Workshop Philosophy

I trained as a letter cutter at the Cardozo Kindersley Workshop in Cambridge. Dedicating three years to learning about letter carving impressed upon me the importance not simply of understanding how to cut a letter, but of reflecting, assessing and looking again and again. The same principles apply to heraldic stone carving.

In the six years I have been working independently as a letter cutter, I have been constantly reminded of the vital principles; spacing, rhythm, slow cutting and most of all, having the discipline to begin again if the balance is not perfect. This particularly applies to the drawing stage as this is the foundation upon which the finished piece is created.

Hand carved lettering will always have life, energy and versatility. The quiet mallet and chisel are infinitely more precise than machinery and letter spacing and letterforms are judged by eye, not by computers or rulers. A letter cutter is both a craftsman and an artist; each piece of work produced in the workshop must be flawless, beautiful and unique.