A flexible Collaboration
Chris works mainly to commission, and has been asked to make a wide variety of dog breeds, including Labradors, spaniels and a collie. Her most unusual commission was for a green monkey, from a client who had connections with Barbados. “My most popular pieces are chickens, hares and foxes,” she says. She alternates her commissioned work with exhibitions and teaching workshops. In summer, she holds demonstrations at the Great Yorkshire Show, where people are fascinated to see how she creates her sculptures. Her largest piece is a full-sized pony, standing 14.2hh. When it was needed for an exhibition, it had to be transported in a full-sized horse box. “The pony was done for my own exploration, to see how far I could go,” she says. “I enjoy working out how I will make something. I will be proud of it one day, but not yet. I made it quite quickly, and I want to amend the front legs to make more of its muscularity. “The beauty of chicken wire is that it is flexible and amenable to being changed. I have never thrown away a sculpture. If I’m not happy with it, then I will alter it. The satisfaction comes when I’m pleased with the whole thing.”