The 360 Company Blog

John Butler Wood Carver

Wood carvings with a whimsical twist

A row of 24 shops in a covered walkway running alongside the market make up Butchers' Row in Bideford. So called after the fact that it used to be home to a line of butchers' shops, today it's an eclectic mix of independent traders offering unique and locally made arts, crafts, and gifts, alongside other specialist shops like jewellers and watchmakers.

This is where you'll find a display of charming figurines and other sculptures produced by woodcarver, John Butler.

Roobarb and Custard

Learning the craft many years ago from his father, John has been enjoying carving for more than 30 years. He practised his skills as a sideline at first while, after an art school education, he worked in stage design and on animated cartoons, including well-loved productions like Roobarb and Custard and Watership Down. He then spent 30 years as curator of Bideford Art Gallery.

It was on his retirement in 2007 that John decided to progress from practising his art in a small shed to opening his very own shop and gallery.

Drawing on his career in animation and theatrics, along with his love of humour, John combines all of these into his carvings which are beautiful to look at, with a charming, whimsical twist.

Local inspiration

Much of John's inspiration comes from people watching; observing local characters he sees when he is out and about.

"I always carry a sketchbook," John explained. "I'll do a quick drawing of someone who looks interesting, then make this the basis for a new carving."

The 'Blues' rowing team

Using lime wood, John cuts out the basic shape with a band-saw. Then the finer work begins, with John applying a range of different chisels to bring the carving to life. Once complete, he sands the sculpture smooth, adds colour with diluted acrylic paint, and finishes with a coat of clear varnish.

"People often ask me how long it takes to finish a carving," said John. "It is difficult to say as it's not something I complete in one go. I'll spend a few hours at a time on one piece, perhaps over two or three weeks."

Reds vs Blues

One of the carvings our eye was drawn to on the virtual tour below is that of a group of rowers stood with oars, which John tells us is inspired by the local rowing club.

"It's called the Blues Brothers," he explained. "There are two rowing clubs in Bideford, the Reds and the Blues, who compete keenly against each other every year. This came from an old photograph of the Blues from the 1920s which was part of an exhibition at Burton Art Gallery when I worked as curator."

John says he hasn't yet received any requests from the Reds to even things up with a carving of their team. But, who knows, perhaps that's an idea for his next project.

Visit John Butler Wood Carver at 23 Butchers Row, Market Place, Bideford EX39 2DR.
Contact him on 01237 478087. Find out more at johnbutlerwoodcarver. co. uk and see some of his finished pieces in the virtual tour below.

Date: 05 December 2014
Author: The 360 Company