August 2021: Ken Elliott

Artist Statement

Since 2018, after a career in engineering spanning the Cornish china clay
mines and Scottish petrochemical industry, I have focussed my creative energy into my
artwork.

My practice has developed from the production of pen and ink hand coloured
drawings, to computer controlled wood carving, and on to metal sculpture.

I enjoy experimenting with new techniques and along my journey I have assembled a
computer controlled cutting machine from its kit of parts into a working machine; then
pushed it to its limit to cut into plywood panels representations of my pen and ink drawings
in the shape of the monuments of Stirling. I have created wooden supporting structures
form my work making them into sculptural shapes in their own right using glued laminated
beam structures utilising their inherent strength and ability to be light weight and hold
curved and helical shapes. I have developed these further working with metal for my larger
sculptural works forming aluminium strips into long curved and twisted shapes.

My work is currently focussed on exploring ways to express some of the elegant
forms in the natural world using only a minimal set of curved three-dimensional
shapes, hand-formed in aluminium strips using simple tools.

www.northfieldartsandcrafts.co.uk