Unicorn dust is, of course, understandably rare. I spotted a splendid seventeenth century unicorn in the City of London inside the church of St Mary Abchurch, but sadly for my purposes the unicorn was far too well dusted.
While I was in the church, three visitors arrived, each of them wearing a small but exquisite pearwood carving in their lapels. They were at the church to discuss an upcoming Grinling Gibbons festival to be held here in 2021, celebrating his three hundedth anniversary, as the church’s reredos is the work of Gibbons.
One of these three visitors was twenty-first century master carver Hugh Wedderburn. After we chatted, he very kindly invited me to his east London workshop and studio, offering me some wood dust for my Museum of Dust.
His studio, situated roughly on what were once two Roman roads, smelled of forests and woodlands. Hugh sits and carves by what was once a shop window, elaborate flowers and foliage emerging from pieces of lime, pear, mahogany, Russian Redwood and oak. Infant trees were growing in yoghurt pots in his studio. ‘One day they’ll replace the wood I use,’ he said.
Pingback: Introduction to Sally Kindberg’s Museum of Dust | Sally Kindberg's Blog
Your blogs are wonderful reads and I love them. Your illustrations/artwork are/is unique and I love them/it. Thanks and thanks again David
Thank you for such a lovely comment, much appreciated