Current Work

Sarah specialises in providing bespoke hand carved items ranging from lettering and relief decoration to producing architectural details such as corbel brackets and ceiling roses. 

By adding hand carved decoration, items that are otherwise plain and ordinary are transformed into unique pieces that are personal to the owner.  This applies just as much to everyday objects such as chopping boards as to more elaborate ornamental features to decorate the home.

Wood carving is incredibly versatile and Sarah can either work from existing designs you may have seen or create a completely new piece for you.

As well as producing the initial carved work Sarah can offer a variety of finishes including oil and water gilding using genuine Gold and Silver leaf.

 

Background

 

Sarah's interest in traditional crafts began whilst studying for A Levels in Art & History of Art at the Royal Latin School, Buckinghamshire. Through understanding how the country's great buildings were built and furnished, along with the reasoning behind their design, she developed an even greater respect for their creators and understood why it is important to maintain these buildings for future generations. 

 

IMG_0149 bandw.jpg

 From Buckingham she moved to Portsmouth to study a degree in Restoration and Decorative Studies at Portsmouth University.

During her time at University she was provided with the opportunity to hone her skills in both woodcarving and plasterwork. Her projects included 3-coat lime plastering, using the lime plaster she'd made from scratch using traditional recipes. She researched the historic and almost extinct technique of freehand stucco work, creating her own designs and experimenting with various recipes, including those that were used in the restoration of Uppark in Hampshire. 

Thankfully all that hard work paid off and she graduated with a 1st Class Honours. Sadly, her year was the last to complete this course as the University decided to end it in back in 2008.

From Hampshire she was on the move again, this time to Shropshire where she began work with a heritage company. Here she built upon her project managing skills and learnt more about the structural side of building restoration, particularly timber framed buildings.

Whilst she enjoyed her time in Shropshire, she decided that she was much happier in her workshop. After being based in West Sussex for 6 years, Sarah now calls Somerset her home. Based 10 miles from Bath, Sarah has plenty of inspirational heritage right on her doorstep, has established herself as a regular tutor at nearby Highgrove whilst continuing to produce bespoke commissions.