Sea Shell

This was the very first piece I ever carved. It’s from a recycled totara post originally from the wharf in the Bay of Islands. I found it in an old woolshed and had stored it away, not knowing what I might use it for.

I was recuperating from knee surgery, and not being a very good patient I was chased out of the house by my wife. Fumbling around in my farm shed, I spied this old piece of totara in the corner and wondered what could I do with it.. No idea where it came from, but I saw a sea shell, and started chiselling away with my farm hammer and chisel plus a few other farm implements.

I was 34 years old and never done anything truly artistic before in my life.By the time I had finished this piece I had fallen in love with sculpting. I went on to do a series of sea shells in different woods, trying to match the wood with the shell shape. They were a great way to practice as each shell has two straight lines (yeah I didn’t realise that either) embedded in them.

My biggest surprise was that people liked them and wanted to buy them.