An array of beautiful sculpture filled our main gallery from March 16 to 27 with a dazzling exhibition of works in metal, wood, clay and stone by 10 members of the Hertfordshire Visual Arts Forum’s Sculpture Group.
The group includes some of Britain's leading sculptors, renowned practitioners in their fields. Derek Howarth, for example, worked with Henry Moore and developed a new way of using polystyrene for bronze casting.
He has completed many commissions for films, including all the Indiana Jones films, theatre, television productions, shopping centres, public buildings and exhibitions. He carved the coat of arms for the Prince of Wales’s investiture and the Fleur de Lys over the royal canopy at the investiture.
John Mills, who lives at Hinxworth, won the Royal Mint’s competition for the design of the 50p coin to mark the 25th anniversary of Britain's entry to the Common Market. His Monument to the Women of World War II is in Whitehall. Amid an array of other of his work in public places are the National Firefighters Memorial on the south side of St Paul's Cathedral, the William Blake Memorial at Blake House, London, and, more locally, the Risen Christ at St Mary's Church, Ashwell. His work is also in public places in the US and Argentina, and he is the author of many books on sculpting.
Dick Onians is the senior tutor in woodcarving at the City and Guilds Art School in London and has exhibited widely in the UK and abroad. His book on carving techniques was published in 1997. Mike Hardy is a lecturer and writer on ceramics. With two other Hertfordshire artists, he created two brilliant ceramic mosaic panels to enhance a recent development at Watford.
Welwyn Garden City-born John Spielman works in wood and has had one-man exhibitions across Britain as well as exhibiting abroad. His works are in private collections both in the UK and overseas. It is distinguished by the flowing planes that mean each piece has to be explored from all angles.
Terry Sadler makes sculpture in a variety of mixed traditional and man-made materials, using different formats and both two and three dimensions to represent the texture, temperature, light, and sound of a moving experience.Photography is an increasingly integral part of her practice.
Kathy Prest focuses on the human form and has exhibited widely across Britain. The winner of several prestigious awards, she also teaches sculpture.
Emma Sharman's Antix Studios is an eclectic art studio with a passion for sculpture and natural forms that designs and builds props, scale models and sculptures for museum displays, stage shows and exhibitions.
Debbie Bent primarily sculpts from clay. Benington-based, she has had exhibitions in Hertfordshire and London, and teaches on art courses in the county and at school workshops. She recently worked with young people in Royston to create a sculpture from their observation of small details around the town centre.
Janet Tranter works in clay and metal and also creates images in felt and fabric. Her work also includes atmospheric paintings in watercolour and acrylic, while her sculpture encompasses earthenware and stoneware, hand built sculptures and reliefs based on life. She creates vases, outside containers (frost proof) and garden sculptures.
These two further pieces are by Mike Hardy.
