Nick Bale
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Having been born and brought up in Oxford I have always been surrounded by historic stone buildings. I enjoy walking the streets admiring the many carvings and sculptures on show. The city’s museums are also a source of inspiration.
On a holiday cycling down the Loire I stumbled upon a medieval day at Montbasson Castle where visitors could try their hand at traditional crafts. I tried stone carving and loved it. Upon returning home I attended two weekend courses at Lincoln and Gloucester and was hooked!
I began carving when I retired four years ago. It is very much a hobby which I do as and when the mood takes me. I work mainly in limestone but also marble, soapstone and alabaster. So far, I have tended to concentrate on simplified stylised forms of animals although I have also turned my hand to more abstract pieces.
Most of my sculptures are formed using a range of power tools and then finished by hand. I love the way a material as solid and seemingly as immovable as stone can be shaped and refined into delicate shapes. Curves and flowing forms brings out a ‘softness’ in the stone which can only be fully appreciated by touch, feeling the very essence of the stone itself.
I have been a member OSG for four years exhibiting annually at Greys Court, Upton House and more recently at Coughton Court. In 2025 ‘Nautilus’ was awarded the annual Tiranti prize as the ‘best indoor sculpture’ at OSG’s main annual exhibition at Greys Court.
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