Animal Magic

I love it when a big box arrives at the gallery.  There is always a guarantee of goodies within!

I love to slowly and carefully unwrap the layers of bubble wrap and discover each piece.  This can almost be as good as unwrapping pressies on Christmas morning!

And look what have climbed out of the box! This ceramic rabble are beautiful hand-built sculptures by Lancashire artist Christine Cummings.

I have always loved Christine's work.  She lives in the countryside, so source material and inspiration are never far away - a cow in a field, sheep and their lambs, a scratching chicken, or a dog lolloping down the street!

I confess to being a massive animal lover and I like Christine's work so much because it manages to avoid the twee element that sometimes creeps into animal sculpture.

Sketching from life is also an important part of her work.  She observes from nature, and manages to capture the life and character of the animals without anthropomorphising them.

The sculptures are skillfully hand-crafted and raku fired, giving them this beautifully random crackled finish.  The finish is muted and gentle, making way for the movement and character of the animal. The regal pussy cat, the playful puppy, or the soporific sheep.

These beautiful pieces will be residing in the gallery until each and every one of them finds a good home!

Thanks for reading!


Natalie