Brixham based sculptor, Clive Maddison, uses a technique of twisting wire to create beautiful trees.
Growing up, artist Clive Maddison didn’t care much for his years in school, always finding himself drawn to the more practical subjects like wood and metalwork. Clearly, the passion has remained.
The trees are handmade from single strand wires that run from the roots to the leaves. No glue, solder or other means are used to hold them together, it is purely down to the way the strands are twisted. The trees can contain over 100 meters (328 ft) of wire and the method used also ensures that the sculpture is self supporting. The structure of the tree might be complex, but they are by no means fragile.
The beauty of this art is that no two sculptures are ever the same. There may be similarity of style between pieces, material used, or the type of tree being represented, but the way they are made means that every sculpture is absolutely unique.
Each base is also hand made from selected quality wood and each sculpture is individually numbered and includes a certificate of authenticity.
Clive’s sculptures are inspired by the trees he sees. He doesn’t try to recreate any specific tree, just the idea of a particular species. He does, occasionally, use a photograph of a tree to try and get a closer resemblance.
At first, it took him around eighty hours to create his sculptures, but as he refined his technique, he gradually got faster and these days he can finish one in as short as twenty hours. He twists the wires by hand but sometimes caves in and uses a pair of pliers from time to time to tighten the trunk and main branches.
Clive has even made a few handmade tools to help him in his craft. He said: “I feel it is quite fitting to use wood for the bases of my sculptures as it reflects the beauty of what a tree produces.”