Nicolas Moreton

Nicolas Moreton has been a professional sculptor for over 30 years. Specialising in stone carving, he prefers working with UK stones before looking abroad. Working in a traditional manner, Nicolas’s work now displays a contemporary twist with the inclusion of electrical light. His work stems from a figurative bias and it centred around fertility and the wonderment of life.

Nicolas has shown extensively around the UK which has led to his work being collected Nationally and Internationally.

Nicolas has a vast experience working in the Private and Public sectors undertaking major National Tours of his work and having public works in places like London, Milton Keynes and Yorkshire.

He enjoys undertaking carving workshops to inspire new people into the world of carving.

Biography
Born Watford, Hertfordshire. England
1981-82 Nene College School of Art and Design. Northampton
1982-85 B.A. Hons in Fine Art (sculpture). Wolverhampton Polytechnic
1986 Became self-employed fine art sculptor.
1995 Elected member of the Royal Society of British Sculptors.
2006 Awarded The Brian Mercer Residency at Fondazione Sem, Pietrasanta, Italy
2010 National Sculpture Prize – winner to be announced 13th August 2010

Solo Exhibitions
2018 Towards Totality. Messum’s Fine Art, London
2017 Messums Fine Art. Marlow and London
2014-17 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.London
2006 City Sculpture Walk. London.
2004/6 National Stone Carving Touring exhibition around English Cathedrals. Commenced July 2004, Southwell Minster. Gloucester, Lincoln and Manchester Cathedral 2006.
2004 "Touch Stones" Hutson Gallery. London.
2002 "Passages" The Formal Gardens, Longleat House, Wiltshire
2001 "New Bronzes" Peter Gwyther Gallery, London
1999 "Elements" Goldmark Gallery, Uppingham, Rutland, Leicestershire
1997 "Pregnant Stone" Goldmark Gallery, Rutland, Leicestershire
1996 "The Passion of Life" Lamont Gallery, London
1995 "Stonecarving" Goldmark Gallery, Uppingham, Rutland, Leicestershire
1993 "Sense of stone" Hunt Jennings Gallery London
1991 Mall Galleries, London. Invited artist.

Public Commissions
2018/19 “Pinnacle” Clonkeen College, Blackrock, Co. Dublin
2016 Connecting forces. USA Private Commission
2015 In the Beginning, UK Private Commission.
2012 Commission for The Stone Roses
2011/12 Church Green, London. Commissioned by Bellway Homes.
2011 Memorial Commission (Private), London
2010 Public Commission at Mytholmroyd, Yorkshire
2009 "Dominicanes" Private Commission, London
2008 Shortlisted for a landmark sculpture commission for the East Midlands (Budget £500,000) by Bovis Homes
2008 Four sculptures for Northampton Central Museum, Northamptonshire
2007 Shortlisted for Millfield School Commission, Somerset.
Shortlisted for a Gateway Commission for Northampton.
Rock International Bank, Mayfair, London. Commissioned by Kelly Hoppen Interiors.
2005 Cefn Stone Circle Project. Monmouthshire. (budget £100,000)
2000 "Visionary" Millennium sculpture, University College Northampton
1998-2000 Abington Street Project. Worked with Northampton Towncentre partnership to create a new vision for Northampton's shopping main street.
1995 "The Conversation" Milton Keynes City Square, Buckinghamshire.
1995 "The Meeting" Milton Keynes City Square, Buckinghamshire.
1987 "25th Jubilee sculpture" Weston Favell Upper School. Northampton.

Selected Exhibitions
2018
Messum’s Fine Art,London
onform18, Asthall Manor, Asthall,Oxfordshire
Summer Exhibition, Moncrieff Gallery, Surrey
Sculpture at Kingham Lodge, Oxfordshire
Hannah Peschar Sculpture Gallery, Ockley, Surrey
Henley Art Week
2017
RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Sculpture at Messums, Messums Gallery, London
Goldmark Gallery, Uppingham, Rutland.
2016
Sculpture at Lord’s Wood, Messum’s, Marlow
Flora and Fauna,Mount Pleasant Gardens, Cheshire
Doddington Hall, Lincolnshire
Sculpture at Kingham Lodge, Oxon
2015
Moncrieff Gallery, Surrey
Alfred East Gallery,Kettering, Northamptonshire
St Marks Hall, Coggleshall, Essex
RHS Chelsea Flower Show (solo tradestand)
GROW, Hampstead, London
2014
RHS Chelsea Flower Show (solo tradestand)
Doddington Hall, Linclonshire
GROW, Hampstead, London
Parallex Art Fair, London

2013
RHS Chelsea Flower Show (Pride of the Valley)
Cookham Arts Festival
Moncrieff Gallery Surrey
Coughton House and Gardens, Warwickshire
Landscape Show 2013, Battersea, London
2012
On Form 2012, Asthall, Oxfordshire
20/21st Century Artfair. RCA, London
The Jose Art Fair, London
Artspace, Henley
Artbeat 2012 Woburn Abbey, Buckinghamshire
Doddington Hall, Lincolnshire
Moncreiff Gallery, Surrey
2011
International Sculpture, Pietrasanta, Italy
FreshAir 2011, Quenington Gloucestershire
The Grove, Watford, Hertfordshire
Moncreiff Gallery, Surrey
21 Century ArtFair RCA London
Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries, London
2010
Anthony Hepworth Gallery, London
Thompson's Gallery, London
On Form 2010 Asthall, Oxfordshire
The Garden Gallery, Hampshire
Art de Jardin, Oakham, Rutland
Goldmark Gallery, Uppingham, Rutland.
National Sculpture Prize, Liverpool
2009
London Art Fair (Robert Bowman Gallery)
Art Contact, Limberhurst, Cambridge
Art de Jardin, Oakham Rutland
Goldmark Gallery Uppingham, Rutland
Sculpture show, Thompson Gallery, London
2008
London Art Fair (Robert Bowman Gallery)
On Form 2008, Asthall, Oxfordshire
Chelsea Flower Show
Touching Art Touching You. Royal Cornwall Museum
Art London
Goldmark Gallery, Uppingham, Rutland
2007
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
Robert Bowman Gallery, London.
Goldmark Gallery, Uppingham.
Spectrum, Abbey House, Wiltshire.
Sculpture in the Garden, Leicester University
Festival of Sculpture, Guernsey
2006
"Stone", Royal British Society of Sculptors, London.
Cadogan Contemporary, London
Goldmark Gallery, Rutland
RHS Show, Tatton, Manchester
Sense and Sensuality, Bankside Gallery, London
2005
"The Kiss" Spectrum Gallery, London
"Art4Life" Christies, London
Pride of the Valley Sculpture Park, Surrey.
"Sculpture in the planning" Millfield School, Somerset.
2004
"Art4Life" Christies, London
House and Garden Exhibition. Justin Gardner Gallery, Olympia, London
Sculpture in Paradise. Chichester Cathedral, Chichester
Asian Lifestyle Festival - Invited artist. Olympia, London
Hutson Gallery, London.
2003
Pride of the Valley Sculpture Park, Surrey
Royal British Society of Sculptors Summer Exhibition, London
Summer exhibition. Hutson Gallery, London.
Pride of the Valley Sculpture Park London Exhibition, London.
Discerning Eye, London
2001
"British Art Fair" Business Design Centre, Islington, London
Sherborne Festival Sherborne Manor House, Sherborne, Dorset
Millfield School Summer Exhibition. Street, Somerset
Silbury Group 10th Anniversary. Milton Keynes Gallery, Buckinghamshire
Royal Society of British Sculptors Summer Exhibition, London
2000
"Imagination for Cancer" Imagination Gallery, London
"The Bath Art Fair" Bath, Somerset
"Paper and Stone" (two person show), Parkview Fine Art, Bristol
"Conversation" Milton Keynes Gallery. Milton Keynes, Bucks.

Awards
2010 People’s Choice Award, National Sculpture Prize, Liverpool
2007 Community Champion Award, East Midlands.
2006 Brian Mercer International Residency, Pietrasanta, Italy.
2005 New Partnership, Art and Business Award.Arts Council grant for Artist In Residence at Gloucester Cathedral
2005 Arts Council grant for Artist in Residence at Manchester Cathedral.
2004 East Midlands Arts Council grant for Sculptor in Residence at Southwell Minster. Southwell.
1995 1st Prize Northamptonshire Contemporary OpenShortlisted for Henry Moore Fellowship, John Moores University, Liverpool
Southern Arts Regional Arts Lottery Grant for Sculptor in Residence
1993 Shortlisted for Henry Moore Fellowship, University of Kent

Private Collections
Sir and Lady Alment
Lord Archer
George Melly
Brian Sewell
Burghley Sculpture collection
Longleat House collection
Work can be found in many other private collections worldwide: Australia, Belgium, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Switzerland, New Zealand, United States of America.

Educational Workshops and Talks
University College of Northampton, Northampton
2008 – 2010 ongoing. Nicolas have been running carving workshops to encourage students on the Fine Art Course to consider using stone as an option to make sculpture. Long Term Objective is that a permanent carving area will be established.

The Old Dairy Farm Craft Centre, Northampton
2008-2015 Ran summer two/three day carving workshops. Aim is to encourage anyone to have a go at stone carving with the vision of carrying it on after the course.

Northampton School for Boys
2008/2009. Set up and implemented carving sessions in a state school for 14-18 year olds. This school has now bought 20 carving sets.

Fermynwoods Gallery, Corby

University of Hertfordshire
Carried out carving workshops to encourage the use of stone

Southwell Minster, Southwell
Gloucester Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral
Manchester Cathedral
2004-2006 Objective: To raise the awareness of stone carving by making one site specific work in full view of the public in the building. Complimented by talks and a National Carving tour. This tour was made possible by Arts Council England, Belkin and Arts & Business.

The following venues saw stone carving events/workshops/talks and lectures to promote the virtues of stone and stone carving:

Blakesley Primary School, Northampton
Blisworth Community Primary School, Northampton
Interaction, Milton Keynes
Buckinghamshire Association of blind and partially sighted people.
Royal British Society of Sculptors, London
St. Paul’s School, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
Longleat House, Wiltshire
Mytholmroyd, Calderdale Valley, South Yorkshire
Sywell Primary School, Northampton
Van Dyke School, Leighton Buzzard
Weavers School, Wellingborough
Weston Favell Upper School, Northampton
University of Hertfordshire

Artist Statement
Fertility, growth and the wonderment of life are the driving forces behind my work. An exploration of our relationships to one another and the world in which we live should help fulfil our desires in some small way every day. My work hopefully will stimulate the senses through its texture, shape and form stimulating ones awareness through the viewer’s own perceptions.

Stone is my chosen material. Its speed of working helps me to be able to constantly reflect and assess what I am sculpting. I love that with every day I work the stone the more I understand its complex personalities, with each piece possessing its own challenges that ultimately provides me with my reward.