Since then I’ve usually managed to create a usable workspace wherever we were living; sometimes a cellar like in Wald Strasse, others a spare bedroom. Having moved regularly, both during my RAF Service days and the Civil Service period afterwards, as a mobile grade moving every three or four years, I became quite skilled at lashing something together quickly.
My current workshop here in Dorset is probably the best I’ve had, plenty of room and good (homemade) workbench space.
Nowadays I use a rotary tool called a Foredom for a lot of my pieces – the mallet and gouge routine has had to be much reduced due to the onset of Arthritis in my hands. Also for the same reason I’m tending to spend more time on the 2D wall hanging carvings as the stress on the hands is much less when working with smaller and thinner pieces of wood.
The aim of my carvings has always been to show the beauty of the timber – it is only recently that I have been able to make myself actually PAINT something that I’ve carved. My favourite timber has always been English Yew, Taxus Baccata, the contrast between the outer light coloured sapwood and the rich red of the heartwood is absolutely beautiful when polished.