Daniel Cordell

About Daniel

I feel great when the letter comes through the door accepting me once again to Sculptree. I love the challange of turning a huge log into a beautiful sculpture, and having friends, fellow carvers and the public there for the journey, makes a magic event. Oh and there’s more, added to the journey is a dramatic ending of nail bitting auctioning of the Sculptures. Followed by the warm glow that you have helped change lives by the contribution to Tree Aid from the sale of your creation. Happy days!

After studying art at A level, I accepted a place at the University of Hertfordshire where I studied for a BTEC diploma in art and design foundation studies. during this time I became interested in large scale wood carving and decided to train for the necessary chainsaw certificates.I then studied at Loughborough University School of Art and Design, where I am proud to have gained a first class BA honours degree in fine art sculpture.I also spent three months studying sculpture at the prestigious Virginia Commonwealth University, USA. Where I was fortunate enough to be personally tutored by Prof. Kendall Buster and Prof. Lester Van winkle. Since leaving university I have worked for six months as a stone carver producing commissioned sculpture in limestone and sandstone, for Greame Mitcheson Stone Carving. I have also been commissioned to design two public sculptures in steel for the east midlands area. I was pleased to be invited to carve at the prestigious annual event, Sculptree, for the first time in 2002. This was a great success as their youngest ever carver . Since then I have enjoyed returning to carve at Sculptree another 5 times.

My work for the last 8 years has been focused on chainsaw carving full time. My career has been full of interesting and special commissions, wonderful opportunities and world travel. I’m often invited to carve internationally at events and competitions. I have recently returned from New Zealand where I was lucky enough to win a carving competition as well as carve for 3 months at the Arts Factory under Kerry Strongman. Master carver Kerry let me loose on his collection of Massive ancient swamp Kauri trunks, some as old as 50,000 years old, to create Maori ‘jewellery for giants’.

My sculptures vary, depending on the environment I’m working in, or designing for. Surreal, abstracted, futuristic, biomorphic and functional, are all terms one could use to describe my art . I also enjoy injecting a little of my humour into my work. I enjoy exploring the complex relationships between interior and exterior form. Much of my work is produced from predetermined ideas, which maybe influenced directly by nature, life or even dreamt. Sometimes I also enjoy working spontaneously with little or no final form in mind and allowing the nature of the material to prevail.

Contact Daniel

http://www.dancordell.co.uk

Tel: 01923 263305
Email rocklog@yahoo.com

Daniel’s 2010 Sculpture: Voyage

“Voyage” is inspired by my recent crossing of the South Pacific Ocean under sail. My voyage took me through historic waters in search of magical tropical islands once found by pioneering circumnavigators such as Cook and Bligh. Their fascinating ships logs and the natural wonders I encountered caught my imagination. I want to create a piece that reflects upon these voyages of past with my greater understanding of the seas, stars and those that move between.

Daniel’s 2010 Sculpture design