Consider the Lilies of the Field

This blog talks about two of my favourite things ... flowers and tools! I've always adored the full bodied flowing curves of calla lilys and try to capture these in my metal lily sculptures.

The first image shows my interpretation of the lily shown in the second picture, which is one of my favourite lily forms. I think I've done a pretty good job in capturing its essence! One aspect of this flower that I particularly like is how the body subtly "necks in" just before it starts to flare out. I also especially like its rounded base. Another lily detail I like to feature is the "whorl" where one petal tightly curls inwards and the other petal curls outwards (technically a helical strake) as it swoops around the inner.

All too often blacksmiths can make lilies that resemble ice cream cones ... lacking the swoosh, flare and voluminous curves I've shown in the montage of real flowers. This blog showcases a selection of my sculptures inspired by these flowers.

Blacksmiths have always traditionally made their own tools and I've shown a selection of bespoke tooling I've made and developed over the years in my ongoing love affair with lilies.