Ian G Brennan Sculptor and Wood Carver to the British Royal Household.

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Ian G Brennan Contemporary Sculptor and Woodcarver to the British Royal Household

Artist Information :-

Contemporary sculptor Ian G Brennan has been a professional sculptor for over twenty years and although he produces limited bronze editions of his realistic sculpture the vast majority of his work is involved with a wide variety of highly detailed commissioned original sculptures depicting many different subjects in various materials including wood and bronze. These commissions are as diverse as producing sculptures designed to suite the splendour of centuries old historic buildings such as Windsor Castle, Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral were his rather unique skills in reproducing wood carvings and bronze sculpture from a by-gone age are often required, to the modern surroundings of Company receptions and Board Rooms; More recently Ian has been commissioned to produce two large high bas-relief sculptures now placed amongst the grandeur and elegance of the Grand Lobby of Cunard's new Liner Queen Victoria, his work can also be found in private art collections all over the World. .

Ian G Brennan, is one of those rather rare sculptors that both carves and casts. Ian first began his career as a professional woodcarver in 1984 and then in 1996 also began producing his sculptures in bronze; for details about how Ian first became a sculptor Phoenix from the Ashes . Ian is one of those rather rare breed of Artists that both carves and casts and for over twenty years Ian has been not only been commissioned to create Woodcarvings and Bronze sculpture for private and corporate clients, but also commissioned to produce a wide variety of sculptures for both British and European Royalty and the Nobility, several British Prime Ministers as well as other Heads of State.

Ian's highly detailed realistic and heraldic wood carving and bronze sculpture have been commissioned for such places as Windsor Castle, Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral, Museums, Government Buildings, Churches and Company receptions; his work can also be found in private art collections all over the World.

Ian's first exhibition in an art gallery was in Mayfair, London and then he began exhibiting his realistic wood carvings and bronze sculpture widely throughout the UK. During the past decade however as Ian has been working mostly to commission, such exhibitions in galleries are today a rather rare event. Although today Ian rarely exhibits in private art galleries, the unique collection of wood carvings and bronze sculpture he has managed to put together over the years have been exhibited almost exclusively in the somewhat more formal surroundings which have including Museums ; The Queens Room on-board the 'Cunard' Liner the Queen Elizabeth 2; Burlington House; Home of the Royal Academy of Arts and also within the historic Royal setting of St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.

In 1989 Ian G Brennan was officially appointed the 'Sculptor to the Most Noble Order of the Garter and Honourable Order of the Bath and now spends an average of four months of each year on a wide variety of unique highly detailed sculptures for the British Royal Household. These commissions vary from producing realistic sculptures of People, Animals and Birds, to a wide range of the more traditional Heraldic sculptures ranging from Mythical Unicorns and Regal Lions to Golden Crowns and Royal Crests.

Since this appointment, Ian has received over 85 commissions from the Royal Household. As well as these commissions for the British Royal Family, there have also been various commissions for other Foreign Royal Families, included HM King Juan Carlos of Spain, HM Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, HM King Harald V of Norway and His Imperial Majesty Emperor Akahito of Japan.

During the past few years Ian's commissions for the Royal Household have been as varied as producing the Crown for HM King Harald V of Norway and Coronets for HM The Queen's first cousin, HRH Princess Alexandra and Lady Soames; the daughter of Sir Winston Churchill. The more heraldic style of commissions which include a sculpture of a Talbot, a Boar, a pair of Griffins and a Knight in full Armour riding on horseback. Ian most recent commissions for the Royal Household have included sculptures of a Stag, Badger, Boar, Bull and a Dolphin; a Horse, terrier and a pair of Black Labradors; more recently these commissions have included sculptures for both HRH Prince Andrew the Duke of York and HRH Prince Edward The Earl of Wessex.

Sleeping Leopard - Leaping Panther - Swimming Otter - Swan with Cygnets - Osprey catching a Pike

20 inches (51cm) high - 45 inches (115cm) long - 43 inches (119cm) high - 27 inches (69cm) high - 66 inches (188cm) high

All five bronze realistic wildlife sculptures above many of which are life size, were originally carved from a single piece of walnut or lime wood, moulded and then cast in bronze.

Main discipline of work

Apart from Ian's work for the Royal Household over the years, Ian has also worked on a large variety of wood and bronze commissions for both private individuals and Corporations. These sculptures have been as diverse as producing a life size 'Osprey catching a Pike' bronze for a fountain, to then spending several months carving the scrollwork on Lord Nelson's Flagship HMS Victory. A full size statue of the 'Risen Christ' for a church, carving from a single piece of wood an Eight feet ( 244cm) 'Bald Eagle in Flight' sculpture for an American Corporation, to more recently carving the two large bas-relief sculptures for the Grand Lobby of the Cunard Liner Queen Victoria.

Bald Eagle carved from within the fork of a 150 year old lime tree

( 96 inches high )

please click to enlarge

Although Ian started woodcarving as a medium for his sculptures with many of the wood sculptures being produced from a single piece of wood., he also produces bronze sculptures with wildlife sculptures and birds of prey studies a particular specialty. These woodcarvings and Bronze sculptures are all produced in very fine detail. Each wood sculpture that Ian produces are signed, numbered and dated, and are carved from the finest timber, produced with the utmost skill and care, whether the client be a private individual, corporation or indeed one of Ian's latest commissions for the Royal Household. At present most of the wood sculptures are being carved from the same lime tree, which grew in a small village in Somerset, Southern England. This massive centuries old tree blew down in winter storm winds which Ian has recently finished seasoning.

The six feet high Osprey catching a Pike Bronze - the Risen Christ statue and the 'gold tooth'.

Ian's commissions often vary from the highly detailed realistic sculptures in wood and bronze to the more unusual commissions such as a large carved and gilded molar for outside a Dentist surgery, Ian carefully selects each piece of timber to be used for his various sculptures which are mostly produced from hard woods such as walnut and lime wood, both of which carve extremely well and can also hold very fine detail. Lime wood is also the wood he most often uses during the past 20 years, for many of Ian's commissions for Westminster Abbey and Windsor Castle.

'Sleeping Lioness' 'Mother Nature' - Scots Pine Log

early wood carvings

Although Ian started using wood as a medium for his sculptures in 1984, enjoying the challenge of carving from a single solid block. In 1996 his work began to be also cast in bronze and occasionally silver. Although as is the normal process the original master copies produced for bronze sculpture are sculpted in clay, wax or plaster are often destroyed during the moulding process at the foundry, when appropriate Ian still produces the original master copy for the bronze casting in wood, which is then moulded to produce the bronze sculpture. This highly detailed woodcarving 'master copy' can then be polished and retained as a unique sculpture.

Leaping Panther - Walnut - Carved in Walnut cast in Bronze

Many hours of researching the subject are undertaken using live studies whenever possible, but he also uses videos and books until he has built up a complete picture in his mind of what the intended sculpture should look like. Ian has a natural ability to see things three dimensionally, which is extremely useful when he is carving one of his life size sculptures from within the trunk of a massive tree.

Every wood and bronze sculpture Ian has produced since 1984 has been signed and numbered. The first wood sculptures he carved were a pair of' Leaping Dolphins ' at 6 inches high and a River Otter at 8 inches high, both of which he has retained. Although Ian obviously does not consider these first two sculptures as his finest work, they are however his first attempts at woodcarving after his cabinet making business burnt down, which was to become the beginning of his new career as a sculptor, now working in both wood and bronze.

Ian's first two wood carvings

Ian's first two heraldic commission were the carved and gilded Crown for King Juan Carlos of Spain for St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle and a carved and painted Cockerel Crest for an Admiral of the Fleet for Henry VII Chapel in Westminster Abbey.

St George's Chapel Windsor - Henry V11 Chapel Westminster Abbey

Ian's first two heraldic sculptures

The first bronze sculpture Ian produced was a 10 inches long 'Elephant with a calf, the second bronze sculpture he produced was a 65 inches high life size ' Osprey catching a Pike'.

Elephant with calf - Osprey catching a Pike

Ian's first two bronze sculptures

Ian often works on a number of completely different types of sculptures throughout the week from his studio in Southern England. He finds the contrast between perhaps one day carving from wax a life size ' Swimming Otter' for a bronze, to the next day carving from lime wood a jewel encrusted Crown for a Queen, enables him to work on each particular commission completely afresh. Many hours of researching the subject are undertaken to ensure complete accuracy, and with the optional coloured 'patinas' added to the bronzes this can give a distinctive appearance of marble with a warmth and living quality, particularly to the finish of the bronze wildlife sculptures.

The relief carving showing the various landmarks of the village of Warsash

6 feet high x 10 feet wide - lime wood

(Stage photographs of this relief carving can be found on http://www.sculptor-iangb.com/church.html ).

Ian has also been commissioned by the Museum service, English Heritage and the Ministry of Defence on a variety of historic projects which have included amongst other things restoring and replace sections of the carved Victorian oak panels for the Winchester Council Chambers and Southampton Guildhall. Carving a life size Lion figure-head for a Museum to then spending several months working on 'Lord Nelson's flagship' HMS Victory' carving all the replacement intricate scrollwork around the entrance port on the middle gun-deck on this unique cannon warship built in 1765.

More recently Ian has been working at Southwick House at HMS Dryad, General Eisenhower's Allied Headquarters in Southern England during WW II (where D-Day was planned ) restoring and replacing detailed carvings on antique mirrors and picture frames. He has also produced sculptures for Company Logo's, Advertising and various Trophies. These have included the Heraldic Lion logo Sculpture for Chivas Regal Whisky and the Trophy for the Scotland V Barbarians International Rugby Cup Final . Ian's work has also been used as backdrops and props for Television Programs such as providing Birds of Prey sculptures for the set of the Granada Televisions detective program 'Cracker'.

The Queen Victoria Crest and modern Cunard Logo in Ian' studio commissioned for the Grand Lobby of the Cunard Liner the Queen Victoria

40 inches x 58 inches high 40 inches wide x 35 inches high.

For further details and stage photographs showing how both Cunard bas relief sculptures were produced; please click appropriate photographs.

Coats of Arms and Crests

A small selection of the commissioned Coats of Arms, Royal, Corporate and Family Crests carved and painted by Heraldic Sculptor Ian G Brennan;

Ian G Brennan has also been producing carved and painted Coats of Arms and Crests working from designs and sketches provided by the client, in wood and bronze for nearly twenty years . Ian's Heraldic Commissions are often as diverse as producing Carved Coat of Arms and replicas of State Crowns and Coronets, to Regal Lions and Mythical Unicorns for Royalty and the Nobility from all over the World.

Carved and painted highly detailed Heraldic Crests which are often depicting such designs from Majestic Eagles to Busts of Men and Woman for Field Marshals, Admirals of the Fleet and Marshals of the Royal Air Force. These colourful carved Crests Ian has produced have also include designs depicting Animals, Birds and Flowers, for Prime Minister, Statesmen and other Heads of State, which have more recently included the carved and gilded Chrysanthemum Crest for Emperor Akahito of Japan.

These Heraldic sculptures are then placed in such historic settings as The College of Arms in London, St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle and Henry V11 Chapel in Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral.

St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle -- Henry V11 Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey

The College of Arms is one of the few remaining heraldic courts in Western Europe and is now the oldest existing such College in the world, and have been granting armorial bearings (coat of arms ) from their original building in London since the 1670s.

Windsor Castle and Westminster Abbey being two of the most famous, historic and widely visited buildings in Britain. Windsor Castle being the home to the HM the Queen and earlier sovereigns of England for over 900 years. Westminster Abbey is where every Sovereign since 1066 apart from Edward V and Edward V111 has been crowned and for many centuries the traditional burial place of Kings and Queens.

Ian's G Brennan's work has also been frequently featured on both Radio and Television and also via the Central Office of Information. Ian has given many informal talks, lectures and presentations, using 35mm slides and he also demonstrates the various aspects of his work as a sculptor and woodcarver, as well as writing articles for books and magazines.

Wild Badgers, Foxes, Squirrels and Deer are regular visitors both inside and outside Ian's countryside studio in Southern England. These visits are a constant source of inspiration especially if he is working on one of his sculptures depicting British wildlife, as it gives him a rather unique opportunity of often being able to study the subject close at hand.