Our 3D Artists
Mike Topham
Michael Topham was born in Yorkshire in 1954 and studied design at Trent Polytechnic in Nottingham. After a brief spell as an exhibition designer he travelled to Qatar to work with a leading British sculptor and environmental artist, for the Emir's office.
Here Michael was involved in a diverse range of design activities including interiors and furniture, landscaping, conceptual design, architectural drawing and model-making. After four years Michael moved to Dubai where, for a further fourteen years, he was mainly involved with landscaping design/construction and project management.
During his busy career in the Middle East Michael managed to exhibit art works in Qatar and Dubai. He returned to the UK in 1996 to be a self-employed garden designer and contractor, and continues to produce amusing creations in a variety of materials including wire, plaster and paper, in both two and three dimensions.
Brendan Gallagher
Brendan is inspired by the craftsmanship of the masters, and keeping alive the traditions of hand tools, and traditional joinery. He uses these skills to create furniture, boxes, and his fabulous pinecone pens, in his garden workshop in Swanage. He works with reclaimed timber as well as exotic woods and keeps hardware to a minimum, using hand crafted wooden hinges and brass pivots where appropriate.
John Davey
John Davey was born in Belfast and now resides in Weymouth, Dorset, where he is a renowned sculptor who takes his inspiration from the local land and seascapes.
Playing with abstract and figurative shapes, Johns work reflects nature’s geometric forms, curves, and spirals. Johns artwork is in collections in many parts of the world.
Having completed a BA in Art at Brighton Polytechnic, John worked as an assistant to Phillip King PRA and Pierre Vivant, helping in the realization of site-related installations at the Tout Portland Sculpture Park. It was here he met Antony Gormley while he was working on “Man Falling”, as well as Peter Randall Page, sculptors who have both inspired him in his artwork.
John then went on to work in a French stone quarry owned by the sculptor and architect Armand Pellier, where he was employed as a stone carver, enabling him to hone his skills.
John is now also a teacher of stone carving techniques, running workshops for adults and children in both France and England.
Coleen Du Pon
Colleen du Pon is a Metal Sculptor and Artist Blacksmith originally from Canada and now living in Bridport, West Dorset on England’s Jurassic Coast.
Colleen produces a range of work, blending forging with hand, hammer, and anvil, with contemporary metalworking processes to create ornamental and functional ironwork for home and garden in mild steel.
She earned a BA in Silversmithing and Metalwork at Camberwell College of Arts in London where she enrolled to pursue her dream of becoming a Jeweller but fell in love with Blacksmithing and working hot iron and spent most of her time at the forge and anvil. She was awarded the Bruce Church Travel Scholarship in 2002 and has travelled extensively, working directly with nomadic Blacksmiths in India. Colleen has been working as an Artist Blacksmith and Metal Sculptor since 2007.
Gillian Connor
Gillian Connor is one of our 3D artists, creating fabulous mixed media pieces
from found and reclaimed materials. She has a talent for seeing beauty and
opportunities in the most unlikely of places.
Ever since she was a child living by the sea in Brighton she has scribbled,
drawn and painted taking inspiration from her surroundings. Her passion is
working with driftwood and found objects, spending a lot of time on beaches in
all weathers collecting wood, plastic, glass and metal; in fact anything that
looks interesting. She is cleaning the environment at the same time as finding
materials to create many weird and wonderful works of art.
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