114 SIDELINES OCTOBER 2012
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
Tom’s talent seen in a 10-foot rearing stallion
three month sculpture. I am currently working on a large Hereford
Bull sculpture that is slowly growing into my favourite piece as I
get nearer to completing it. I love watching the larger pieces grow
over a number of weeks from a pile of rusty horseshoes into a
recognizable beast.
Have you ever created something and then been unable to
part with it? (Depends on how much it was worth I suppose
- being realistic!)
I have. In fact, I feel that with all of my sculptures. If at the end of
a project I don’t want to call the client and say “I’m keeping it” then
I feel that I have failed as an artist. I am my own best and worst
critic and if I’m not happy with it, the sculpture won’t go out of my
studio doors until I am happy with it. It is not so much about the
monetary value of the piece so much, as what the piece is worth
to me and how much time I have put into it. I work on every piece
thinking this may be the last time I get to create this particular
animal, so I strive to make it the best I can.
Where do you get all the horseshoes from or are they just
from a regular wholesaler?
All of the horseshoes I use have been used and worn. I get
them from local farriers who bring them to me. I am very lucky in
the fact that my studio is based on my parents livery yard where
there are about 80-90 horses. So there is always an abundance
of used shoes.
Have you ever been asked to create a piece out of the used
shoes/plates of famous horses? For example has anyone like
Paul Nicholls (Champion National Hunt/Steeplechase Trainer
in the UK) ever enquired about something made from the
shoes of Denman, Kauto Star and other stable legends?
I have created sculptures for some very successful trainers
and yards over the last couple of years but not for one particular
famous horse yet. It would defnitely be something that I would
love to do.
I have seen, admired and breathed over your work at
Burghley Horse Trials. How much money would I need to
have to buy a standard piece? An off the shelf item and how
much could I expect to be charged for a commission?
To be honest, I’ve been so busy over the last year that
I don’t have a single sculpture in stock. Everything is made to
commission, which is good in some ways because I can give the
customer exactly what they are looking for.
Price wise, for an average size dog sculpture you’re looking
at around £600-£800. ($740 to $985 US dollars.) For horses, a
life-size sculpture would start at around £10,000 ($12,000 US
dollars) and go up depending on breed, size, stance and fnish of
the desired horse.
Have you ever turned down a piece of work?
I have only turned down one sculpture, which was of a mermaid
and it was quite early in my career. I just didn’t think I could do
the piece justice for the budget set by the client. I would love the
opportunity again to create a mermaid to be able to say that I
fnally did it. We’ll see if I get the time (unlikely) then I will just
make her for myself.
Tom stands in front of his magnifcent creation of Pegasus
Continued on page 116