Fish Leaping

"Fish Leaping" by Ronald Butterfield (1920 - 2007)

This sculpture was designed and carved my father in 1936, when he was just sixteen years old. 

The material is Hoptonwood Stone, a fossiliferous limestone with some of the qualities of marble.

Many years later, my father wrote:

"It is an exceedingly pleasant stone to work, cuts very cleanly and has a great range of colour from grey through warmer tones of fawn to a pink-buff."

"Another endearing thing about this stone is that it will take a very pleasant polish which adds a soft lustrous finish and so it is really a very satisfying stone to carve."

Comments

[Aydin]

I like it. Excuse my ignorance, was your father a sculptor later in life?

[Roger B.]

Yes, although he never achieved fame or fortune.

He spent many years working for a company that restored old churches.

[Pablo]

That truly is a beautiful carving!

[jams o donnell]

That is a really good sculpture Roger

[digibirder]

As others have said, absolutely wonderful. And for a 16 year old, too. He should have gone on to make a fortune with that skill. You should have seen the prices being charged for nature sculptures at the BirdFair at the weekend.