JIM HEATH

I set up my workshop in Chirk in 1993 and have managed to earn my living as a freelance artist ever since. I had always drawn, painted and made things and did a wide range of jobs to earn a living as I strove to become a full time artist; along the way I acquired a diverse array of skills working with different materials.

At the age of 38 I got a job with a woodcarving company and trained as a traditional woodcarver doing reproduction and restoration work. I then started to use those skills to produce sculptures; Mostly wildlife and mythical subjects. Initially I sold my work through craft fairs and craft tents at country fairs and folk festivals. I also continued to take on more traditional carving work including the restoration of a Victorian Carousell and a ships figurehead, for which I had to learn to gild. As I, and my work, became better known was asked to do a wide variety of projects involving community groups and schools. I also started making larger wooden sculpture working mainly to commission.

In 2000 I enrolled as a mature student for an Access course at Yale College then went on to NEWI in Wrexham graduating in 2005 with a BA(Hons) in Fine Art at the age of 55. As my age increased and my physical abilities diminished I stopped taking on large projects and concentrated on smaller sculptures and painting.