The Monumental Equine Sculptures of Nic Fiddian-Green

Working in a pastoral setting in Surrey, UK, sculptor Nic Fiddian-Green has been honing his skills as a master sculptor for decades with Andalusian horses as the main subject of his fixation. He’s spent a lifetime perfecting the art of the ancient “lost wax” technique after observing the fifth-century B.C. carving of a horse’s head, that belonged to Selene of the Parthenon, which was exhibited at the British Museum. Working in plaster, clay, marble and beaten lead, he masterfully mimics the form and structure of the equine head and then oversees the process of casting it in bronze on a large scale and infuses a viscerally ancient and powerful feel to his works.

These beautifully-rendered heads are displayed all over the world in noteworthy locales, and have received critical acclaim from far and wide. One of his sculptures, entitled “Still Water”, depicting the head of a horse drinking, is located right next to the Marble Arch in London and stands 30 feet tall. Celebrities fall over themselves to capture and collect his works, and he’s known to have sold to the likes of Ringo Starr, J.K. Rowling, Russell Crowe and Tom Cruise.

Of his massive work that can be found in Castello Di Reschio in Umbria, Italy, the artist states;

“At Reschio, I found new inspiration not only from the study of these wonderful Andalusian horses, but from the light, the smell, the hills, the sense of ancient peace that pervades the land from the days when St. Francis wandered through these hills, and before, way back to the time of the Etruscans. In fact the very air that fills this land upon which Reschio sits has ignited a new fire in my work.”

Check out his website to learn more.

The Marvelously Surreal Wilderness: Sculptures by Ellen Jewett

There’s something to be said for obsession in the world of art. It’s what drives us to collect, cohere, and create. For Markham, Ontario native Ellen Jewett, her obsession with creating sculptural forms at a young age, and her love of biology are what propelled her into the wonderously surreal world of expressive sculpture that she thrives in today. Having studied Biological Anthropology and Fine Art at McMaster University, she took her education as the groundwork to spring her forward into full time studio work almost immediately after graduating with honours, and continues to expand her knowledge with apprenticeships, additional professional classes, as well as teaching at various levels.

For Jewett, according to her website bio, sculpting is all about the idea of life itself, and the subtleties of the nature of biology; it’s narratives, movement, balance, and emotions. There is no limitation to the medium in which she works – she bends the laws of nature to create her vision rather than be constrained by her materials. Her works are grotesque, and surreal, evoking the essence of the abstraction of biology and nature while effortlessly floating in an otherworldly ambiance.

Personally, the Slum Fox is my favourite. The expressive nature in which she constructs the forms and works with light and shadow is beyond compare. The details are so intricately crafted, and lend such a whimsical and fantastic quality – right down to the little clotheslines… they absolutely kill me. I wish this piece was still available because I would have bought it up in a heartbeat.

Check out more of her amazing pieces on her website.

Buy from her Etsy shop.

Check out her Deviant Art gallery.

Keep up to date on exhibitions on her blog.