Sharing the craft of sculpture

And now, four months on since Andrew – known as Stoneface – started his studio venue, visitors will be able to get ‘hands-on’, rather than simply looking at his work, by learning about carving and sculpting through a special workshop programme.

Andrew built his workshop eight years ago on land he’d bought, and set about developing the surrounding wood into a sculpture trail for him to display his work.

This includes two pieces which sit in the war memorial beside the trail on Storrs Lane.

Last September, Andrew launched the next stage of his vision, a studio gallery opposite the workshop designed to house some of his larger pieces but also to host visiting artists. Open to the public over the autumn and culminating in a Christmas weekend on the site, the Stoneface Studio and Trail has attracted a good deal of attention.

Andrew has been working with two Sheffield firms, PinkDotInc Design and Active Arts, to design a workshop programme which allows people to spend time on the site learning the art, skills and craft used by Stoneface, using natural materials found in the wood.

Marie Ellis, of Active Arts, said: “For years people have driven past the site and wondered what was going on there. Since Andrew decided to open it up to the public, there has been a hugely positive reaction to both Andrew’s work and the site, which very much go hand in hand. It’s now time for people not just to come but to ‘do’ and we’ve had lots of interest from people wanting to learn the skills and art of creating.

“So we have been working to create a participatory programme which will have something for everyone”.

The first two workshops on offer are a full day’s carving workshop led by Stoneface on Saturday, January 28, and a ‘social night’ sponsored by Bradfield Brewery on February 14, involving beer-tasting as well as a craft session.

Places on the carving workshop cost £90, while social night places are £35. Future plans include opening up the programme to schools, as well as holding live performances.

n Visit www.stonefacecreative.com or email [email protected] to book.