jeff birchill

This artist accepts commissions

Mediums Used

In May, 2013 Jeff was accepted as a Signature (artist) member of the prestigious international Society of Animal Artist, a small group of artist who have reached the standard of excellence in the medium they choose to create their art. Jeff`s love of the natural kingdom becomes apparent when you spend a moment with his sculpture. You will find him, when not carving stone, walking through the forest with the wild creatures he calls his friends. He has a deep sense of humanity as part of the greater kingdom of living creatures.

Being surrounded by the beauty of Flora and Fauna is what inspires him to spend hours letting others know there is a world of natural beauty beyond asphalt, malls and computers. Jeff also had the privilege of living in an Indian village for several months. There, the spirit world and the world of living creatures live as one. It`s part of what gives Jeff such a unique connection and insight into the natural world.

To this artist, stone carving is a slow, spiritual process. He still prefers to use a hammer and tempered chisels using the direct carving method like the carvers of centuries ago, rather than power tools. An intimate bond develops between the carver and the stone. As the stone speaks to the carver, hours turn into weeks and then into months. Jeff does not allow the first stone chip to fly off a piece of stone until he sees the image within. That is the work. According to him, the rest is merely the creative process of removing chips of stone until the image within emerges and seems to come to life. After hundreds of hours chipping away on a single stone, he stands even longer smoothing away those chisel marks and, longer still, sanding the artwork to a flawlessly smooth glow. When he is not carving the natural world he loves, he can be found carving commissioned pieces. Jeff`s work is prominent in many private international art collections.

While a member of he fine art painting community during the 1960`s, a mentor told Jeff Birchill, “A white canvas is beautiful and if you cannot not improve it, do not touch it.” The same guiding principle has been his guide and hallmark for his stone carvings. With his direct method of removing stone, when finished carving should still look like stone, be able to roll down a hill without breaking, and be so visually sensuous with flowing lines that observers have to reach out and touch it. A finish carving is when a block of stone seems to come to life.

For those not involved in the creation of sculpture regardless of the media, the following is a quote which might help those outside the sculpture field understand the mind of an artist. “There are people who are just plain supposed to be writing – or painting or sculpting or dancing or… This isn`t optional, and often isn`t even fun – it`s as important as breathing.” – Darylynn Starr Rank

Sculptures by jeff birchill

Credentials

Biography

While competing in juried fine art painting exhibitions during the late 1960`s, Jeff took a stone carving class, and since then the paint brushes seldom come out of a box. There was an immediate love for revealing stone that no one else had ever seen as each piece of stone flew off the block. Then when others just had to touch the stone, there was no turning back, almost. For daily income, he became a commercial artist, and that was the hat he wore for the next 30 plus years, winning several International Awards of Excellence for Design and Production. This attention to detail is the same way he carves and finishes his stone carvings. About 12 years ago he pulled his stone tools out of a box and have been used almost daily from that re-introduction to the art world he loves

Influences

Contemporary stone carvers of note during the last 100 years that have influenced Jeff Birchill are Henry Moore, Cleo Hartwig, Vincent Glinsky and William Zorak. However, great visual art regardless of the medium will have an effect on other artist, and spending time in the Brookgreen Sculpture Gardens, acknowledged as one of the world`s largest collections of contemporary classical sculpture, started by Anna and Archer Hyatt Huntington should have an strong influence on any sculptor. If by the time of his last breath if Jeff can combine the sensitivity of the bronze figure work of Gwen Marcus with the stone carving quality and approach of Vincent Glinsky, then he will have reached an artistic plateau that is his goal.

In today`s social media, viewing the works of stone carvers around the world on a daily basis is constantly providing inspiration and encouragement for all of those involved with the arts. A statement by Andy Warhol, seem to sum up the driving mandate of artist, "Don`t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it`s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art."

Reviews

The real awards to this stone carver is to watch young children run up to one of his stone animal friends and watch then hug the stone and kiss the animal on its cheek. Or, cancer patients when they come into the gallery just to caress and touch the smoothness of his stone work, and reply, "it`s my weekly touch therapy." Often in galleries there is a no touching policy, so when Jeff sees adults reaching out to touch to touch his work and then quickly pulling back, he softly tells these adults "They are trained not to bite, and love to be petted." The award comes when smiles go from ear to ear when those hands finally touch this once block of stone which has been carved to almost become alive.

Teaching Experience
Was a member of the Gertrude Herbert Art Institute, Augusta, GA. Jeff Birchill will gladly be a mentor to anyone wanting to learn more or improve their knowledge and useable skills in fine art. He feels that mentoring should be a mandate to all who live in the art world, and willingly pass our learned experiences to those who will be the future artist.
Public Acquisitions
Jeff`s carvings, including commissioned sculpture can be found in private collections across North America: Vancouver, and Merritt B.C., Canada, Seattle, WA, Portland, OR, Denver, CO, outside Albany, NY, two different collections Panama City, FL, Edisto, SC, several collections on Hilton Head Island, and many art collections around Augusta, GA with one art collector now currently owning six of Jeff`s figure (4) and wild life (2) stone carvings. In his relatively short time of carving stone, 17 of his carvings are now in art collections of non-family members.

Categories

This artists work is found in the following categories on site:
Abstract Animal sculptures American Wildlife Sculpture Animal Kingdom Sculpture & Statues Animals at Play Sculptures Animals Eatimg Feeding Drinking sculpture statues Animals Hunting, Chasing and Pursuing Prey Sculptures Carved Animals Sculpture Carved or Carving sculpture Carved Stone, Marble, Alabaster, Soap Stone Granite Lime stone Sculpture Commission and Custom and Bespoke sculpture Statues Custom Commission Bespoke Animal Sculpture Life Size Animal Sculpture Lifelike Realistic Dog Sculpture Love / Affection/Adoration/Passion Sculpture Marine Maritime Water Sea sculpture statue statuette Sea Shore Foreshore Wildlife sculpture statues Wild Animals and Wild Life Sculptures Yard Outdoor Sculptures Angels Profane Fallen Sculptures statues Animal Memento happy Reminder sculpture statue statuette Animals: Adult with Young Carved Dogs Sculpture Dog Portrait Sculpture Dogs Sculpture Dogs Wild, Foxes, Wolves, Sculptures / Statues Field Sports, Game Animals Sculptures LIfe Size Dog Sculpture Statues Outdoors Garden or Yard sculpture Outside Stylized Animals Sculptures Animal Abstract Contemporary Modern Stylised Minimalist Sculptures Animals on the Go Sculpture Big Outdoor Sculpture statue Carved Abstract Contemporary Modern sculpture statue carving Dogs Hounds Bitches Puppies Sporting and Racing Domestic Animal Sculpture Garden Or Yard / Outside and Outdoor Sculptures Pet and Animal Portrait Custom or Bespoke or Commission Commemorative or Memorial sculpture statue Statues statuettes White Sculpture Statues statuettes Animals in Repose Resting Sleeping Lying Commemoratives and Memorials Sculptures Endangered Animal Species Sculptures Interior Indoors Inside Sculpture Realistic Representational Lifelike Animal sculpture statue Realistic Representational Sculpture Birds of Prey Raptors Hawks Eagles Falcons Owls Sculptures Varietal Mix of Bird Sculptures or Statues Birds in Flight, Birds Flying Sculptures or Statues Contemporary Abstract / Stylised / Minimalist Bird Sculptures Stylised Birds sculptures/statues/statuary/ornaments figurines/statuettes The Americas: Animal / Wildlife Sculptures Frogs Toads, Newts, Salamanders and Amphibians Reptiles Sculptures and Amphibian Sculptures Small Animal Sculptures European Animal / Wildlife Sculptures Farm Yard Sculptures Horse Sculpture/ Equines Race Horses Pack HorseCart Horses Plough Horsess Aquatic sculptures Fish/Shells/Sharks/Seals/Corals/Seaweed Badger, Otter, Beaver, Weasel, Stoat, Pine Martin, Wombat Sculptures Tortoises Terrapins and Turtles Sculptures Statues and statuettes for sale

Tags

This artists work is found in the following tags on site:
Jeff Birchell Otter Sculpture Jeff Birchill American Animal Sculpture Jeff Birchill Carved Otters Sculpture Mother and Baby Otter sculpture Mother and baby Otter statue Otter Sculpture Otter Statue Two Otters Feeding sculpture Two Otters Feeding statue Wild Animal sculpture Animal sculpture Fox and Pup sculpture Fox and Pup statue Fox sculpture fox statue Jeff Birchill Fox and Pup Sculpture Jeff Birchill Wild Life Sculpture Jeff Birchillfox and Cub Sculpture Mother and Baby Fox sculpture Mother and Baby Fox statue Mother Fox and Pup sculpture Mother Fox and Pup statue for sale Re Marble fox and Pup Sculpture Red Marble Fox and Cub sculpture Vixen and Cub Lifesize Sculpture American Marble Dog carving sculptures Grey Hound Dog statues Greyhound running statues Jeff Birchill Animal Sculpture Jeff Birchill Dog sculptures Jeff birchill Greyhound Sculpture Life Size Greyhound Running sculpture Marble Dog Carving sculpture Marble Dog Racing Sculpture Marble Greyhound Racing Sculpture Sprinting Greyhound sculpture Stone Racing Greyhound Marble statue dog sculpture for sale Dog statue Domestic Animal statue Domestic Animal sculpture Jeff Birchell Carved Dog Sculpture Jeff Birchell Terrier Sculpture Pit Bull sculpture Pit Bull statue Pit Bull Terrier Bespoke Sculpture Pit Bull Terrier Commission Sculpture Pit Bull Terrier Custom Sculpture Pit Bull Terrier Garden Sculpture Pit Bull Terrier Marble Sculpture Pit Bull Terrier Portrai Sculpture bald eagle sculptures bald eagle statues eagle carvings Eagle sculptures eagle statues eagles in marble marble bald eagle sculptures for sale marble eagle statue Abstract Eagle Soaring sculptures Abstract Marble Eagles statues Contemporary Eagles Soaring carvings Eagles in Flight marbles Jeff Birchill Eagles statue Marble American Eagles sculptures Marble Eagles Flying sculptures Marble Eagles Soaring statues American Frog sculptures Animal sculptures Carved Frog sculpture Carved Stone Frog statue Contemporary Frog sculptures Frog sculptures Jeff Birchill sculptures Marble Frog statues Marble Garden Frog sculptures Pond Side sculptures Small Garden statues Fox and Cub sculpture Fox and Cub sculpture for sale Fox and Cub statue for sale Mother and Cub sculpture Wild Animal statue horse carving horse head carving Horse Head sculpture horse head statue Horse sculpture Horse statue marble horse carvings marble horse head Small Horse sculpture stone horse head Animal statue Aquatic sculpture Aquatic statue River Otter sculpture River Otter statue Baby Otter Marble statue Indoor Otter Marble statue Jeff Birchill Marble Otter carvings Jeff Birchill Swimming Otters statue Little Floating Otters statue Mother & Cub Otter marble carving Mother & Cub Otter marble statues Mother & Cub Otter sculptures Carved Marble Turtle statue Carved Stone Turtle sculpture Carved Stone Turtle statue Jeff Birchill Turtle statue Sea Turtle sculpture Sea Turtle Stone statue Stone Sea Turtle sculpture Stone Turtle statue Stylized Turtle statue Swimming Turtle statue