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An offshore petroleum engineer has carved a new take on the magnificence of the racehorse. And you could be forgiven for making a double take, perhaps not instantly recognising this fine equine specimen was actually made from old scaffolding boards.
Self taught artist Geoff Robinson, 62, from Barnstone, has spent the last two years carving a 2.4 metre tall horse from reclaimed wood discovered in his local area. Should the horse ever be named, ‘ecological’ would look good in any racing card, born from natural recycling.
In actual fact, this amazing piece was inspired by a real race horse as Geoff explained: “My daughter always had horses and after she moved away, she left lots of photographs at home. I have always had an interest in wood carvings, so I just decided to go for it and make it.”
And of course, this talented carver would never dream of actually buying wood for any of his sculptures also including an impressive emperor penguin. For environmental reasons it simply has to be scrap wood. His larger creation, however, is riding high in terms of local popularity. With an artistic bent running through the family it comes as no surprise to see his wife Silvana, creating an accompanying painting of the horse. She added:”His carvings are really amazing, he is very talented. You wouldn’t believe he would be able to make something so impressive out of the driftwood he finds.
“He starts off working on the wood not knowing what the final product will look like, but in the end, it is always beautiful.”
Geoff’s work may be slightly slower out of the stalls, but once the finishing line is crossed it’s every inch a clear winner. There is hope of entering his work into an exhibition, but selling the piece is also a possibility. Parting with such a fantastic beast might be easier said than done, though Geoff’s ethos is far more valuable.
“I think from an ecological side of things, it’s important that I always use reclaimed wood,” he added.
“I get a real sense of fulfilment from seeing these pieces come to life from nothing.”
A Frankie Dettori or Ryan Moore may not be able to saddle up the horse, but they would surely be just as admiring. And if they wanted a superb coffee table, then Geoff could do that as well.
We look forward to more scaffolding gems from this wonderful artist, solidly cantering to carving success.
