I came to stone carving after two decades in software engineering and data consultancy. In January 2023, I picked up hammer and chisel for the first time. By May 2025, I had won first prize in the Apprentice Category at the European Stone Festival, competing against 49 other apprentice carvers from across Europe.

My sculptural work draws on early 20th-century modernism—Gaudier-Brzeska, Brancusi, early Henry Moore—alongside medieval grotesques and Celtic traditions. I work primarily in British limestone, sandstone and slate, using only traditional hand tools. Every piece is carved by hand from start to finish—no machines, no shortcuts, just the steady rhythm that’s been used for centuries.

Design is always the starting point, never the destination. Working with natural and reclaimed stone means responding to natural inclusions, flaws and character as they reveal themselves. The stone has its own voice, and part of the craft is learning to listen.

Beyond my own sculpture, I teach stone carving from my Luddendenfoot studio. From complete beginners on half-day courses to corporate teams seeking creative away days, I share the fundamentals of working with hammer and chisel. Having started as an absolute beginner myself just over two years ago, I understand the learning journey—the initial uncertainty, the moment techniques start to click, and the quiet satisfaction of finishing your first piece.

I also take commissions for personal gifts, house signs, commemorative plaques, garden sculptures and memorials, and deliver educational talks for local primary schools about Stone Age tools and other traditional carving techniques.

Each piece, whether for teaching or personal work, is carved with the same consideration: what will this stone become, and how long will it last?