A series of blogs featuring animal sculptures created by chainsaw artist Simon O’Rourke, both real and fantasy
Last weekend Simon travelled down to Oxford to install his fairy sculpture and work on a lovely new commission for the Narnia Tree House. These Narnia beaver den sculptures are sure to delight anyone who is a fan of C S Lewis’ classic tales… About the Narnia Treehouse We couldn’t talk about the … Read more
If you had been traveling on the M6 last weekend you might have seen a strange sight. A pair of lion sculptures making their way to their home in Colchester! A Pair of Lion Sculptures: The Client The lions were commissioned by The Lion Brasserie in East Bergholt. It doesn’t take much of a jump … Read more
Back in February Simon began posting photos of a Lion sculpture Ihewas working on. Last week he was able to deliver and install the finished piece. Keep reading to find out more about the Sri Lankan Lion sculpture! The Beginning…. Simon was first contacted by this client at the end of 2019. She was … Read more
This week Simon was featured on the series opener of Amazing Spaces. It was a great episode, featuring some spectacular architecture and engineering. Simon’s contribution? A 7ft fire breathing dragon! The Clients Local couple Guy and Tracey commissioned the fire breathing dragon. They were renovating a former bakehouse, and it was to be the finishing … Read more
It’s a day late, but Happy St George’s Day to my English friends! It’s actually quite the week for important days. The Queen’s birthday, St George’s Day, and the anniversary of both Shakespeare’s birth and death. Definitely lots of choice there for a blog that fits the calendar! We decided to balance out all the … Read more
One of the things that Simon was known for early on in his career was carving owls! Although he prefers human form, his attention to form, story, structure and detail mean he has created some incredible owls over the years. Some of them have become famous in their own right too, such a Ruby the … Read more
If you saw this Facebook post back in January, you’ll know that Simon’s first completed project of this year was the Capenhurst Woodland Scene. This sculpture was the idea of one person, but was made possible by community spirit and co-operation. It’s a lovely story, so we wanted to share it with you! Thanks to … Read more
Last night Simon was on ‘home territory’ as he took part in the annual Victorian Christmas market in Wrexham. Don’t worry though, he hasn’t traded his chainsaw for a stall and money pouch! Simon’s contribution to the evening was much cooler, if we do say so ourselves. He swapped timber for something much wetter, and … Read more
There’s something very poetic about this week’s featured sculpture, where a phoenix arises from a Douglas Fir. Unlike many commissions where a tree is damaged or diseased and a customer wants to turn it into something beautiful, in this case there was nothing wrong with the tree. Rather, it had simply become too big for … Read more
The Commission Last week Simon was in Surrey completing a private commission for a client: A Hydra rising from the ground. The nature of tree carving means really having to go with the flow. Or we should say, go with the grain. And the flaws. Plus the cracks and future cracks. The knots too. And … Read more