Steve Winterburn

By LatAm ARTE

Steve Winterburn (English, Born 1959) Steve is a self-taught artist whose creative development has been fuelled by his conviction, immense energy and curiosity. Possessing an innate comprehension of engineering and design enables him to explore his passion for challenge and experimentation. Steve began teaching himself to sculpt in 1994. With the progression of his sculpting an ambition emerged to personally shape each piece of his work from concept to completion. He had entrusted the casting of his earlier bronzes to the established foundries. But the delays in delivering his work became frustrating and he was disillusioned by the changes that resulted from not handling the finishing stages himself. In 2002 Steve moved to Yorkshire, in the north of England, and began converting the vast workshop next to his house in to the current 9 room studio & foundry. It was here he started to experiment in order to gain an understanding of the entire process that is traditionally a closely guarded secret handed down between foundry men. The challenges included mastering mould making skills and the lost wax impression of the moulds from which a one off ceramic mould is made ready for the bronze pouring. Expanding his expertise with chasing the bronze, his ability to hand work the malleable surface and with the patina (colours). These stages are normally undertaken by a succession of different people, each skilled in their particular phase of the evolving sculpture. Involvement with a diversity of initiatives has taken Steve to India, Peru, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Australia and Ethiopia, sculpting people and animals. In the UK Steve has sold his work in the famous Harrods and Selfridges stores. He has exhibited with LAPADA ( The London Antiques Association) through Hickmet Fine Arts at their shows and twice with The Wildlife Arts Society at the Westminster Gallery where in 1998 he won the award for best 3 dimensional piece. He has also been exhibited twice at the Royal Academy in London.