ALBERT KING

I am a born and bred Suffolk boy , I have lived here all my life. 

As a youngster when I left school, I went to an engineering works where I worked with craftsman who were blacksmiths and wheelwright and practised the old methods that are seldom seen today. I was privileged to have this as a foundation for the rest of my life.

I have been carving and sculpting wood since 1956 when I made a cot for my first child. I enjoyed working with the wood and started to use offcuts of wood to make contemporary shapes. People who saw the pieces I had made were impressed and I gave the pieces away to anyone who wanted them.

A local art teacher saw my work and invited me to join her in an exhibition at the cloisters in Bury St Edmunds Cathedral. My sculpting career took off from there and I have exhibited all over East Anglia. Many of my sculptures have gone off to different parts of the world. 

I am self-taught and have learnt through trial and error all the techniques and knowledge needed to produce the art I love.

My inspiration is from having been a country man, spending time outside observing wildlife and nature. Studying movement and motion of birds and animals. I have always had an affinity with wood, enjoying the feel, smell, and look of different types of wood. When I choose to sculpt a bird or animal, I most often choose the particular piece of wood for its grain so that it simulates the feathers or fur of the subject. 

My contemporary pieces are all completely unique in that they are from my imagination and are a vision I have for a particular piece of wood. I occasionally sketch an idea before setting out on the actual sculpting.  Then I am guided by the grain and texture of the wood.