Fishy Tales (or Tails?)

When I received this photo from a client showing a fairly uninspiring thin sycamore stump, I realised it would take some thought in figuring out a design; all I could visualise was something flowing vertically…water? Fish? But the location (Cherry Willingham, near Lincoln) is very much land-locked, so fish wouldn’t have much relevance…

I looked into the history of Cherry Willingham, and ~ lo and behold ~ there had been a medieval fish pond attached to a Manor House (still there in one form or another, but built in 1086), and putting the suggestion to the client, it turned out she was the daughter of a third-generation fish merchant and loved the theme. Furthermore, midway through the carving a villager approached and unwrapped several small sea-life fossils that had been found in an adjacent field: it really seemed as though a fish design was meant to be!

Related Post