About Us
Welcome to R M Sculpture Studios! My name is Roderick McDowall. I am a sculptor and carver specializing in architectural and restoration sculpture in stone. After mastering the art of stonemasonry specializing in banker work (cutting) I went on to study historic stone carving at City and Guilds of London Art School. On this three year course I further developed advanced skills in clay modeling, mould making, observational drawing and lettering. This journey further built on my passion to preserve our traditional buildings for over 20 years.
As an architectural sculptor, I work with a variety of stones to create the beautiful and intricate design features that can be found on historical buildings across the country. Whether I am working on a new construction project or a restoration project, I approach each one with the same level of dedication and attention to detail.
Restoration carving is a particularly important aspect of my work. I believe that conservation through restoration is crucial for maintaining our historic buildings and preserving our cultural heritage for future generations. Through careful research and attention to detail, I recreate sculptures and carvings that accurately reflect the original design and style of the building incorporating my own artistic vision where appropriate.
Over the years, I have had the privilege of working on a variety of architectural and restoration projects, from small decorative elements to large-scale sculptures. I have collaborated with architects, builders, and preservationists to ensure that my work complements the overall design and enhances the beauty of the building.
Thank you for visiting my website, I hope you enjoy exploring my portfolio. If you have any questions or are interested in commissioning a piece, please don’t hesitate to make contact.
Portfolio
Anthemion for The Gallery of Modern Art – Glasgow
The large anthemions’ atop of The GOMA are all becoming severely weathered. The worst one has now been restored to help keep the story alive and provide detail for future restorations. Due to the sheer size and weight of the stone it had to be built using a crane.
The job had been prompted by numerous capitals and rosette bosses crumbling and falling into the street. Various other works were carried out however budget and timeline did not allow for large scale works to be carried out on the capitals. Dangerous parts had some supporting dowels installed so that they would survive until the client can source the relevant funds for the next phase of restoration.
Caryatid for The Mitchell library
One of The Mitchell Library’s 8 caryatid sculptures was damaged by a corroded iron pin. The corrosion caused the iron to expand and split the head in two, falling and taking the arm off with it. I modelled the missing details back onto the original stones to use as reference for carving. The finished result matched perfectly with the others completing the set. We also indented all of the sixteen ionic capitals and replaced the damaged rosette panels bringing on board my friend and colleague James Kirby to help with the workload.
McEwan Hall
The McEwan Hall. On a large restoration project spanning three years various features were finally completed to the buildings unfinished original specification and other features restored such as various capitals, frieze panels, console brackets and more. It was truly satisfying to remove the casts which had sat in place of stones that hadn’t been cut due to a shortfall in the budget for creating this elaborate building and replacing them with carved stones to finish this masterpiece of architecture.
South Audley Street
South Audley St. London. Various elements carved for a residence in London that had lay derelict since the war with much of the balcony missing. It was then restored back to its former glory to house its new residents with new cartouches and lion’s heads and other details.
Cleitus
Carved from a cast taken from an original section or the Pergamon Altar. Cleitus, one of the giants depicted in battle fighting against the goddess Hecate in the great battle for supremacy of the cosmos also known as the Giantomachy. I took great pleasure in carving this piece as it was the first figurative works I had created.
Services We Offer
Sculpture restoration and architectural stone carving:
We work closely with architects clients and builders to carve stones to replace damaged features from a conservation standpoint, respecting the style, methods and mark making used to create the original. In cases where there is little remaining detail or entirely missing elements then research will be conducted to work out what would have originally been there or intended to be there. The piece will then be carved respecting the original methods to maintain the stylistic integrity of the building or sculpture and its designer.
Small works will be carved directly from drawings, templates, basic models and casts. Larger more complex pieces will require more advanced models, casts and use of the pointing technique. The pointing technique is not new technology but has been used by the masters since before the 1800s to transfer reference points from the working model to the finished piece to recreate the piece accurately to the design.
Custom Commissions:
At RM Sculpture Studios, we are always open to custom commissions and love working with architects and clients to bring their unique visions to life. Whether you are looking for a one-of-a-kind sculpture for a commercial, or public space, or a decorative element for your home we can create a custom piece that meets your exact specifications. Once the type of design has been agreed on then we will create a model for approval by the architect or client. After approval then we will work from the model to recreate the piece in stone.
Advanced masonry:
In times where there is a shortage of skilled banker masons we can occasionally take on masonry works that require a finer touch.
Thank you for considering RM Sculpture Studios for your sculpting and carving needs. We take pride in our work and look forward to the opportunity to bring your vision to life in stone.
Testimonials
‘We religiously use Roddy for all our high end carving works. I truly believe his knowledge base and skill is unrivalled when it comes to these delicate, high-end works. Having now completed some pieces for some of the most prestigious A-listed buildings in Glasgow, I could not speak highly enough of Roddy’s attention to detail, quality and all-round skill to produce the most ornate details with pinpoint accuracy. The professionalism and quality of work is truly second to none.’
Andrew MacDonald, Director
AGM Stone
“Roddy provides a high quality stone carving service and has been a safe pair of hands for us on a number of contracts.”
Paul Allison, Managing Director
Dunhouse Quarry Co.Ltd
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