Born in 1946 in Lancashire, Leonard grew up having a creative aptitude - being much better with his hands than his head. As a teenager he tried woodcarving, using the inadequate tools in his dads shed, to produce small pieces in pine or any other wood he found. His main pleasure at school came from his woodwork and drawing classes, again an outlet for his creative side.

He served an apprenticeship as a Sheet Metal Worker and Coppersmith, at a time when personal skills had not been de-valued by machine produced parts. He learned to work in steel, copper, brass, stainless steel and aluminium, refining his expertise in working and welding these various metals. At College he further enhanced his skills to produce brass and copper bowls with his own individual creative stamp on them.

Tiring of the repetition and invasion of machinery into the manufacturing process, Leonard and his wife Joan, became Youth Hostel Wardens in North Wales in 1968. Their first hostel, just outside Bala, North Wales, was an old Welsh Manor House built in 1668. Its age and history intrigued them both, and they valued the opportunity to live in the country. The upkeep and maintenance of the building became another outlet for Leonard’s creative skills and he also ventured into working in other mediums such as slate and lead. They then moved to the Isle of Man to continue to run Youth Hostels and whilst there, Leonard did some evening courses in clay work and wood carving (his only formal training) - producing the Centurion Head and Broken Shell pieces. (see pictures)

He also ventured into copper repoucé work, making and selling plaques through one of the local shops. This lead to a commission from the Isle of Man Bank to reproduce large copies of old Manx coins for the front of the bank counter. These were done by the copper repoucé method using copper and pewter for the various coins. He also fulfilled a commission to make a large wrought iron chandelier in the medieval style for a local art gallery.

They returned to the mainland in 1975 to run the Llangollen Youth Hostel, staying for only a short time before leaving the Youth Hostel service. In 1977 they moved down to London to be Managers of an American Overseas University. As one of the courses taught was Humanities, Leonard was able to learn much more about art, music, architecture and sculpting - even being able to visit the studio of Henry Moore, a sculptor he really admires. Whilst in London he also did courses in silversmithing, jewellery making and stained glass work.

One of Leonard’s guiding principles is that you cannot really appreciate the skills of another craftsman, unless you have tried to learn some of the skills of his craft yourself. He became increasingly frustrated by the Americans he worked with, whose only level of appreciation for antiques, was based solely on its possible rise in value - without any concern for the workmanship that had gone into the item.

Leonard and his wife continued their nomadic lifestyle……. finally ending up at Burton Agnes Hall, in East Yorkshire, in 1998. Burton Agnes is a 400 year old stately home and a treasure trove of old and modern art, ceramics, sculpting, silverware and antique and modern furniture - covering all the periods between the 17 th and 21 st. century (some pieces commissioned from John Makepeace for the Millennium, being the latest additions). Being responsible for the general upkeep and maintenance of the building and its contents, freed Leonard to make use of the many skills he had acquired over the years. He was also commissioned to produce a number of sculptures, to add interest to the “Woodland Walk”. These comprise of a

Giant Spider and Fly in a web stretched between two trees. (see pics)

A giant dragonfly.

Giant Caterpillars, large squirrel, large stylised Owl - all carved from various timbers (see pics)

Woodpecker with baby, large upright Pig (see pics)

A Flight of Doves made from aluminium and spanning the gap between two trees (see pics)

A Colony of Ants turned from wood

A Giant Wind Chime made from 4inch aluminium tubes, the longest being 6ft (1800cm)

He also fulfilled a long held desire to make and carve a Victorian Rocking Horse for his granddaughter

It was whilst at Burton Agnes that Leonard started to carve bowls from Australian Burls of various kinds, which he is continuing to produce, even though he has had to leave Burton Agnes and return to his native Lancashire due to the ill- health of his father. He has made the decision to use the talents and skills he has, to start his own business - hence “Artistry in Wood” coming into being.

As well as producing bowls for sale through two exclusive outlets, Leonard is also happy to deal directly with clients - undertaking individual commissions depending on the availability of suitable timbers.

Click here to see infromation on Leonards creative process