Damaged nodding angel statue This nodding angel made everyone who saw it in my repair shop smile. Smiles are something we have all missed, having worn masks for far too long, so his arrival was more than welcome. I wondered how many children over the years would have enjoyed popping a penny into the mission box, to see the angel nod its head in approval; such a simple thing that brings to mind our guardian angels encouraging us to do good. How old is the angel? The nodding

Art and ancestors My dad didn't want me to work with plaster as he had done. He said it was messy and dusty and he wanted something...

Sanctuary Angels broken wings restored Lewis & Lewis

The first statue of Our Lady of Lourdes The statue at the grotto of Lourdes is the work of sculptor Joseph-Hughes Fabisch. He was renowned as a professor at the École des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, and became its director in 1874. The statue is his most famous work. It was commissioned by the Lacour sisters who wanted a statue faithful to Bernadette's description. A small plaster statue had been placed in the grotto which seemed inadequate for the growing numbers of the faithful t

Ireland has three Patron saints; St. Patrick, Saint Columcile, and Saint Brigid of Kildare. This statue of St. Brigid had been restored...

Our lady of Lourdes restored for the shrine of St. Walburg's shrine church in Preston Artists throughout the ages have striven to depict the beauty of the Blessed Virgin. Historically she is often portrayed with a delicate chin, large eyes and small mouth. In iconography Her large eyes suggest contemplation of God, and the small mouth, the few words Mary spoke. Heaven itself has helped us to know the face of Mary; she has appeared in apparitions throughout the world, but mos

St. Anthony is a familiar figure in our churches, he either holds loaves of bread, or is depicted holding a book, with the infant Christ...

A forlorn shrine is brought back to life! Fr. Byrne's outdoor statue of Our Lady was on the cusp of being unsalvageable. She was much-weathered, having lost her nose along with several rosary beads. Parishioners attempts at re-painting her had also not been favourable. The statue had been at the parish many years before he arrived. Having inherited it, he wanted to preserve it for the parish if possible; and sent the statue to us with the understanding it may be beyond saving

And Prayer for the conversion of England. In 1381, England was troubled by the peasants revolt against their landlords. The 14 year old...

Making a statue of St. Catherine of Alexandria Statue of St. Catherine for Burbage church Making the statue of St. Catherine of Alexandria Earlier this year,(2017) Reverend Hall commissioned me to make a 44 inch statue of St. Catherine of Alexandria for his parish (of the same name). Reverend Hall sent me some photos of a carved wooden flatback of St. Catherine, which he had admired. This gave me a starting point to supply some sketches of how the finished statue might look.

Carved in Belgium 1858, restored in the U.K. 2018 ​Father wanted his Gothic stations of the cross to look as beautiful as possible. Created in 1858, the stations needed a sensitive approach to refurbishment, ensuring any new repairs married well with the age of the artworks. Make do and Mend The stations had been restored once before, in 1948, just after the war. During this period, some makeshift changes had been made, the bright colours of the frames had been painted over i

Praise Him with Strings and Pipe! This Nativity shepherd is from a 40 inch plaster nativity set. It had become rather grubby and damaged...

Appreciation for the art of Saint Supplice One producer of religious statuary, which I encounter often, is "Maison Raffl". The studio had...

Replacement hand made for statue of Our Lady Mother When Fr. Simon brought this statue to us for repair, it came with lots of "extras"... "Extra" layers of paint, "extra" dust, and "extra" beads. The beads were mostly fragments of costume jewellery; the centre of the crown was filled with an abundance of silver "pearls" nesting in its centre. One bead was decorated with the word "Mother" which was touching to find. The hand which held a sceptre was missing. Queen of Heaven

Explaining the image of Our Lady of Walsingham In the year 2015, at the request of the Carmelite sisters of Prenton; I Created this 24 inch figure of Our Lady of Walsingham. The figure itself was made from a variety of lightweight components for ease of carrying in the annual procession. ​​The statue now resides at the Monastery of the Ascension, Birkenhead. SYMBOLISM OF THE IMAGE The throne displays seven rings on the two upright pillars. These pillars represent the church