Bryan Proctor

My journey has not been linear. I have taken the odd leap of faith, but this has given me experience in a variety of occupations including manufacturing, construction and healthcare. I’ve gained degrees in Fine Art (Painting), Philosophy and a Post-Graduate degree in Art Therapy. These areas of study have steered me into specific fields of work, but the continual desire for applied ‘hands-on’ creativity has always been the driving force.

After several years working for the NHS as a Senior Art Therapist, I chose to leave to pursue a different path. Over the years I had gained a series of public sculpture commissions and decided to move to London to further my skills by studying ‘Historic Stone Carving’ with the City & Guilds London Art School. This period of intense study was followed by a brief stint as a commercial sculptor in York which then led me to make a sideways move into the stone industry via on-site training at Lincoln Castle & briefly at Lincoln Cathedral. From then on, I worked independently up and down the UK as a professional stonemason.

I am now living and working in Northern France along with my partner Laura who is also a UK stonemason. Together we are rebuilding a derelict house, which will eventually become our home. Juggling the renovation project alongside making a living here has been very challenging but I feel very fortunate that this new lifestyle has allowed me to re-acquaint myself with my art. I finally have the space and time to make and paint again.

Although content, I am still my worst critic, rarely satisfied with the end products, but teased by the glimpse of an idea or alternative direction within each artwork. So, once again, I choose to pick up the paintbrush, or mallet and chisel. This is not an ordeal or a chore, more a game of wit; the wood warms to me, the stone gives way, and the drawing reveals its imagery. I feel compelled to return, revisit and replay the event to try to capture that elusive idea before it is gone.

That, for me, is a good day