Nicolas Moreton

Nominated for the National Sculpture Prize, 2010

I was first introduced to the magical medium of stone over 26 years ago by a master of the medium, John Paddison RCA. The love and passion that I saw through his eyes now resides in me. Anyone who “gets” stone knows this feeling. Carving is by its nature an emotional and at times passionate affair. Ideas run through hand and eye. This intimate conversation empowers my thoughts from the aggressive, explosive start to the tender finale. As a British carver I still enjoy the versatility of British stones, which is why I keep coming back to working Ancaster Weatherbed limestone from Lincolnshire. This sturdy stone has a resistance and personality I enjoy, allowing the hand carved chisel marks to have a voice. My work centres itself around growth and fertility themes that are strongly echoed in my works at Asthall this year. http://www.nicolasmoreton.com