the figure of Christ, darkened by candle soot and detritus, was not easily seen against the dark canopy.

Working as a Religious artist was never presented to me as a viable career path...

A son's gift We were asked to restore this carved wooden statue of Saint Joseph and the child Jesus by a local man, who had bought it some years ago in an antique shop for his mother. The seller had said it was carved in France, and hailed from the 1850's. As we regularly restore statuary from this period, I'd happily agree with the seller's appraisal. It had not fared well over the years. It stood 57 inches tall and around 30 inches wide. Only experience can tell if a statu

The crucifix painted by the Master of the Blue Crucifixes was discovered by an art collector in a convent garbage skip! Little did the...

Restoring a Baby Jesus figure This Bambino was produced by Maison Rafl studio. Its broken arm had been covered in a resinous clay, which...

This statue of the Sacred Heart was purchased to complement the figure of Our Lady either side of a sanctuary. It seemed a good fit. Except for the colours of course. The statue had a few problems, missing fingers, and a wonky heart that didn't seem to belong. That is, the heart had been placed askew, in order to accommodate the sway of the mantle. The question "What were they thinking" often comes to mind, but its a wasted pursuit - we will never know! Perhaps the heart was

Birmingham oratory crucifix & canopy after restoration It was a cold wet morning in early March when we drove into the greyness of the Birmingham Oratory car park. Passing under the archway into thecourtyard, we were met with a neat Italianate courtyard. The warm greeting we received from two of the brothers helped to shrug off the cold weather (which had felt all the colder for the early start we'd made from Liverpool that morning.) Weathering The brothers directed us to the