Birds 'Aspire' to bring new life to old tree
Posted on 3 February 2006
The sculpture has been created by Bill Hodgson, who has already done carvings on the trunks of two dead beech trees on campus - though one has since been felled. Bill has named his new carving 'Aspiration'. It is situated near the Quiet Place behind Heslington Hall. He explains: "Creating a sculpture from the remains of this lovely oak tree is intended to perpetuate its lifespan. The many birds on the lake, reflecting the diversity of humanity, are the focus of the piece. The spiral gives the effect of movement; birds striving for flight and height, hence 'Aspiration'".
Creating a sculpture from the remains of this lovely oak tree is intended to perpetuate its lifespan
Bill Hodgson
The carving has 33 water birds, including swans, ducks, geese, moorhens and a heron. At the base of the tree, Bill is working on intricate carvings of small birds and brambles, which he hopes will give children the opportunity to explore and touch the design. At the top of the trunk are three swans.
Bill started work on the sculpture in October and has used a variety of tools including specialist chainsaws, varying in blade size and shape. The trunk has been treated with a timber preservative and a wax solution to help to prevent the ageing wood from cracking.
Bill, who is a member of the British Woodcarvers' Association, worked at the University for nearly nine years as Clerk of Works, leaving in 1999. He began carving as a child and specialises in small scale equestrian pieces. Locally, other examples of his larger sculptures are in Rowntree and West Bank Parks, Askham Bryan College and York Cemetery. Bill has twice carved with the Westonbirt Arboretum international chainsaw carving team at Tetbury, Gloucestershire, raising funds for Tree Aid, and currently teaches woodcarving for the Workers' Educational Association. His next large sculpture is for Sheriff Hutton Primary School, whose pupils will help to create the design.