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working without preconceiving
thoughts on carving alabaster
interest and inspiration
Henry Moore on Giovanni Pisano
quotes I like
literary and biographical
writings of Harry Everington
Gislebertus of Autun: 'Eve'
William Congdon on painting
Kathleen Scott on sculpture
Alan Thornhill on Portraiture
Alan Thornhill on creativity

ethos and influences
The left-hand column provides information about artist, experience and influences. Some open statements below: 

celebrating things living and communicating

non-conceptual - acceptance that work stands alone and needs no 'crutches' - unnecessary interpretation, borrowed landscapes, names and so on. 

paradoxically, acceptance that the selection of both carving blocks and of invited sitters is much more cerebrally involved. Part of keeping the buzz in the work. 

the only thing of importance is keeping exploring, working; 'professionalism' viewed predominantly as persistence, continuity and rigorous intent towards what one perceives as having qualities; artists need to legitimise their peace and quiet through whatever means they see fit

rejecting the concept of the maquette - the pre-conceived image - in favour of the potential for something more interesting developing

intrigue in the responses from diverse materials and how they contribute to the work

work needs to be viewed in the round, from all angles both near and further away

The Frink School is a figurative school, and such training gives understanding of one language of form, albeit one which we are universally familiar with (on both physical/anatomic and emotional/humanity levels). One might say that you cannot expect to simplify/distil the essence without an understanding of the complexities involved in what one is trying to convey 

'believability' - a rather naive measure of success/failure for my own work, probably based around some subconscious notion of order

an appreciation of not yet quite grasping what is happening in emerging works and that others' responses to work may help inform, over time

portraits - accepting that there are qualities that may emerge purely from rigorous observation without the need for anything but for what the sub-conscious can add; a conscious acceptance that those qualities have something to do with the natural abstraction or distortion that occurs between the eye seeing and the hand creating

close observation can yield subtlety, warmth and sensitivity; dexterity can only help qualities such as humility and tenderness in the work