Jeremy is a long-time Barnes resident who, since retiring from an international career with Shell, has resumed an early interest in wood sculpture and carving influenced by Barbara Hepworth.

I try to bring out the natural qualities of different woods, with all their various grains, textures and inherent characters, in mainly abstract shapes that draw inspiration from nature. Doing so hopefully encourages wider appreciation of both the material and the trees from which it comes.  

Natural shapes are more sympathetic and I find them much easier and more rewarding to cut than the precision work required in carpentry.

I don’t use power saws. Indeed, I’m not keen on saws at all. Yes, they save time, but all too often I’ve found I’ve cut more than I would have liked. For me it’s better to start with a mallet and gouge chisel, then with a round Surform.

Occasionally I use an electric planer, but for roughing out rather than as it is meant to be used. I finish with power sanders. Convex surfaces are easier, but for concave shapes, flap sanders are particularly useful.

Dust is a major problem, and masks are necessary but they are a real nuisance as my glasses keep steaming up. And I have to screen off the rest of the garage to keep at least some of the dust off my wife’s car.

I sometimes say that I spend my time making wood chips and sawdust, and in the process hopefully an attractive shape might emerge. But sometimes it just doesn’t work out ….

It’s hard to say how long a piece takes. I’m usually working on several at any one time; sometimes it seems obvious to me where a piece should be going, so I focus on that. At other times I get stuck, and then it’s best to it to put it aside and work on something else for a while. And occasionally I even revisit a ‘finished’ piece if I think a curve or shape could be improved.

A lot of the wood I use comes from Barnes Common. I've spent a lot of time volunteering with Friends of Barnes Common over the years, and they are very supportive. One big piece I made came from a tree branch that had fallen in a storm and been sawn up for disposal. I pondered it for months before deciding that I could make something from it. I was highly flattered that the resulting work won the Sarah Myerscough Award for sculpture at Barnes Artists Summer Show in 2021 (pictured below).

Fallen wood is an important habitat for wildlife, but there’s no shortage of it on Barnes Common and walking our dog still gives me a good excuse for looking around. If I sell anything made from wood found on Barnes Common, I give Friends of Barnes Common 10% of what I get.

Other wood comes from the river. Quite large bits get washed up on the Small Profits slipway, about 100 yards from where I live, and I keep an eye open for promising pieces. It’s good to keep them out of the river. If a rowing boat collided with one, it could do quite a bit of damage.  

My ‘workshop’ is the end of our garage. I whimsically call it Small Profits Studio, which seems appropriate in more than one way! My wife commissioned a ceramicist friend of ours to produce a plaque with the studio name on it as a surprise birthday present.

I’ve picked up other pieces of wood while working abroad. For example, I bought quite a few pieces of yellowwood, the national tree of South Africa that was widely used in construction. I’ve done some pieces carved from old building joists where the black marks on some edges were made by the nails used to attach the floorboards. 

Then in the Netherlands a yew tree was being cut down close to our office, and I collected half a dozen lengths of the trunk. It’s only since I retired that I’ve had the time to work on these.

I first became involved with Barnes Artists by chance. I was waiting with our dog outside Natsons for the Evening Standard a few years back when someone mentioned a Nassau Road resident who painted portraits of dogs. I was looking for a birthday present for my wife, so I went round and knocked on the door. A lady answered … and Katie James’s resulting portrait was a great success!

I mentioned to her that I did wood carvings and sent her some pictures. And I was flattered to be accepted into a group of very talented people. Even then I never imagined that anyone might buy my work but in less than three years I’ve sold more than a dozen pieces.

All the Barnes Artists members are really friendly and very supportive of each other – there’s no hint of rivalry and they all celebrate each others’ successes.

Anyone who lives in Barnes knows the various local groups all overlap and intersect, and I think that building these links strengthens our community as a whole. I’m currently hoping to develop some projects involving Barnes Artists and the Barnes Bowling Club (based behind the Sun Inn) which is celebrating its tricentenary next year.