Simon Keeley
Simon successfully mixes historic styled work, with contemporary designed letter carving and sculptural carving. ‘My heart will always be with historic interests and I think the best lessons are to be found in work by the old masters’.
He has had important stone carving commissions involving historic restoration work on the exterior and interior of Westminster Abbey and Westminster School. Prestigious commissions - involving historic settings, for a heraldic plaque for the Worshipful Company of Skinners in London.
Continuing with prestigious commissions, he is presently designing a large set of designs for a historic facade on Harley street in London, the brief is ‘healing plants’. He will be carving a layering of low relief ‘recognisable healing plants’ in Portland stone, later in the year.
He has been involved in public artworks, involving letter carving in various languages, in brick and stone in East Oxford in 2005. March 2008, sees me joining forces with designer of the ‘Soundwaves’ project –David Little, for a public area in Tower Hamlets, in East London. Here, as in at Oxford, he will be responsible for producing contemporary styled letter carving, in Cumbrian slate bench tops.
Since October 2003, he regularly demonstrates stone carving and exhibits, with Kaleidoscope Arts group at the October ‘Affordable Arts Fair’ in Battersea Park. Here he developed a range of abstract stone carved work, which sold successfully at various shows.
Teaching - Simon began teaching stone carving at the Art Academy from April 2006 until the present day. In February 2008, he started to teach stone carving on a 5 day course for the diploma students. He also runs very popular private carving courses and begins a teaching post at West Dean College, March 2008;his first course entitled ‘Introduction to Stone Carving’. At the end of August, Simons’ ‘Carving the simplified figure’ course completes his first year of teaching at West Dean.
July 2006, Simon was selected and successfully exhibited and demonstrated at ‘Art in Action’ at Waterperry gardens, near Oxford, here he was well received and will be returning in the future,
In May 2008, he will be promoting the ‘Surrey Artists Open Studios’, with a promotional ‘Art in Action’ styled event, with 6 other artists in Guildford. Where he will be exhibiting, demonstrating stone carving and also will be running short workshops.
Winchester Cathedral is to be an exciting event, in July, where Simon will be exhibiting and demonstrating with 8 Guilds of craftsmen, Simon being a member of the Surrey Guild of Craftsmen.
