Robert Penny the Baker. Life size

Hi I thought Id share a project for our little town of Chewton, Victoria Australia. Below is the fourth sculpture Ive created telling of the special people and history of Chewton. This one is of Robert Penny the Baker. Mr Penny started the bakery, grocer in the 1870s and ran it for 50 years! And had 10 children with his wife Sara to boot! Mr Pennys carved from a single piece of cypress. His apron Is hand plasma cut from1.2mm steel and plannished to shape. ( I do a bit of steel work too. ) I deep relief carved his stocked shelves with goods from the era. My wife Karen spent two days with me helping to paint all the grocerys Thank you Darlin! I also made the counter from cypress. Ive also included some progress photos of using a board to level the hands to each other to carve to rest level on the counter and a pic I had to work from of of Mr Penny. The last pic is of a great great nephew of mr Pennys who came with members of the Penny family for the unveiling. As soon as he walked up to me I knew he had to be a relative of Mr Pennys! What a resemblance! I told him if I had met him before I would have had him model for the sculpture! Were lucky enough to live almost straight across the street from this sculpture so we get to see it every day. Thanks for looking. Regards Richard Yates

Wow, incredible! Will the display live outside or is that temporary?

I've been looking for some minutes, lot of good stuff. Love the steel apron idea.

Amazing work! Really amazing!

Thanks for that. Hi Jebediah It is a permanent installation and its located right next to the brick 1870s bakery. The sculpture is getting a roof over it this week! So it will be more protected. Here’s a couple of pictures of the unveiling of the sculpture. The old brick bakery is visible next door and the other pic has the descendants of the Penny family which makes it even more special. Hi Mel with the steel apron I thought it would add a bit to it to mix it up a bit. The old mixed media thing. Bruce thank you very much. Regards Richard

Great stuff Richard. I wish I could have been there for the unveiling. Can you show us some of your carving tools?

Hi David, Thanks for that. The tools I use range from Chainsaws. I have 3, one Husquvarna with a 24 inch bar and two smaller ones with quarter carving tip bars. A lot of Grinders with different carbide wheels on them so I don’t have to change out the wheels all the time. It also gives them some time to cool down if I switch around abit while carving. Then the Dremels & Foredom. I have them hanging from a IV pole that I wheel around and their hung by a bit of rope so they can shift around easily to for the angle I need. And then about every bit and burr and accessories that will fit in those machines! There’s nothing like having the right tool for the job. Regards Richard

Amazing. Now I know another place I want to visit when we finally make it to Australia.

I suspect some day the history of the special people of Chewton will include the incredible Richard Yates! :)

JKJ

Hi John
You would always be welcome here at our place in Chewton! And we will throw in our services as local tour guides too!
Regards Richard