Beautiful benches by West Berkshire wood craftsman
Not long now until the popular summer open air sculpture park pops up in the lovely grounds of historic Shaw House.
Last year, ‘Altered States’ attracted 14,000 visitors.
This year it will show 75 sculptures by 23 sculptors: a walk in the park for curator Jim Crockatt! Scroll down for our chat with Jim.
To give you a taste of what to look for, we are picking out some ‘sculpture shorts’ in the run up to the show.
Sculpture Snippet 3: Colin Underhay
Shaw woodworker - and Open Studios WBNH member - Colin Underhay has been making beautiful benches since 1990 as a development from constructing timber-framed buildings.
He makes them for himself and explores the design potential through shape, texture and pattern of the wood that he purloins from the forest and from friends.
Colin puts a basic structure together, then adds or subtracts as the eye takes him. He is adamant not to look at other craftsmen's work so as to keep his imagination in full unimpaired flight.
Colin also turns bowls, predominately from oak, using his own intuitive designs. Nothing comes between him and his wood except the enormous skills he has built up over the last 30 years.
Illustrated work may not be the actual work on show.
For a chat with Altered States curator Jim Crockatt click here
Sculpture Snippets 2: Bruce Garside: newburytoday.co.uk/lifestyle/mighty-oaks-from-little-acorns-grow-9375221/
Sculpture Snippets 1: Cheryl Gould: newburytoday.co.uk/lifestyle/myths-magic-and-mystery-sculpture-snippets-9375206/
Altered States Open Air Sculpture Exhibition runs from August 3 - September 29.
