Please introduce yourself. You didn’t learn sculpture until you were in your late 40’s. What compelled you to learn? Have you always had a passion for art?

My name is Christine Charlesworth and I work as a sculptor, specialising in figures and portraiture, working in clay to either cast in bronze, using the lost-wax method, or casting in bronze resin in my workshop. My ambition was always to go to Art College and learn to do sculpture but, unfortunately, when I applied at Wolverhampton the foundation course was already full, so I was offered a place on the fashion design course. This was in 1965 when the fashion industry was a vibrant and exciting place. Although I enjoyed learning all the skills involved in fashion design and had some exciting times, I remained very keen to one day find a place where I could learn all about creating sculptures. This finally happened after moving from Devon, where I had a studio and specialised in fine art painting, to Surrey in 1996. I joined a sculpture class at the Adult Learning Centre in Guildford, one morning a week, having waited a term to pluck up courage to join. The next term, I signed up for one whole day a week, and finally for the full one and half days a week. I sold my first small sculpture in my second term, had my first commission in my third term and in 2000 decided that I would concentrate on working as a sculptor. I was in my late 40’s and I was finally following my dream.

How do you capture a likeness? What is the key to establishing the character of your sitter?

I feel it is extremely important to try to capture not only a likeness, but some part of the individual character, spirit, and motivation of the person I am to sculpt. I also like to capture a feeling of movement to give the person more life. I try to know and understand my sitter as well as possible, working from live sittings and I also take photographs from all angles, if possible. When working on historical figures I spend a great deal of time reading and learning from historical records as much as I can about the person, researching and sourcing photographs (if available) from all angles, until I feel that I really know that person well.

You have produced both private and public commissioned sculptures, including one of writer and activist, Emily Wilding Davison. Which piece has been your favourite to create, and why?

Since 2000, I have been extremely lucky as I have completed over 60 commissions, which includes 22 Public Commissions. The 4 most recent Public Sculptures have been of important female figures. Suffragette, Emily Wilding Davison for the market square in Epsom was the first of these that I created during Covid Lockdown. A series of videos were made during the whole process to keep people informed of progress. These can be seen on YouTube named ‘New Dawn for Emily’. There is also a condensed film on my website. I am thrilled to say that Emily is very popular, still has flowers left beside her sculpture and people really do enjoy sitting beside her and can be seen holding her hand and speaking to her. Next was Dame Ethel Smyth, composer, writer, and suffragette. I made this sculpture larger than life size and she stands, energetically conducting passersby, in Dukes Court, Woking. I enjoyed capturing her energy, enthusiasm, and movement in the sculpture. My sculpture of Greta Thunberg is life size, but she is only 4ft 10inches tall. This figure is at Winchester University and caused quite a controversy and lots of publicity when she was put on site. The sculpture that I have only just completed is the one I have enjoyed working on the most. This is a larger-than-life walking figure of Aphra Behn, the 17C Playwright, Poet, Spy, for the centre of Canterbury. There were over 50 sculptors who put forward their designs and I was chosen (to my surprise) as one of the four finalists. Our quarter sized maquettes were toured around important venues in UK where the public voted, also online, for the sculpture they wanted to win. I was shocked and thrilled to be the winner and she is now all completed and waiting to be put on site.

How does your medium reflect the narrative of your work?

I work in clay which is a great material for sculpting as I can show so much detail.. Finished sculptures are then moulded in rubber and either cast in bronze using the lost wax method, or I use the moulds to cast in bronze resin to give a similar look to bronze. I love sculptures because, unlike a painting that only has one view, they have so many from different angles and can be viewed all around. It is also, of course, more difficult to create and takes a great deal more time.

Describe your process for creating one of your pieces from start to finish. What is your favourite part of the process?

Having decided on how I want to portray my subject I work with the finished measurements to first create a metal armature to support the clay. I pack out the central core with re-useable plastic material which is kept in place against the armature with chicken wire to support the clay. I build up the figure by rolling the clay in my hands to form sausage shapes so that I can follow the lines of bones and then build up the body before adding any clay to form the clothes. Once a portrait figure is complete and has been approved, then I make a silicon rubber mould, working out where all the seams will be placed before adding a resin and fibreglass hard jacket to support all the different sections. This mould can be used in the foundry to create a wax figure for the lost wax process, or the sections of mould can be used to create a figure in bronze resin and fibreglass. One of my favourite parts of the process is when I accidentally knock into a figure in clay and automatically apologise as this tells me I am making progress. My favourite part of the process is when the sculpture is cast, welded, fettled, patinated and waxed and set on site, which can be sometimes up to two years after I have begun the process.

What ignites your imagination? When do you feel most inspired?

If I am creating an historical figure I first do as much research as possible to learn as much as I can about my subject. I always like to try to capture life and movement and will try to show personality in expression and stance. With Aphra Behn, Playwright, Poet, Spy, I wanted to give clues to the many aspects of her life, which I have shown around her figure as she walks down the main street of Canterbury.

Tell me about a typical day in your studio.

I am an early riser so, if I am working on a large figurative commission, I like to start work early and have been known to start at about 5.30am. I work for blocks of time, spraying and wrapping the figure to keep it from drying if I am taking a break. It is important to take time away from the work so that, when I return, I can see things with ‘new’ eyes. If work is going well I work until about 6.30pm then it takes quite a time to wet the figure and wrap it all in plastic sheets to keep it from drying.

Who is your greatest artist inspiration? If you could ask them one question, what would it be?

I have always loved the work of Camille Claudelle as her work captures so much life and spirit and she had so much talent. It is so very sad that so much of her work was destroyed. I find it heartbreaking that, with so much talent, she was locked away never to have the opportunity to make sculpture again. I would ask her how she managed to cope.

Why do you think art is important in society?

Art can show life, thoughts, passions, personality, strength, despair, love, freedom, shape, emotion and much more. Society would be bereft without it.

Christine Charlesworth

ARTIST INTERVIEW: Christine Charlesworth