My writing tries to focus on a single, dominant issue, using narrative almost as a parable or fable to invite the reader to think afresh about its implications, as well as, I hope, engaging them in an enjoyable experience.
My sculptures try to capture the patterns and forms taken up by old wood as it weathers and rots over time. I respect the natural form, whilst developing the lines and textures to reveal something which has grace and interest.
The idea of giving a new incarnation to old wood is very appealing to me. The piece begins as a total abstraction and, though some remain that way, sometimes the shapes, consciously or intuitively, begin to develop human or animal characteristics. Essentially, though, each piece is unique, having a morphology which is evolved as a contract between me and the wood itself.
To date I have made and sold around two hundred pieces, and yet nothing has repeated itself. The pieces vary from 10cm to over a metre high. They are normally in beech, oak, ash or sycamore, which are the most common trees in the woods around my house near Ambleside in the Lake District of Cumbria.
See my sculptures page for examples of my sculptural work, including those which are currently for sale.
Click here to see an article about my sculptures.
All images © Photography by Ward 2025. All words © Gordon Baddeley 2025