Natalie Staniforth: Sculptor

2010 London ice festival

sirren — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:39:58 +0000

In Canada Square gardens on Canary wharf 5 teams battled the rising temperatures to sculpt 2m high blocks of ice before the rain and heat eroded them. Italy, Netherlands, France Spain and UK all brough different projects to the festival, the theme was “cool trading.” After all of the freezing weather the Uk has had over the last month it was a shame that during the festival temperatures never fell below 0, but we all enjoyed it immensly anyway! The public seemed to be happy with our performances too when ever I looked up there were a crowd watching and even more taking photographs. Here are just a ew pictures from the 2 day event.

Next stop Japan for the Asahikawa festival in Feb this year. We leave on Monday so keep your fingers crossed for us!

Second portrait commission.

sirren — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:55:19 +0000

Finished and sending it off to the foundry this week, Antonia the sister of the last portrait of Honor.

Ruta del Arte, Castelló d´Empurias 2a

sirren — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:42:17 +0000

We have just finished exhibiting in the second Art route in Castelló D´Empuries, Spain. Along with 30 artists from Cantabria and over 30 from Alt Emporda we filled the whole village with fantastic works of art. The standard was extremely high and the turn out from the public fantastic, I hope that we have beaten last years 4500 registered visitors. The initiative is inspired and led by Anna Maria Constanseu, who is a painter with enormous energy and drive and without whom I´m sure this fantastic exhibition would never have got off the ground. I was exhibiting with my lovely partner Bruno Fleurit who also worked in the exhibition space and answered questions about how, what and why we do what we do. Here are just a coupld of pictures of what was an extremely successful exhibition for us both.

Penza stone symposium, Russia September 2009

sirren — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:54:38 +0000

[View with PicLens]

When I was accepted to go to Russia for the Penza sculpture symposium I imagined an industrial city and cold weather, I could not have been more wrong! We were situated by a lake in beautiful countryside and the weather was so warm I came back browner than I went, and that was after a Spanish summer. We were a total of 47 artists from all over the world. Eight artists working in metal, six in wood, one in bronze and everyone else in marble.

My block was smaller than I had asked for so I obliged to make it with a stand under but in the end as we lost one day to travel one to rain and one to lack of power it may have been a good thing in the end. As it was I worked from 8am to at least 7pm everyday, yes even Sunday! The machines were big the stone was hard and I am now too big around the back for several of my T-shirts but it was great. Ii have to say a big thanks to all the other sculptors who gave me advice and lent me their tools especially to Pedro who introduced me to working with wedges and has even made me a set since. Also a big thanks to Yuri and Valentina who organized it all and looked after us so well. Not only that but they provided local music to entertain and a record 5 birthday cakes in just 3 weeks. Overall I learnt so much and meet so many good people I can´t wait for the next symposium now, bring it on!! If you would like to see more pictures from this symposium and everyone else´s beautiful work please go to www.symposiumsculpture.ru

New portrait commission

sirren — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 22:15:41 +0000

Please click on the picture to see a larger version.

Russia

sirren — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:14:13 +0000

After a tough summer working two different jobs ( commissions in the morning and teaching afternoons,) I am off to Penza in Russia to tackle a 2m high block of marble, my idea of a rest? Well someone once said a change is as good as a rest, I suspect that someone was a slave driver and utter bathplug, but anyway I´ll test the theory. The symposium is oganized Yury Tkachenko and Valentina Dusavitskaya, both of whom I worked next to last year in Lapidiales. There are upward of 40 artists taking place and we have only 20 days to complete our pieces so watch this space and see if I survive it!

Update on Esbos

sirren — Tue, 12 May 2009 09:32:51 +0000

Esbòs was a success with a really fantastic interaction between the art work and the dancers and musicians. I have to say a huge thanks to Emma and Dolors who run El Paller and all of their dancers who worked so hard. Also to Roger and Edgar who played so brilliantly throughout. We had a good turnout especially considering Barca where playing during one of the performances!

Now we are hoping to move the whole exhibition to another gallery and are working on proposals and funding to make this possible.

As my first experience as curator it went well thanks to a wonderful lack of ego from the artists and every ones hard work.

Esbos collective exhibition

sirren — Wed, 06 May 2009 13:09:40 +0000

On 9th and 10th of May 2009 in Castello D´Empurias, Spain in the studio of El Pa ller dance group, is the first collective exhibition Esbos. Esbos is the name for the first movements of a dance or the first marks in a drawing, and it is the name of our exhibitbecause we made these marks together. It was my idea to create a circle of inspiration starting with the dancers and taken up by various artists and then passed back to the dancers and musicians. This is what we have done and on Saturday we will see if it has been a success. AT 19h and 21h on both days there will be live performances with a video show at 21h as well.

Artists taking part will be Sarah Molas, Albert Aparicio, Joseph Turbau, Bruno Fleurit, SIlvina Couste and Natalie Staniforth. Also the dancers of El Paller and musicians led by Edgar.

Biographies of artists.

Daily Mail Article Featuring Natalie

webmaster — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 17:04:43 +0000

Natalie from Sirren Sculpture is featured in this Daily Mail article about the Ice Carving Festival at the Natural History Museum in London, January 2009.

Second Video from London Ice Carving Contest

webmaster — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 17:58:12 +0000

Another short interview with Natalie.

[See post to watch Flash video]