Artist Information HMS Victory Sculpture Selected Commissions Wood/Bronze Sculptures HMS Victory
Journal / Bio Garter Knights Crests Bath Knights Crests Creating a Crest/Arms Short TV Films
Contemporary commissioned bas-relief and three dimensional one-off and limited edition hot metal bronze, marble/resin and wood carvings by Ian G Brennan:
Outlined here is just a small example of the bas-relief and three-dimensional wood carvings and bronze sculpture Ian G Brennan has created between 1984 when he first started woodcarving to 2000 and although many of his commissions particularly for the Royal Household may not all be shown on this website it does however give a rather good idea of the wide variety of both heraldic and realistic commissions in many different mediums that sculptor Ian G Brennan has produced during this period.
Ian G Brennan has been a professional sculptor since 1984 and is one of those rare sculptors that both carves and casts. The majority of Ian's work is involved with producing one-off both realistic and heraldic bronze sculptures and wood carvings in both three dimensions and bas-relief, with the wood carvings often being carved from a single piece of wood. Ian first began casting his work in bronze and occasionally silver in 1996 and when he is not producing the master copy directly from plaster or clay he frequently uses his original wood sculptures as the master copies for his bronze sculptures.
In 1989 Ian G Brennan was officially appointed the 'Sculptor to the Most Noble Order of the Garter and Honourable Order of the Bath' and since that time spends around four months of each year on a wide variety of unique commissions in both wood and bronze for the British Royal Household. Ian most recent commissions for the Royal Household included sculptures for both HRH Prince Andrew the Duke of York and HRH Prince Edward The Earl of Wessex
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Outlined here is a just a small sample of the wide variety of diverse projects Ian has also been involved with over the years. These commissions are as diverse as carving a 10 feet high statue of a Bald Eagle from a single piece of wood for an American Corporation, to carving a life size statue of the 'Risen Christ' for a local Church. Producing the International Cup Final Trophy for the Scotland V Barbarians Rugby Final, to carving a massive wood sculpture of 'The Globe' from a centuries old Redwood tree. Photographs of Ian's sculptures have even been used for more unusual projects such as book covers and limited edition prints.
Ian has also been commissioned by various organisations such as the Museum service and English Heritage to work on a variety of often historical restoration projects where his rather unique skills in reproducing carvings and sculptures from a by-gone age are required. Such commissions include replacing missing intricate wood carvings in the historic City of Winchester's Council Chambers; working on Lord Nelson's historic Flagship HMS Victory; The Royal College of Arms in London and 'Southwick House' near Portsmouth which was the former Allied Headquarters of General Eisenhower during WW 2 (where 'D Day' was planned ) Ian has more recently been commissioned to produce two large carved and gilded bas-relief sculptures of both the old and new Cunard Logo's for the Grand Lobby of Cunard's new Liner the Queen Victoria
A small selection of sculptor Ian G Brennan's commissions in wood and bronze
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A selection of commissions for Royal Chapels & Churches :-
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St George's Chapel Windsor Castle -- The Lady Chapel Westminster Abbey
Click to enlarge
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The Pascal Candle Stand commissioned for the High Alter in St George's Chapel Windsor Castle.
carved and gilded Oak - 65 inches high (65 cm)
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The plaster 'master copy' for a bronze or resin/marble crucifix
Click to enlarge
A Crucifix and the 'Risen Christ' statue - the statue after being bleached, stained and placed in position
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Click to enlarge
Sculpture after the wood was bleached and stained and placed in position
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Bald Eagle Lectern / Podium
before the darker finish was added
( 53 inches high, including the base - lime wood )
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A bronze coloured version of the podium to represent a Bald Eagle
Wildlife Sculptures in Wood and Bronze :-
Specialising in detailed wildlife woodcarvings and bronze sculpture which are produced either as a one-off or in a limited edition.
Osprey catching a Pike - Leaping Panther - Swimming Otter - Swan protecting her cygnets
66" high x 24" wide - 45" Long x 37" High - 43" high x 17" wide - 27" high x 34" wide
All four of these bronze sculptures shown above, were originally carved from a single piece of hard wood, moulded and then cast in bronze.
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please click to enlarge
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Ian G Brennan's Heraldic commissions are for not only private clients but also the British Royal Household. Coats of Arms and Crests designs include producing traditional Crowns and Coronets, Regal Lions and Mythical Unicorns to the more realistic Animals and Birds, for Heads of State and Leaders in Business, as well as those for the Nobility and both British and European Royalty.
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The larger version of the Arms were carved in wood; the smaller version cast in bronze - carved lime wood Arms with Supporters - lime wood and bronze Arms without Supporters
( 36 inches high x 30 inches wide ) ( 30 inches high x 26 inches wide ) ( 25 inches high x 16 inches wide )
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Ian recent commissions for the British Royal Family have included three carved Royal Crests for HM The Queen's sons Prince Andrew, The Duke of York and Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex and also the Queen's grandson HRH Prince William. These three similar carved and gilded Royal Crests were for the most recent Royal Knights to be awarded the highest and oldest Order of Chivalry the Most Noble Order of the Garter. These almost identical Crests recognises their seniority within the Royal family joining their mother, The Sovereign HM Queen Elizabeth II, father Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, brother Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales and sister Princess Anne, The Princess Royal.
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The Griffin Crest for The Right Honourable The Lord Bingham of Cornhill, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, KG - The Stag Crest for the former British Prime Minister Sir John Major KG
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Four of the over eighty Knight of the Garter and Knights of the Bath, Crowns, Coronets and Crests carved by Ian G Brennan in St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle and Henry VII, Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey.
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Knights Arms carved from oak : St Paul's Cathedral London
For further examples of the over 80 Knights of the Garter and Knights of the Bath Crests, carved and painted by Ian G Brennan;
Knights of the Garter Crests - Knights of the Bath Crests
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'Environmental Balance' for a Schools Millennium Project and a 'Gold Tooth' outside a Dental Surgery
Scots Pine - 65 inches high (165 cm) -------------------------------- Elm Wood - 36 inches high (92cm )
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Tawny owl carved within a willow log -------- 'Mother Nature' - carved within a Scots Pine Log
22 inches high ( 56 cm ) 14 inches high ( 36 cm )
Commissioned wood carvings with the particular wood chosen to make the best use of the natural grain pattern, colour and texture of the timber
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Tiger - Butterfly fish - Woodcock
Tulip wood Yew - Burr Elm 30 inches long
15 inches high 17 inches long
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The 'Globe' Sculpture carved from within the trunk of a 250 year old Sequoia Tree.
This carving is on display in the foyer of the headquarters of an International Corporation.
40 inches wide (102cm) X 60 inches high ( 150 cm )
Bas-relief wood and bronze carvings & Commemorative Plaques:-
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Bas-relief carving showing various landmarks of a village in Hampshire UK which is now placed above the Vestry in St Mary's Church Warsash.
( lime wood 10 wide, please click to enlarge)
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40 inches high (110 cm) ----- 72 inches high (190cm ) -------14 inches high (36 cm
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Running fox - mahogany Battle Honours board for HMS Clyde - teak
72 inches long 32 inches long
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The Royal Yacht Britannia - one section of the relief carvings for a Oak Fire surround
carved from original teak decking for the Royal Yacht Britannia - English Oak
24 inches long ( 60 cm ) --- 27 inches long ( 69 cm )
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16 inches long ( 40 cm)
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please click to enlarge
A centuries old original wooden shield for a Knight of the Garter that was caught in the fire in St George's Hall in Windsor Castle in 1992.
This fire damaged shield which was rescued from the walls of St George's Hall once had a medieval Garter Knights Coat of Arms painted upon the shield but this painting was subsequently erased in the fire. Ian has now produced a relief carving depicting firemen fighting the fire which raged throughout the night through the Brunswick Tower at Windsor Castle.
Various Restoration projects :-
A selection of the projects from the Museum Service and The Ministry of Defence in the UK, These restoration projects often vary from carved all the intricate scroll work on Lord Nelson's historic Flagship HMS Victory, and 'Southwick House' the former Allied Headquarters of General Eisenhower during WW 2.
Restoring the Royal Coat of Arms at the College of Arms in London.
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This replacement Royal Crest was initially carved from wax and then cast in bronze prior to being painted and gilded.
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The carved Scrollwork on HMS Victory’s Starboard side Entrance Port.
For further information on Admiral Lord Nelson's Flagship HMS Victory - please click this link :-
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'Trafalgar Day 1805'
47 " (119cm) long x 35 " (89cm) long
' TreadGold' Museum
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Using the only information available this old photograph as a guide, Ian carved this replacement 18th century stylised lion figure-head which had been placed above an old hardware store, which is now a museum in Portsmouth UK.
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Rose fountain before the water spouts were produced ;
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Again using an old photograph as a guide Ian this time was commissioned to produced eight exact replicas bronze water spouts to replace those lost on this 19th century' Rose Fountain' in Southampton UK.
Southwick House, now the Wardroom in HMS Dryad near Portsmouth in Southern England was requisitioned by the Royal Navy in 1941 from the 'Thistlethwayte' family to become the forward planning and operational Headquarters of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, General Dwight Eisenhower and the Naval Commander for Operation Overlord, Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsey.
Southwick House had recently undergone a major restoration program and during this restoration Ian was commissioned to restoring some of the ornately carved antique mirror and picture frames inside Southwick House.
For further information about D Day and 'Operation Overlord' please click this link :-
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The larger sections of the badly damaged carved picture frame -- restored and re-gilded
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Restored picture frame returned to Southwick House
Southwick House
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The original D Day Map in Southwick House still set at 'H' Hour June 6, 1944, when the Allied invasion of France began.
Various restored or replaced antique carved wooden panels and mouldings
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(click to enlarge)
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Carved lime wood mouldings prepared for restoring antique picture frames
Prototype sculpture :
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The original cleat and socket on the left, alongside the wooden prototype and the new stainless steel cleat. (300 mm long )
A mould was produced from Ian's original wood carved and painted cleat and stanchion socket, both have now been produced in stainless steel for the 'Sunseeker' Super Yachts.
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'Sunseeker' Yachts and one of the cleats in position on the yachts
A selection of commissioned Company Logos & Trophies:-
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40 inches wide x 35 inches high -- 40 inches x 58 inches high
For further details and stage photographs showing how both Cunard bas relief sculptures were produced; please click appropriate photographs.
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Rugby Ball trophy commissioned for the winner of Scotland V Barbarians Rugby Cup Final at Murryfield, carved from Cherry Wood.
(18 inches high.)
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A full size older style Football and Rugby Ball ; Both carved from Ash wood.
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Various commissioned trophies carved from Walnut for the Hampshire Business of the Year Awards.
All around 18 inches high (46cm)
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The Heraldic Lion commissioned for the Chivas Regal Whisky Company - Sunderland Aircraft
lime wood -20 inches long - lime wood 8 inches long
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Golf Club 'Centenary Trophy’ based on the Golf Clubs Oak tree logo - Beaver Hire Company logo - HMS Victory
bronze 12 inches high lime wood 15 inches high bronze 26 inches high
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Conch shell - cherry wood full size Swan and Bald eagle feathers - lime wood
Click to Enlarge
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The carved plaster, clay and wax 'master copy' near completion for a 11 feet 6 inches high (350cm) bronze statue
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A relief carving of a Turkish Tent commission for use a book cover
Artist Information HMS Victory Sculpture Selected Commissions Wood/Bronze Sculptures HMS Victory
Journal / Bio Garter Knights Crests Bath Knights Crests Creating a Crest/Arms Short TV Films
