Nicola Henshaw - wood sculptures

Nicola Henshaw trained in Three Dimensional Design at Wolverhampton Polytechnic and graduated in 1989. Specialising in Wood, Nicola mastered the skills of carving, as well as furniture design and construction. Working with European hardwoods, she carves with a variety of different shaped gouge chisels. Colour is applied using water based stains; the wood is sealed with shellac and bee’s wax. Nicola worked from a studio in London for 14 years, and moved back to Hampshire in 2002, she now has a studio in the New Forest.

Nicola’s woodcarvings are both sculptural and functional. Inspired by frequent travels as well as by fables and proverbs, her pieces often have a story attached, which can be passed down through generations. Nicola’s international upbringing as the daughter of a diplomat has been augmented by her own travels: She has visited Japan with a touring exhibition and worked as an artist in residence in India. Working with a local sculptor in Zimbabwe she designed and constructed a playground on a British Council sponsored community project. For Oxfam she worked in Indonesia running product development workshops. Nicola has been commissioned for several public art projects in Britain, including work for the Forestry Commisson, the National Trust, The British Council and several County Councils; she has also had two major exhibitions in the United States. Nicola has also taught woodcarving in a number of schools and universities.

It is not only the shape of an animal or bird that intrigues Nicola, but their habits: The way a duck ruffles its feathers or a heron preens. She spends many a chilly day at London Zoo, observing and sketching the precise waddle of a crocodile or the exact stance of a bush pig. Her carved wooden creatures are as animated as they are handsome.

Nicola constructs her work out of several pieces of wood, which she joins together to build up the basic shape of each animal. Hinges are incorporated at this initial stage, formed out of wood and pined with dowel rod; they are carved to become part of the animal. With the grain running in the right direction, it is possible for a stork to balance gracefully on long spindle legs, or for the horns of a goat to curve to a fine point.

Woodcarving is one of the most popular crafts in Britain, but until recently it has suffered from stagnation - work produced has followed traditional lines. Nicola Henshaw, however, combines technical skills with her art and design education to push the boundaries of the craft. Her work is as well suited to a slick London flat as it is to a country house.

Download Nicola's CV/Résumé (40kb) here