Danny Clahane As a child Danny Clahane used to get in trouble with his Mum, he was always stealing the soap to carve it. Art at school, still life drawings of spider plants and tree bark, bored him, but his practical mind was drawn to doing art foundation at Hastings College. He started his degree course in Canterbury which at the time advocated a very strong formal language of sculpture, epitomised by  Anthony Caro, who was a visiting lecturer abstract metal work. It was during this period that Danny began clay modelling from the figure and stone carving   He learnt much from working for Stephen Cox whilst at Canterbury and cut his teeth helping Stephen carve and install large granite sculptures for the Broadgate Liverpool Street  redevelopment. Graduation saw him move on to the Site Specific Sculpture MA at Wimbledon College of Art, run by Glynn Williams, now head at the Royal College of Art. Glynn soon signed up Danny as an  assistant, during this period he continued assisting Stephen Cox on several large, granite public sculpture projects like ‘Hymn' for Keynes college Canterbury  as well as developing his own work including making a sculpture for Morden library as part of the course and two saints for St Paul's Harringay  In 1994 he saw an opportunity in The Brockhall Artists community in Lancashire, and ventured north. The girl in the next door room turned out to be his future wife. Plenty of space and free to develop his own style soon led to sales and commissions, including Origin for the Open University. Gerald Hitman the property developer at Brockhall became a keen patron.   Life moved the Clahanes to Kendal in Cumbria still then in the Northern Arts area and  Danny has worked with Commissions North ever since. His notable works in the Gateshead area include a suit of pieces for the Watermark development, the Tyne Tees TV weather garden sculpture ‘North Wind‘, The Tree of Knowledge for Lord Lawson School, Birtley, 'Bud' which was unveiled by the Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, and Seedling. Seedling was created for the Saltwell Park sculpture trail, which was a celebration of 10 years of sculpture in Gateshead, since the Angel of the North, by Antony Gormley, was created. Danny won the people's prize and his work is now a permanent part of Gateshead councils collection.   In 2001 Danny had a sell out show at the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal and they now  have a permanent work on their terrace thanks to Kendal Windows on Art and the Frieda Scott trust.   Teaching at the local college brought a connection with local architect Paul Grout. Danny was his first choice when Paul won the commission to build the Ambleside Parish Centre, in the heart of the Lake District National Park. The award winning building has a series of 40 relief carvings by Danny representing the creation - seasons and the elements. Smaller collaborations with Paul include work for Cartmel Priory School and The Bishop of Carlisle's home. For more information see: www.dannyclahane.co.uk

Angel                                    Conversation                                    Seedling