagram

Shaping the wings

Ready to add the tail

Dimensions: Aprox. 28cm x 18cm
Price: (Please refer to the right hand column under 'Portfolio')
Type: Wall-Art/Interior Decor/Wall-hanging
Materials: Re-purposed cutlery and kitchenware
Suitable for indoors

Mandarin Duck

Re-purposed\Re-cycled\Up-cycled Mandarin Duck

Made from spatulas, sieve ladels, knives, forks, spoons and cutlery handles. I have used stainless steel weld filler to make this an outdoor piece as well as indoors. I thank @wildly_pip on Instagram for her mandarin duck photos.

Dimensions: Aprox. 24cm tall
Price: (Please refer to the right hand column under 'Portfolio')
Type: Free-standing
Materials: Re-purposed cutlery and utensils
Suitable for outdoors and indoors, can be washed in the dishwasher

Climbing Silver Squirrel

This is recycled/upcycled metal wall art made from teaspoons, forks, masher, cutlery handles... The concept to create an outdoors wall art climbing red squirrel came in preparation for Delamore Arts sculpture exhibition, held every year during everyday of May 2019. I had not seen other artist hanging sculptures on walls or trees in the garden, so here is my idea. I chose the squirrel because it is a subject I have already spent considerable time studying. The photo was taken in Scotland by @freck66 of Instagram.

Dimensions: Aprox. 40cm length
Type: Wall art/Wall hanging/Garden art/Indoors*
Price: (Please refer to the right hand column under 'Portfolio')
Materials: Recycled/Upcycled stainless steel cutlery, masher, spatula, spoons, draining rack

*This one is for indoors, however it can be made to order suitable for outdoors

Upcycled Wedding Bouquet

An upcycled wedding bouquet with a cycling theme

The design brief for this commission was to create a wedding bouquet with a cycling theme from bike parts. My starting point were the bike cogs which I turned into petals, rather like those of a rose. I have used spoons to cup the flower heads, and formed cutlery into the shape of a ribbon. This piece can be displayed as wall art.

Dimensions: aprox. 35cm x 19cm

Type: Wall art
Price:(Please refer to the right hand column under 'Portfolio')

Dragonfly

Upcycled Dragonfly

A couple few weeks ago I was asked to create a dragonfly with a 50cm wingspan. So, here it is. This is the third one I have made with iridescent wings. I have created the colour using the naturally occuring colours in the metal. I like to use stainless steel so the artwork can be appreciated outside as well as inside. This is a wall hung piece, with a screw sized hole located on its underside. The overall dimensions are roughly 50cm2. This could also be made as a standalone on a stem, which could be placed in, or beside a pond.

Stainless Steel Sieve Winged Dragonfly

Dimensions: aprox. 50cm2
Price:(Please refer to the right hand column under 'Portfolio')
Type: Wall Mounted
Can be made for inside and outside.

Silver Squirrel

The Silver Squirrel, this is made from spoons, forks and kitchen utensils. It is currently for sale at Gallery 5 in Salcombe. This is an indoor piece. It can also be made to order for the outdoors too, as I can make it only using stainless steel parts. This means it can also be cleaned in the dishwasher too. 

Dimensions: aprox. H24cm x L15cm x L15cm
Price: £500-750
Can be made for inside and outside.

Dragonfly

This dragonfly started out as a request, when I asked a lady at a village market what she likes. That was a just over a year ago, and the design has come on a bit in that time. I now make them to be hung outside too. To make these dragonflies I use a variety of materials that I have salvaged from St. Luke's Charity Shop. Some examples: cutlery handles, teaspoons, ball-bearings from CD racks, metal draining boards. I don't have a pond where I live, so don't see dragonflies in my garden. Fortunately however, @joaomsbento on Instagram/Portugal let me use his photos. He has an extensive collection of insect photos.

Dimensions: aprox. 18cm width
Price: £50-£100
Type: Wall Mounted
Can be made for inside and outside.

The Rusty Red Squirrel

The photograph I used for this artwork is with kind permission of @freck66. I believe it was taken in Scotland.

I liked this pose, because of the attention the squirrel is giving the viewer. This work is part of a series I have now made of 'Rusty Red Squirrels'. This is the first 'wall art' squirrel. I have used lots of interesting miscelleneous items collected from St. Luke's Charity Shop. I like the rusty squirrels, because it adds variety to my portfolio. I think the variety of items adds lots of colour, texture and curiosity.

Dimensions: aprox. 46cm x 21cm
Price: (Please refer to the right hand column under 'Portfolio')
Type: Wall Mounted
Indoors

'The Grater Gecko'

I thank @aliciairi on Instagram for the use of her gecko photo that she took in Portugal or Spain. I chose the gecko because it naturally lends itself to be climbing on someones wall as a piece of wall art.

Dimensions: aprox. 35cm x 14cm
Price: (Please refer to the right hand column under 'Portfolio')
Type: Wall Mounted
Inside or outside.

Black Bear Sculpture by Ed Hill made from re-purposed materials

Recycled metal wall art made by Ed Hill based in the South West in Devon, Ermington
If you would like to commission a piece of upcycled metal artwork contact me using the details under the 'Contact' tab.

Wall Art 'Black Bear', made from repurposed spoons, forks, knives, ladel spoons, ball bearings, kebab sticks, ladel stainer spoons and spatulas. Dimensions aprox:35cm2 Price: (Please refer to the right hand column under 'Portfolio')

This is a black bear I made on commission. It is made from recycled cutlery and kitchen utensils I have selected from St. Luke’s Charity shop. I will be making another to be exhibited at Delamore Arts 2019 Sculpture Exhibition to be held ‘Every day in May’.

To create, I carefully match the shapes I see in nature with the ones I see in the materials. I closely study the textures, colours, and light till I achieve a best fit.

I have not made a bears head before. Previously, I have made a bull’s head, so I took what I had learned and reconfigured the design from periphery/prey eyes to binocular/predatory eyes forward of the bear.

To begin the process I started with observation work. I searched lots of photos on Instagram for one where the bear was looking straight at the camera, with a good contrast of light to draw out the features of the face. I also looked for some side shots to inform my understanding of their profile.

Deciding on the right shot became surprisingly difficult as I realised how much variation there is between their faces. After much searching, I found the one that matched my ideas. I thank ‘Bob O’Boyle Photography’ for taking this photo, when to his surprise, saw a black bear in the backyard.

I would also like to thank all the other photographers on Instagram who also kindly gave me permission to use their photos and for encouraging my work: @boboboylephotography @sumiwestphotography @theartistamanda @geoffgprice

Recent sculpture

Bull's Head  (aprox.50cm x 40cm)

This is a sculpture I have been working on for some time now, but it is finally finished. I started it during the middle of last year and it was put on hold. It is a first for me to create something on this scale for the wall. I am happy the way it shows off the kitchen wear and the shapes complement the muscular and skeletal form. My subject was a bullock from a neighbouring farmer. I added the horns as artistic licence. The dimensions are aprox. 50cm x 40cm. Price (Please refer to the right hand column under 'Portfolio')

Thrush

BBC Spotlight and Radio Devon 02/01/19

Today I was featured on BBC Radio Devon at 7.20am with Gordan Sparks. The radio piece was created by Janine Jansen from BBC Spotlight. Furthermore Janine Jansen has also created a news piece to be seen on BBC Spotlight tonight at 6.30pm.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bw44tw

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p06tmd5l