Heron (Egyptian) Sculpture

Elizabeth is a metal sculptor living and working in Suffolk. Although her career has followed different paths, Elizabeth has always been passionate about art – particularly sculpture. Elizabeth initially trained at a contemporary dance school, the Laban Centre. At the time, the decision to study dance rather than art was difficult, but now, since moving over to become a visual artist, she is realising the value of her dance training in her work. Having been so immersed in a world of movement, Elizabeth’s work reveals a subconscious feel for movement and flow about every subject. Sometimes this intention comes as a surprise to her, not realising until after she has finished a work that it conveys the sense of movement but other times she is very conscious about wanting it to be a key element. Although she never pursued her dance career, it created a heightened kinaesthetic awareness that she is able to portray in her sculptures. Elizabeth discovered sculpture quite by accident while living in London. She and a friend were attending evening classes in London and decided to give a sculpture class a go. The class was plaster casting and carving and, from the start, she was hooked. Always having loved two-dimensional art, she was overwhelmed by the possibilities of a third dimension. Later, she enrolled in a metal sculpture class at Morley College and learned to weld and sculpt in steel. Around the same time, she learnt stone carving with Pat Rae and her early work often combined steel and stone. Shortly after that, Elizabeth moved to Suffolk with her husband, Mark. They are still living in the same 400-year-old house 23 years later. Working out of an old garage, one of her husband’s favourite photos is still of her in her studio, in overalls, welding while heavily pregnant! Working alongside her brother as Lark Valley Willow, Elizabeth spent several years creating sculptures from steel and willow. The company also creates bespoke willow fences, including one for Diarmuid Gavin for an ITV This Morning project.  Willow, being a natural material, provided a softness to Elizabeth’s sculptures. Currently she is preferring to create cleaner lines using just steel. Elizabeth is inspired by the natural world and is at her most relaxed and happy in remote spots of the United Kingdom with her family. After recently travelling to Wales, she came back inspired by the chough and peregrines on the mountains to create a series of crow sculptures..