Introducing – Helen Godfrey Wire Sculpture

Several weeks ago I introduced on my blog the fabulous work of Robin Wight, who then introduced me to the fabulous work of Helen Godfrey.

Helen Godfrey initially began using galvanized wire as an armature for her papier mache work, for which she won a bursary from Dorset Arts and Crafts in 1997.

With no formal training in the arts, Helen crafted her original work in papier mache in her home.

From early beginnings, she continued to experiment and was asked to exhibit her work at garden openings and craft exhibitions.

One day at a craft fair, she realized that people were more interested in the wire shape support than the papier mache itself.

A few commissions encouraged her to continue, and she went on to create a whole menagerie of wire animals and birds, and has recently moved onto human forms.

Wire is a notoriously difficult material to work with due to its inflexibility and strength.

Helen has since developed the wire as an art form in itself, with inspiration for her work coming from the surrounding wildlife where she lives in rural Dorset.

She has exhibited at garden openings, undertaken commissions for gardens across the UK & abroad, and also had work featured in publications such as The English Garden magazine and Dorset magazine.

Helen also teaches wire sculpture workshops at Walford Mill in Wimborne, Dorset.

It seems Mrs.Godfrey encountered the same problem as  many fellow artists before her:
“Dear Me,
Please stop making things that I don’t want to part with.
Yours sincerely Me”

Please, check Helen Godfrey’s website Wire Sculpture by Helen Godfrey and Facebook page Helen Godfrey Wire Sculpture for more information.

All images are courtesy of Helen Godfrey, and are published with permission.

Introducing – Fairies by Robin Wight

You never know what surprises the day has in store for you. So, when I woke up this morning, had my coffee and scrolled down my Facebook wall, I stumbled upon something so magical and magnificent, that it’s hard to find the right words.

These magnificent sculptures are work of Robin Wight, a UK-based Sculptor, who creates playful fairies out of stainless steel wires.

He builds dramatic scenes of wind-blown fairies clutching dandelions, hiding in trees, and seemingly suspended in midair. There is an unbelievable poetry of motion present in his work.

Of his inspiration:
“In 1920 two little girls photographed fairies at the bottom of their garden and created a news sensation. As we know, the photographs were fake, but the story captured the imagination of people who wanted to believe.”

“A couple of years ago, while trying out my new camera, I took the picture in the woods at the bottom of my garden. It was only later when looking at the results that I spotted the figure in the tree.”

“It’s obviously a trick of the light coming through the trees. What else could it be? Whatever it is, it captured my imagination and inspired me to use the idea in my sculpture.”
Although as a photographer I encounter tricks of the light too often, I would rather believe the real fairies decided to show themselves to Robin, knowing it would inspire him to create magic.
As his signature, he places a stone “heart” at each fairy’s core, sometimes engraving these hearts with messages. Imagine that, sculptures with hearts, elevating his art to another level.

What  better place to look for fairies than the bottom of the garden. You can find them at Trentham Gardens in Staffordshire, England, where there are currently 14 fairies hidden and waiting to be discovered.
I can’t remember when I felt so overwhelmed by art work, it seems like the portal opened between Earth and Fairy, and all the magical creatures decided to visit us for a while. I can only hope they spread around and land somewhere near Croatia, so I can see them in person.

On a more serious note, I truly hope this very talented artist has continuing success and joy with his exceptional work, without becoming too overwhelmed.

Please, check Robin Wight’s  website FantasyWire and  Facebook page Wire Sculpture by Fantasywire for more information.

All images are courtesy of Robin Wight, and are published with permission.

Il Grande Toscano

It’s interesting how we stumble upon impressive art pieces when least expected. I was out and about with my cousin, looking for a small restaurant in a quiet part of Milan, when we came across this very interesting sculpture in Piazza del Carmine. It looks like it was placed there by accident, forgotten, overshadowed by the beautiful architecture of the church of Santa Maria del Carmine. In truth, this is a masterpiece by Igor Mitoraj, dating back to 1986.

Igor Mitoraj (born March 26, 1944) is a Polish artist born in Oederan, Germany. He studied painting at the Kraków School of Art and at the Kraków Academy of Art under Tadeusz Kantor. After graduating, he had several joint exhibitions, and held his first solo exhibition in 1967 at the Krzysztofory Gallery in Poland. In 1968, he moved to Paris to continue his studies at the National School of Art. Shortly afterwards, he became fascinated by Latin American art and culture, spending a year painting and travelling around Mexico. The experience led him to take up sculpture.
He returned to Paris in 1974 and two years later he held another major solo exhibition at the Gallery La Hune, including some sculptural work. The success of the show persuaded him that he was first and foremost a sculptor. Having previously worked with terracotta and bronze, a trip to Carrara, Italy, in 1979 turned him to using marble as his primary medium and in 1983 he set up a studio in Pietrasanta. In 2006, he created the new bronze doors and a statue of John the Baptist for the basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Rome. Mitoraj’s sculptural style is rooted in the classical tradition with its focus on the well modelled torso. However, Mitoraj introduces a post-modern twist with ostentatiously truncated limbs, emphasising the damage sustained by most genuine classical sculptures.

Leanne Cole, a wonderful photographer from Australia, is hosting a weekly challenge on her blog Leanne Cole PHOTOGRAPHY called Monochrome Madness Challenge, where she features some monochrome photos from other photographers.

Be sure to check other amazing photos on her blog. If you want to participate, head over there and read instructions at the bottom of the post. I would like to recommend her blog to any aspiring amateur photographer, you’ll find many helpful posts and tutorials, but above all she is very open and friendly person.