Spirit of Ecstasy

Spirit of Ecstasy , a 17ft tall tree stump carved into the iconic form.

Example cost for a similar sculpture – £20000 (with wood supplied)

This was one of my most challenging sculptures to date. The client had the most wonderful old oak tree that had unfortunately died. The tree surgeon who took the tree down had suggested he contact me to see if anything could be carved from the stem.

After a discussion they decided that 18ft should be left to accommodate a decent size sculpture.

After numerous designs had been suggested, they decided on the iconic Spirit of Ecstasy, the famous Rolls Royce figurine seen in various forms on the bonnet of several models.

It was a daunting first day, with such an enormous trunk to prepare, but the job went smoothly. To stretch the arms and head out of the confines of the log I needed to add pieces on.

I carved the arms upright, then partially severed them, pinned them at the shoulder, finished the cut and angled them back until they were in the right position, then pinned them in place with large bolts.

After 6 days of gruelling work, the client was over the moon with the result, and I have to say I was pretty chuffed too!