“Sturmy”

“Sturmy” is the familiar name of the Englefield herd’s prized Hereford bull whose real name was Exterminator.
The sculpture was commissioned by the herd owner’s wife for his birthday. I had the delicate task of sketching the very obliging animal on an almost daily basis, without accidentally letting on why I was studying it so earnestly.
In order to avoid the legs breaking beneath the weight of the body, I provided extra support by introducing a leafy bush, which the bull is eagerly consuming. Note his long tongue wrapping around the leaves.
I used salvaged stone.

The stone used for this piece was rescued from a local stonemason company’s skip