The Winterburn family studio and foundry is set in the British countryside with open land and fields surrounding it. Thus, Steve is blessed by a lot of local wildlife to draw on for inspiration and reference, with a strong passion for wildlife globally his focuses more recently are turning to representing our native breeds.
One of the most awe-inspiring spectacles in the spring months is the duelling between male pheasants over territory or mates. Steve had spent hours upon hours watching these explosive encounters photographing and cataloguing reference until he felt confident that he had the correct vision to capture the moment frozen in time, but so it feels as though it were unfolding in front of your very eyes. After a lot of back and forth with the armature taking it apart and rebuilding it, he created a composition that does exactly that.
“Ascension” is an incredibly powerful and dynamic sculpture standing at almost 4 feet tall, so Steve created a delicacy and elegance with his carefully engineered textures and tooling. The hours spent watching these amazing birds meant he could create an astonishing accuracy of the pheasants, from the minute details of the face to the slender flowing tail feathers. This combination of the imposing and bold composition of the sculpture to its refined intricacies brings an incredible sense of balance to the Artwork. Standing back a far from it you enjoy the raw energy of the fleeting moment a feel of excitement, then when drawn into the work you appreciate the beauty of these amazing creatures as individuals, the masterfully crafted features of the pheasants bring a solace and tranquillity for the audience.
This piece is a real one-of-a-kind work by Steve, combining all his mastery to create something truly breathtaking. It would be a compliment to any space whether that be internal or external, this sculpture will attract an audience and inspire conversation.
