Hilary Frew RBA

My work starts with modelling in plasticine; wired figures are manipulated until the composition satisfies from every viewpoint. I then carve this into wax, forestalling future problems. When happy, I make working drawings to scale and am ready to draw all over the stone. I now use my mechanical electric chisel (rather noisy), or my preferred hand tools, the steel claws, chisels and punches, and different sizes of mallet to remove any parts of the stone not required. There are hazards such as fossils and flaws in the stone, which have to be accommodated or avoided. When completed, after four or five months, a mould is taken from the stone for a small bronze addition. I usually have three carvings to my work at any one time. I have used many materials and methods, such as wax modelling for silver work, weldings (sold by Liberty’s), and portrait work.