Kevin discovered wood carving and sculpting in 1980s, as an adaptation to back injury, in the midst of a landscape gardening career. A background in craftmaking and whittling by campfires during years of travelling in the bush, helped spark a creative new phase which has led to nearly thirty years’ work as a dedicated sculptor.
He made the move from Melbourne to rural Landsborough in 1989, setting up a sculpture workshop, developing the garden to display outdoor work. Then came a small gallery to show off indoor sculpture, and provide travellers and art lovers with another good reason to visit the town while exploring the Pyrenees and Grampians area.
Kevin’s diverse range of style, form and scale covers semi-abstract figures in limestone and marble, and finely crafted timber pieces, including beautiful practical handworked utensils in reclaimed wood.
Kevin exhibits and sells his work both here and in Melbourne, and engages in tutoring students (all ages and stages). He has completed numerous Artist in Schools programs throughout Australia. He demonstrates his art at public events, participates in public sculpture symposia, inspired by his first experience representing Australia in the International Sculpting Symposium in Lebanon in 2001. After taking part in “Live Stone Art 2002” in Oamaru, New Zealand, he helped initiate (with Country Arts SA , in 2003) the first in a tradition of biennial symposia at Mount Gambier, S.A., highlighting the magnificent versatility of local limestone, and attracting artists from Australia and overseas.
Kevin has life membership of the Association of Sculptors of Victoria, where he is able to mentor and share skills with both professionals and amateurs, and takes part in regular exhibitions in Melbourne.
In his local district Kevin has devoted many years to cultural alliances, including committee work for Ararat Regional Gallery; adult education, with the (former) Stawell Community Learning Group; Community Building projects in Landsborough, Landsborough’s Summer Arts Festival: hosting an Art Exhibition for regional artists for 20 years until the finale in 2010.
As an artist, he explores the relationship between the natural world and the creative mind. The three dimensional quality of sculpture is ideally suited to revealing the complex layers of meaning in nature. Often inspiration comes from the form of the raw material, especially with “driftwood” or windfalls; other times the challenge is to dream a concept, watch it evolve and become part of that process, especially with stone (limestone in particular).
Sculpting is a physical and mental process where energy is passed from the artist, through the material to the viewer. The work is most rewarding when a viewer is drawn by the sensual nature of the sculpture to handle and stroke it. This is the connection he is seeking ~ together artist & viewer shares a glimpse of the timeless, the world of the spirit.