By whatever method works. Each sculpture is different and can sometimes call for innovative

means of construction, it is part of the fascination and why my interest in this way of working continues. The larger sculptures have a steel frame coated with fibreglass that gives a roughened surface which both disguises the steel and stops the wood from slipping when it is first held in position. It is then tied with wire until I am sure it is right before being screwed together with stainless steel screws. The screw heads are then covered with filler and stain.

My clients come from many different cultures but essentially they are all interested in contemporary art. A lot buy small bronze horses as gifts or commission larger sculptures in either bronze or oak to integrate into their landscape design or sculpture garden. There is a long tradition of sculpture and statues in large estates, almost every european town has several life sized bronze horses and increasingly there is interest in 3D art for hotel complexes and in wall reliefs for restaurants. I never imagined that anyone would buy original art through an online art gallery but to my astonishment nearly all of my sculpture now sells online. We do get a lot of visitors to my sculpture garden each autumn. 

Do you use symbols in your work?

NEITHER. Personally I believe that the very moment I become concerned about how others might react I have fundamentally lost my way and therefore the artwork is in grave danger of dilution or corruption.  I am not a spiritual teacher or a politician and have no interest in attempting to influence others.

Bert Jansch, the legendary guitarist, grew to fame precisely because he never worried about what others thought. His music was utterly his own, he gave everything he had to it.  I was privileged to witness it first hand. His unique musical genius was recognised and revered by many many great guitarists. I don't think any great artist, from whatever discipline, ever concerned themselves about what others thought. Do you imagine that Leonard Cohen, Miles Davies or Beethoven, to name but a few, worried about what others thought or tried to influence their thinking?

Do you do horse shows or is that venue beneath you?

What you say of galleries and clients is true in some cases.  Commercial galleries tend to know their client base and what price they can sell sculpture/artwork for.  It is a big mistake for artists to ever undercut what the gallery charges for their work. It is common for galleries to ask for exclusivity within a certain radius. It is largely a matter of negotiation. According to an artist's reputation or status the terms will vary. 

I can’t say what the art elite think of my work; I am sure some would dismiss it as popularist and one-dimensional, some will consider it craft  and others will laud it.  Three of my life-size driftwood sculptures were chosen to feature in  the shape of the century -  100 years of sculpture in Britain to celebrate the millennium in  London’s Canary Wharf alongside Henry Moor, Dame Elizabeth Frink and other luminaries, so from that I guess my work is largely considered to be fine art rather than craft. 

The defining distinction between craft and art is a debate that has gone on for years. I don’t get involved in it but have noticed that the big money tends to go on fine art, generally on the unique pieces or very limited edition promises.   Was Picasso an artist or a craftsman? Or even, according to some, just a con man.  

What about Michelangelo  or Leonardo da Vinci? It was the Church of Rome and the Medici that commissioned them, gave them strict briefs, ensured their survival.  Were they artisans or artists, were they artists whose apprentices and assistants were craftsmen?  Whose head would the axe fall on?

It is only in the 20th century that the possibility of even being able to think about an unrestricted life within the  arts has come about;. a life as an artist not limited to  portraiture for the court  and other wealthy patrons.

My own thoughts on the matter are that most artists  tend to be risk takers, and obsessives, they have little choice in this, they either  follow their art or become even closer to insanity and in the worst cases commit suicide. They give everything to their art, everything else, including families is cast aside, they will live in  in penury  rather than not follow their passion. They do not care what others think, they are not motivated by profit.  The terrible thing is that not all of them have the talent to look critically at their own work,  they are the truly unlucky. Very few artists succeed in a commercial sense. Some achieve financial stability within their lifetimes and the subsequent ability to pursue their art freed from the struggle to pay the gas bill.

The best of artists make works of genius; works that take your breath away from sheer beauty, works that shock, make profound social comment,  change the world, become icons that transcend fashion. Most artists will not be restricted by adhering to anyone  medium. Indeed from the medium is of little interest to them other than being a mere vehicle for their expression. Their creativity can be directed in almost any direction and some artists  span many disciplines moving freely between for example, painting, printmaking, ceramics, photography, sculpture, filmmaking, landscape gardening, music, composing, writing….. They will not be trapped into repetition.

Repetition could be said to be the province of the craftsmen or maker, as some prefer to be called, for whom the ability to hone their skill is a matter of well-deserved pride and their interest in the medium  it is often of overriding importance.

Most craftspeople tend to be better balanced and more conservative than artists

The craftsman’s road in buoyant economic times can be a relatively dependable source of income while at the same time satisfying their urge to make something original and creative with their hands. Craftwork generally appeals to the broader base of the population, is easy to understand, is not confrontational, and does not ask the viewer uncomfortable questions, prices are more affordable by most working people; but in lean economic times it is these people who feel the pinch more and stop spending. The rich don’t….. In some cases, they invest more heavily in art particularly while money markets are uncertain and not paying high interest.

The Road of the artist is uncertain but the rewards can be very high.  Their clients often number among the most wealthy in the world which is what enables artists to survive,  it could be argued, that without wealth there would be no art, as we know it, today.