About the Products

Before starting a new sculpture, Bill thoroughly researches the details of the animal concerned.  He spends hours watching, for example, a bird of prey; he takes photographs of his subject matter, and his ideas for the display of his sculptures are rehearsed in his mind.  Bill usually produces a maquette (model) of his sculpture in plasticine, which he uses as reference for his finished piece.

The more detailed of Bill’s sculptures are generally produced in lime wood as it has little obvious grain to detract from the fine carving he incorporates into the finished article.  Other more stylised sculptures, such as the swimming otter (left), can be carved from a wood such as camphor laurel, which has a more pronounced grain.  The simplicity of the style shows the grain of the wood to its best effect.

Bill’s laminated originals are usually carved from birchwood.  Bill cuts out sections of wood to a previously designed template and these are then glued together in layers to create one piece of laminated wood.  This method enables sculptures of virtually unlimited size to be produced and results in greater strength and stability.  Once the piece has been carved, sanded, oiled and waxed, the grained effect of the layered wood can be seen at its very best. The sheen adds to the finished piece.

Bronze resins (or ‘cold cast bronzes’), look almost identical to bronzes but they are made of polyester resin with bronze powder and colour added.  Bill’s bronze resins cannot be compared to the cheap ‘plastic’ imports which are available everywhere.  These resins are substantial in weight and quality and all the fine detail of Bill’s carving are evident in the finished product.  We are confident that you will not find anything else that comes close in quality to Bill’s bronze resins.

Bill makes the moulds and produces the bronze resins himself, which gives him greater control over the final product.  Using the wooden original, which he has carved, Bill makes a silicon mould of the piece and then strengthens the mould with a casing, usually of fiberglass.

It takes many years to perfect the art of mould making, which is no mean feat in itself, and creating a mould from some of Bill’s more complicated sculptures can take days.  In a limited edition of 20, more than one mould is usually required, especially on the more intricately worked pieces. 

Once the mould has been made, the resin/bronze mix is poured into the mould and left for twenty-four hours to cure, before the cast is removed and fettled.  Fettling is the process of cleaning the product and making good any air release holes or seams.  The cast is then wire-wooled, which exposes the bronze, and waxed, before being numbered and initialed by Bill.

Bronzes are made in the ‘lost wax method’ at a foundry.  From Bill’s carved piece, a silicon mould is made and a wax cast is taken.  Fitted to the wax cast are wax rods, called sprues, and a funnel-shaped cup, into which the bronze is eventually poured.  These rods allow any captured gases to escape.  The piece is then coated with a ceramic liquid and, once it has a ceramic shell, it is fired in a kiln.  The shell is baked in the firing and the wax runs out of the mould, leaving a cavity in its place, hence the term “lost wax”.

The ceramic shell is removed from the kiln and the molten bronze is poured into the mould.  Once cooled, the ceramic shell is cut away and the cooled bronze is now a replica of the wax cast, including the sprues and funnel, which are then removed.  The piece now undergoes a process of grinding, chasing, sanding and polishing to make the bronze look exactly like Bill’s original piece.  The bronze is then treated with chemicals and heat to achieve the desired patination before it is sealed under a wax coating.

Bill carves many of his originals to commission, but generally designs his own pieces for reproduction.  His bronzes and bronze resins are produced in limited, numbered editions and a certificate of authenticity, which is numbered and signed by Bill, comes with the piece.

Bronze resin is usually available but if you are interested in a piece in bronze, please contact us, as these are produced to order.

Before Lesley creates a new piece of sculpture, she researches the subject by viewing the animal in captivity or the wild, by studying photographs (in many cases, her own photographs) and film.  Lesley is a gifted artist as she is able to sketch images of the subject which, up until that point, had been a mere picture in her mind.

For her more complicated sculptures Lesley first makes a small scale model (maquette).  Her sculptures are then constructed in clay with a wire armature (skeleton) for the larger pieces.   On completion the sculpture is exposed to the air and dried to “leather hard” stage.  At this point a mould can be made.  The mould is made from silicon rubber and is strengthened with a casing, usually of fibreglass. The original clay is then removed from the silicon mould, and the bronze/iron/marble resin is carefully poured in and left to cure.  The cast is removed from the mould and chased.  For her iron resins, Lesley exposes the sculptures to the open air which allows the pieces to weather and take on an “aged” appearance.  Once she’s satisfied with the colour and the piece overall, it is waxed, numbered and initialled by Lesley.

Lesley’s endearing sculptures are suitable for display in the home, conservatory and the garden.

Martin has been specialising in wooden flowers and vases for nearly twenty years.  He uses timber, which is a sustainable, tactile and eternal material, many sourced locally to his workshop in Buckinghamshire.  Many different species of hardwood are used, with the natural colours and grain effects of timber adding to the beautiful effect of the completed work.

Martin begins by developing a pair of tulip heads.  Over the years he has improved his purpose-made jig, which holds each pair of tulip heads snugly, then offers them up to an inverted router.  This machine holds a specially designed cutter, which develops the petal shape of the tulip.  Martin then cuts the pair of tulips in half on a band saw, finishes the bases and adds the stem.

The vases are machined and tidied on a lathe, lightly sanded by hand for a smooth finish, and any excess timber is neatly trimmed off.

Martin cuts the leaves, made from maple, on a band saw, maple being particularly versatile and flexible enough to form the leaf shape without breaking.

The total unit is taken through to the finishing shop where lacquer is applied to complete the process.

The designs and finishes of the flowers (tulips, daisies and daffodils), leaves and vases have evolved over the years and are now available in a selection of natural woods as well as spray lacquered colours. 

Martin Jones’ wooden flowers make an attractive gift for yourself, a birthday, Christmas or Mother’s Day.  The wooden flowers provide a timeless piece of wooden art, with the added benefit that your flowers will stay fresh and upright and you will not have to top up the vase with water! 

Penkridge Ceramics (Lorraine Taylor and Nicky Smart) have been creating ceramic fruit for nearly twenty-five years.  Each piece is handmade and takes between two and three weeks to complete, allowing for the various stages of production. 

At the outset of a new piece, Penkridge Ceramics have to locate the ‘perfect fruit specimen’, which usually means it must be of an interesting shape and easily recognisable as being from an orchard rather than from a shelf in a supermarket.  Slightly larger than life pieces of fruit are sought, thereby allowing shrinkage in the clay at a later stage.  Penkridge Ceramics choose three or four pieces of fruit at a time before making moulds in Plaster of Paris.  The moulds will then be used for a set number of casts before being replaced in order to vary the shapes.  Each shiny conker in the horse chestnut range is hand rolled and undergoes three levels of glaze to create that exacting realism sought by Penkridge Ceramics.

Once the moulds have dried, each piece is cast using an earthenware slip, (liquid clay).  This is given time to cast in the mould, before the piece is turned out of the mould and fettled.  Fettling is the process of removing any seam lines on the cast piece using a metal modelling tool or sharp knife.  Some pieces are cast in sections due to the complexity of their design.  Prior to firing, the complex pieces are re-assembled.  The skills of the artists come into play as very intricate hand modelling is required to achieve their desired outcome.  The pieces are then sponged and left to dry.  This stage is known as greenware.

The next stage is the first kiln firing, called a “bisc”.  Next, earthenware glazes, devised by Penkridge Ceramics in their studio using a variety of raw materials and colours, are fired at a lower temperature than the bisc firing.

Each piece may have several layers of glaze applied, giving the piece depth, colour and texture.  Each piece is hand painted, with the blemishes and markings created using various methods, such as brush and sponge, to name just a couple.  Again, the skills of the artists come into play here, as they make every piece individual.

At this stage, the glost kiln is carefully packed with the pieces ready for firing.  Some of Penkridge Ceramics’ pieces undergo another glost firing to add extra blushes of colour which add to the bloom effect on the fruit.

The stalks are the last part of the process and are placed in the fruit once the fruit has been painted to its finished look. The stalk is carefully inserted. As these pieces are made by hand, on occasions the stalk will fall through the hole that has been left for it and into the piece of fruit. At this point, the fruit won't be wasted as considerable time has already been spent in creating the piece so far. Instead, a second stalk is inserted into the piece. So, if your piece 'rattles', it is not broken or of second quality; it is simply a handmade work of art ... or perhaps, as some say about a particular apple, if the seeds rattle, then the fruit is ripe!

The metal leaves and twigs are designed and produced by sculptor, Alan Ballantyne, using cast pewter.  As with the fruit, moulds are taken from actual twigs and leaves before they are cast and then hand painted.  The leaves and twigs add an ‘extra something’ to Penkridge Ceramics’ individual pieces.  They can give that final touch to a display of fruit or can stand alone as sculptured pieces in their own right.

Penkridge Ceramics have an international reputation selling in America and Europe.
The success of Penkridge Ceramics stems from Lorraine and Nicky’s artistic flair and attention to detail, thereby creating a product that represents the ‘real thing’.

This is one bowl of fruit that will remain as crisp as the day it was bought!

The artwork on each piece is designed and painted by the artist.  Each piece undergoes three firings.  All pieces are produced in limited numbers, ten or less, and are produced to a very high standard.  All pieces are numbered and signed by the artist.  The china is made in England using high quality white bone china, crafted locally to the artists.  Each three inch circular box comes in its own box with the name of the artist embossed on the lid.  A signed certificate of authenticity accompanies each piece.

Design	First Firing	Second Firing	Third Firing