Highland Cows & Bulls

Living next to Angus Cows and near Highland Cows gives me all the close up inspiration one needs to get down and dirty with clay and the cow on the kitchen table – just kidding!

There is no escaping the fact that Highland Cows are ridiculously cute. With their shaggy coats and just-out-of-bed   teddy-bear appearance and long curving horns, they are just highly photogenic creatures. Their iconic features allow the highland cow to survive harsh winters and tough environments.

Their thick woolly undercoats keep them warm, while the longer guard hairs shed snow and rain. They use their big horns to forage for food in snow or simply just to have a good scratch!

The Angus Cows are sensitive and gentle creatures, even although they look quite fearsome.

Cows are pretty family orientated.  The females in the herd for example, watch out for each other and their calf’s.

Cows wait on each other and bray to one another to congregate back into a herd.

The Scottish bull is king, in the countryside. In his magnificence, he swaggers quite uncomfortably over ground with his bulging weighty muscles on his overstretched frame.

I like to create my sculptures initially using clay, where I build many of them independently without moulds or wire structures. Bigger sculptures or more physically challenged posesd sculptures however, require additional support, where an armature is constructed to help for strength and balance.

I love to use my creative intuition and develop my work through my own essence. Ultimately bringing that thought, idea or emotion into a physical existence.

I find clay such a tactile and pliable material where it helps me to be fluid and creatively evolve. I am always intrigued to prise out the spirit of what I have in front of me, bringing it to life.

All of my ceramic works are individually created in clay, then fired in a kiln to be created into a ceramic sculpture and glazed accordingly.

Other great options are: using Bronze Metal, which is using the lost wax method cast at a Foundry or the Cold Cast Bronze method cast in epoxy and bronze powder.  A mould is created in both of these labour intensive methods and used as part of the bronzing processes. Various patinas are applied accordingly to attain the desired finished result.

Foundry Bronze sculpture lasts indefinitely and is considered an investment, considered by many to be the premier and most authentic sculptural material. It is much harder to repair than cold cast bronze if it is damaged, but damage is much less likely due to its strength and durability.

Foundry bronze is the traditional method of bronze casting, using the lost wax process – used by sculptors in ancient Greece. The bronze is melted at extremely high temperatures and then poured into a ceramic mould.

Cold Cast Bronze is made of real bronze powder, mixed with various epoxy or another resins and poured into a rubber reusable mould. Bronze powder is also additionally applied to the surface which is coloured or patinated. Casting a cold cast bronze sculpture is faster and less expensive than casting bronze metal. It can have the weight of a Foundry Bronze sculpture or indeed lighter, depending on the size or individual preference.

It is very robust and can last outside in the garden years. Some last between 25 to 50 years. While some cracking and patina discolouration may occur over time, is easily repaired.

Displayed indoors: treated with care can last indefinitely. It is more fragile than foundry bronze and knocking or dropping can break or crack vulnerable parts of the sculpture. However, it is easily repaired and is a fantastic bronze substitute. It’s generally very durable and much more affordable.

If you are interested in having a bespoke sculpture created in the various Bronze options, please get in touch where we can discuss in further details the various methods and prices available.

Bust of  Bull Prices:

Ceramic £3000-£4600

Cold Cast Bronze £6000-£8000

Foundry Bronze £8000- £12o00

Prices will vary depending on size. If I were to do a full size the price would be considerably higher.

If there are any limited editions agreed from a commission, the original price could be lowered and further editions maybe also be at a lower cost. I like to set a limited addition of 12  sculptures, which can be sold independently to customers or in a few selected Art Galleries.

Commissions usually take around 6 – 12 months to complete.
I ask for a 50%  deposit, to secure a commission for the various methods and processes required.

During the process of a commission being created, I can keep you updated with photographs and videos. If you wish me to commission a particular pet or animal, I can meet with you and your beloved pet at your home or elsewhere.  If you wish to have a commission created for you garden or estate, I can also pay a visit to discuss the best option and impact for its size, pose and location.

If you are interested in having a bespoke sculpture created in the various Bronze options or indeed a Ceramic, please get in touch where we can discuss in further details the various methods and prices available.  There may also be limited editions available to purchase.

Contact to Buy here