When photographer Eleanor Church met sculptor Steve Henderson on a magical day out on the Walton backwaters, she was inspired to capture his artistic process and how he and his work are intrinsically entwined with the environment
Eleanor Church, filmmaker, photographer and owner of Lark Rise Pictures, has spent 20 years travelling the world for her work, but has recently returned to Essex where she grew up. ‘Nature, wildlife and the environment have always been an important part of my work,’ Eleanor says. ‘I love taking photographs of people and linking them with nature.’ And it’s this link that inspired her to photograph Essex artist Steve Henderson.
‘Steve is related to a really good friend of mine,’ Eleanor explains. ‘We spent a lovely summer’s day where Steve lives on the Walton backwaters. It’s like a secret haven with seals and this cacophony of bird sounds. It’s heavenly.
‘I saw some of Steve’s art and I was really interested to see how he works and take photos of him and his process. The way he can sculpt wood and really show the shape and personality of a bird that he’s been observing his whole life is extraordinary.’
Steve lives in the house he was born in on the edge of Hamford Water on the north east Essex coast, in what was once a barge pub. As a teenager, he began experimenting by copying some duck decoys before trying his hand at a rocking horse. ‘In the 1980s, I was introduced to local internationally acclaimed sculptor Guy Taplin,’ Steve remembers. ‘He invited me to his studio and we became close friends. My father was the artist/photographer Nigel Henderson and my mother, Judith Stephen, was Virginia Woolf’s niece.’
Steve grew up on the marshes. During the summer months, he’d be out fishing with nets and rods, while in the winter he’d go wildfowling to provide food for the family. His deep connection to his environment meant he was spending time in close proximity to a rich tapestry of birds and animals, including porpoises, seals, otters, osprey and spoonbill, plus common waders like curlew, redshank, avocet and many more.
‘Most often I use a light pine for my work,’ Steve explains. ‘For heavily distressed pieces that will be bleached and weathered, I use elm boards, which were originally baseboards at the foot of seawall defenses. These have a mixture of age and weathering that is almost impossible to recreate having been buried in the mud and exposed to seawater daily throughout their life. I regularly walk the sea walls for bits of interesting driftwood for use as a background or base for my sculptures.’
His most treasured tool? A small, six-inch bandsaw, which was gifted to him 40 years ago by a family friend. ‘With this, I shape out the piece freehand, shaving back the wood until close to the desired shape,’ he says. ‘From there, I use a mixture of spokeshaves and wood rasps, then onto sanding and fine detailing with carving chisels. The piece is then burned with a powerful blowtorch and wirebrushed to produce a softer, smoother finish – and then it’s on to painting.’
You can see more of Steve’s work and a list of stockists on his website. Visits to his studio are welcomed via appointment.
Steve Henderson | birdsandfish.co.uk
Eleanor Church | larkrisepictures.com
