Animals
A series of blogs featuring animal sculptures created by chainsaw artist Simon O’Rourke, both real and fantasy
A Beautiful Owl Sculpture in St Mawes
In July of this year, Liz and I travelled to Cornwall. My brief? To make an owl sculpture in St Mawes, a gorgeous village on the Roseland peninsula… BRAGANZA B&B… So how did an artist in Wales end up carving in Cornwall?When I blog about a sculpture, I always ask my clients how they heard … Read more
Crafting a Dragon Rider in the Heart of Drumheller Valley
This week, I returned from Canada, where I participated in Chainsaw Wizards for the first time. What a fantastic experience! It was my first time at the event, which began in 2022, and it didn’t disappoint. Keep reading to find out more about the event and the Dragon Rider sculpture I created… ABOUT CHAINSAW WIZARDS Before I … Read more
How I made a Unique Queen Bee Sculpture
One of the perks of my job is undoubtedly the travel. I’ve been fortunate to carve in some stunning places including Canada, the USA, Germany, Italy and most recently, Switzerland. However, it is also a real joy when somebody local commissions a sculpture, and it’s one of those local commissions that I’m sharing in this … Read more
Unique Pine Marten Sculpture for the Forest of Dean
2025 got off to a busy start, both in the studio and out and about with some on-site projects. One of those projects was in Gloucestershire where Paul and I created a unique pine marten sculpture in the Forest of Dean… ABOUT THE FOREST OF DEAN The Forest of Dean is approximately 42 square miles … Read more
A Beautiful Koi Sculpture for Chalfonts Captured
Back in September I had the pleasure of travelling down to Chalfont St Peter for a commission. I stayed with my clients Gillian and Kevan at their stunning property while I worked on the commission. As well as being a fun commission, the place is incredible so I knew this one needed a blog! I … Read more
Fantastic Family of Wyvern Sculptures for Powis Castle
In May I had the pleasure of creating a family of wyvern sculptures for Powis Castle. As is becoming more common for me, I shared the process and progress on social media each day. They were so warmly received (thank you!), they definitely needed their own blog… THE COMMISSION The commission for the Wyvern sculpture … Read more
A Commemorative Sculpture of Blackie the Warhorse
One of the highights of summer so far for me was making and unveiling a commemorative sculpture of Blackie the warhorse. I’ve made several memorial sculptures related to war like the Highclere Castle airman and WWII soldier in Workington. This was the first time making one for a military animal though! I love history so … Read more