Workshop Philosophy

I trained as a letter cutter and stone carver at the Cardozo Kindersley Workshop in Cambridge. Dedicating three years to learning the skill 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 years I have been working independently, 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 stone carver creates the finished piece.

Hand cut stone lettering has the life, energy and versatility of no other technique. The quiet mallet and chisel are infinitely more precise than machine cut lettering as our hands are our finest tools, capable of honing the highest standard of accuracy and detail. While machinery has its due place, for example cutting an inscription into a thin sheet of granite, hand cutting allows a more sensitive and careful relationship with the material. The finished piece is therefore personal, flawless and unique.