Anthony has been awarded Artist In Residence positions that have taken him around the world.
These experiences have been hugely inspirational and have had a lasting impact on his artwork.
Round-the-World Sailing Voyage, 2009-10
In September 2009 Anthony joined the beautiful three-masted Dutch sailing ship the Stad Amsterdam for an 8-month voyage around the world. This incredible adventure was undertaken for a television documentary series about Charles Darwin and the Voyage of the Beagle, and Anthony was one of the presenters for the series. As well as visiting various destinations relating to Darwin’s voyage and presenting to camera, Anthony was the Artist in Residence on board the ship, echoing the role of Augustus Earle and Conrad Martens on the original Beagle Voyage.
The Falkland Islands, 2012
In 2012 Anthony was awarded a Shackleton Scholarship, which gave him the opportunity to spent a month in the Falkland Islands as the Artist In Residence. During this time he taught sculpting and photography at the school in Stanley, and directed the children in undertaking a public sculpting project for charity that appeared all over the town. He also had the opportunity to visit some of the outer islands and experience some of the incredible wildlife of the Falklands.
South Georgia, 2013-14
From November 2013 to January 2014 Anthony lived on the remote Subantarctic island of South Georgia. This Artist In Residence position was generously offered by the South Georgia Heritage Trust – a great charity that helps protect both the stunning natural environment of the island, and its fascinating history. During Anthony’s time on the island he lived alongside penguins, seals and albatrosses and fell in love with this wild environment and the species that inhabit it. The inspiration that this residence gave to him continues to be a primary driving force in his artwork up to this day.
Examples of Residency Work
Following Anthony’s time on South Georgia he sculpted and cast a bronze portrait bust of the great polar explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton. This bust is now part of the permanent collection of the South Georgia Museum and is on display just a few hundred meters from Shackleton’s final resting place, the Grytviken Cemetery.
During Anthony’s residency at the South Georgia Museum he created a new series of replica scrimshaw carvings to be sold in the Museum shop, raising funds for the good causes that the SGHT carries out. He also created fine art photographic prints that were auctioned on board visiting cruise ships in aid of the ongoing ‘Habitat Restoration Project‘. This fantastic conservation initiative has since succeeded in eradicating invasive rats from the entire island, safeguarding millions of nesting birds. Anthony is honoured to have helped support such a wonderful project.
Anthony has sculpted a smaller portrait bust of Sir Ernest Shackleton for collectors and admirers of the great explorer. This sculpture was inspired by Anthony’s residency on South Georgia as well as the 20 voyages to Antarctica that he has taken part in since 2014.
Anthony has donated his bronze sculptures to the South Georgia Heritage Trust for fundraising auctions and is proud to offer his continued support for their wonderful work; the funds raised from these auctions are used for important conservation projects on the island, protecting the wildlife and restoring the environment.
The time that Anthony has spend closely observing the remarkable animals of Falkland Islands and South Georgia continues to trigger ideas and designs for new works. There are more than 20 bronze sculptures that have been directly inspired by Anthony’s time as Artist in Residence in both these places; the image to the right shows some of them.
This image shows Anthony with the students of the Falkland Islands Community School in Stanley, displaying the results of their sculpting classes. The resulting ‘Penguin Parade’ of King penguin sculptures went on display all over the town and were subsequently auctioned for charity. This project was a great success and Anthony will always cherish his time teaching at the school and inspiring young minds to explore their creative side.
Anthony’s round-the-world sailing voyage had several profound impacts on his future life and work. During the voyage he created numerous sketches and paintings, as well as an original portrait sculpture of the Captain of the Beagle, Robert FitzRoy. This time also triggered a passion for travelling at sea, and has lead directly to many of Anthony’s other travel-related art projects.