My inspiration comes from a deep love of the animals, many that I have been close to. I watch and notice a split second of movement that expresses the character of the animal, or as in this piece, Cú Mo Chridhe (Dog of my Heart) a quiet moment, and hopefully capture something of their spirit in my work, I trained at Exeter College of Art, where I gained my BA(Hons) in Fine Art Sculpture. My influences range from the French Animaliers, particularly Barye, to Degas, Elizabeth Frink, Sally Arnup, Judy Boyt, Mark Corinth – and many more. Cú Mo Chridhe encapsulates my favourite deerhounds. Their serenity and gentleness a great foil to their total grace of movement. I really enjoyed making this piece – which is half life-size – using clay over a metal armature. Having made the mould this is edition 2 of 25 in Bronze Resin, and is big enough for the garden! My pieces have been sold internationally, including all over Europe, Australia, the US and Canada.