James McLoughlin Blog
Woodcarving World Championships In Dongyang China
Woodcarving World Championships in Dongyang City China. I was delighted t be asked t represent Ireland in this competition. Got t meet Carvers from all over the globe with different styles what a great experience. Thank you to all involved.
Meet James McLoughlin, Master of Stone, Wood and Bronze
James McLoughlin isn’t just a sculptor, he’s an artist. Working with wood, stone and bronze, James creates the most lifelike figures. So much so that you might mistake them for the real thing!
He first discovered his talent during his time as a United Nations Peace Keeper in Lebanon. “We used to have plenty of time on our hands in between duties, so reading books and whittling timber with a pen knife passed the time for me there. I found that hours would pass because I got so absorbed with the work. I wasn’t any good at the time but I suppose it was a start.”
James’
natural talent won him a scholarship to the City and Guild of London Art School in 2001. “Once I arrived to London I was exposed to the unbelievable figurative and ornamental work that embellishes nearly every corner of the city. I was truly infatuated.”
James had found his calling.
Creative occupations can be draining but our sculptor finds motivation in every piece. “I love that every job I do is different than the last. It can either be in wood, stone or bronze and every one of them has its different challenges.
“Most of the time I’m given a brief by the client. If they’re asking me to carve them an elephant I can’t go and carve them a giraffe! I have to stick to certain boundaries but where I get involved is the type of pose, size, material and amount of detail involved. It’s also controlled by the budget and how much time you can spend on it. But I always seem to have plenty of ideas knocking around in my head somewhere when needed.
“I do think that Irish craft is gaining more popularity. The Craft Council of Ireland have a lot to do with that. A lot of artists and craft people are exporting work abroad.
“My fear is that generations of knowledge from certain trades could be lost if it’s not passed down to the next generation. Everything that is made is influenced by the people who came before us, whether we realise it or not. If I talk about my own trade, I’d be lost if I couldn’t look back at the amazing masters that came before me.”
James also finds it important to support local suppliers to the Irish craft trade. “We have lovely hardwoods here in Ireland and also beautiful stone. It’s good to pass on work to these lads and they in turn pass work onto me. It helps to keep us all in business.
“The most important thing as an artist or an artisan is that you hope that you get jobs that will take you out of your comfort zone and push you beyond your limits. It’s the only way to learn and grow as an artist.”
Right now, James is working
on the French Gothic style St Colman’s Cathedral in Cobh, Cork. “I’m doing all the new carving, both wood and stone, that is being erected in there. In my opinion, it’s the greatest Cathedral this country has ever produced. It’s
great to be part of the history of such a magnificent building.”
For more information, visit jamesmcloughlinsculpture.com or call 087 636 8884.
Irish honour Jutland dead with memorial dedicated 102 years after titanic clash of battleships
One hundred and two years after the greatest naval battle of the modern era fought in European waters, the people of Cobh in southern Ireland unveiled a memorial to their Jutland dead.
Twenty sailors from the town – then known as Queenstown when the country was part of the British Empire – died in the enormous clash between British and German men o’war in the North Sea, a fraction of the 350 Irishmen killed in
the battle.
Cobh was a key harbour for both merchant and warships; it was the final port of call for the Titanic before her fateful voyage across the Atlantic, it was the reception point for survivors and the dead from the torpedoed liner Lusitania, and in the second half of the WW1, was a major base in the fight against the U-boat.
The biggest single blow was delivered by the Battle of Jutland on May 31/June 1 1916 – the failure of the Royal Navy to destroy the German Fleet and the heavy loss of life severely impacted on public morale.
The Jutland Memorial Society has spent several years campaigning/fundraising to erect an 8ft obelisk as a monument not just to the 20 Cobh men lost at Jutland, but all locals who died in the Great War at sea.
Having raised nearly £6,000, the memorial was installed in the Bible Garden of the Benedictine Nuns, overlooking the harbour.
"It was a very dignified and emotional service",
Eithne Wright, Chairwoman of the Jutland Memorial Society
A joint Catholic-Church of Ireland service was held in St Colman’s Cathedral with the pews packed as locals were reminded of the impact Jutland had on the town; a joint blessing then took place of 20 sailor’s caps, each representing the rank of those Cobh men killed in action in the clash of dreadnoughts, including one for Cdr Richard Herbert Denny Townsend, the highest-ranking Irishman to die at Jutland.
“It was a very dignified and emotional service,” said Eithne Wright, Chairwoman of the Jutland Memorial Society and great niece of Shipwright William McGrath.
He died when battle-cruiser HMS Queen Mary blew up – a tragedy which prompted Admiral Beatty’s famous remark: “There seems to be something wrong with our bloody ships today.”
Afterwards, a short procession led by Piper Adam Duggan and a symbolic pall bearer detachment from the Irish Naval Service Reserve, the flag standards of the Royal Naval Association of Ireland and descendants carrying the 20 caps moved to the grounds of St Benedict’s Priory – Admiralty House under British rule.
There sculptor James McLoughlin’s monument was unveiled by County Mayor, Cllr Declan Hurley and blessed by Father John McCarthy and the Reverend Paul Arbuthnot.
Wreaths were laid and a Bugler sounded the Last Post. This was followed by a two-minute silence which was concluded with a bell being rung eight times – as traditionally used to mark the change of watch on ships.
The event was concluded by Chev. Adrian Gebruers of St. Colman’s Cathedral where the service began. At 4.03pm, marking the moment the HMS Indefatigable sank, he played the Naval Hymn on the Carillon Bells, followed by Abide with Me at 4.25pm – marking the moment HMS Queen Mary met her fate.
Pictures: Gordon Kinsella and the Jutland Memorial Society of Cobh
Irish Artist’s New Figurative Sculpture Speaks Nearly Seven Feet of Musical Homage
Artist James McLoughlin offers life-sized Lord of Music sculpture and, with it, helps to rejuvenate what’s nearly lost in today’s art forms.
Cobh, Cork, Ireland - October 31, 2017 - Carved from one block of Spalted Beech, the newly offered sculpture from James McLoughlin does what it came to do - create awe. A six-and-a-half-foot tall male embodiment of all things melodic, The Lord of Music life-sized sculpture is described as a “figurative and ornamental masterpiece.” It’s easy to see why. Careful to inspire reverence for classical renaissance sculpture, the piece steps out of the box. Think, a musically fluent god who sports 70s style rock gear while being chained to harmony personified. This is The Lord of Music now for sale.
Now on exhibit at Cork Airport, the classical approach of the sculpture brings to mind the traditional. Using Limewood, the ornament carving includes a guitar, violin and bow, recorder, clarinet, and an African drum united by varied foliage. Carved lilies represent humility and devotion to the art of music, the apple is symbolic of abundance, the pear is immortality. A skull speaks of nonconformity, free-thinking, and rebelliousness. Carved around the violin a chain locks the instruments close to the figure’s body and stands for the chained melody. Lastly, an unfinished book awaits the carving of new owner’s favorite song.
Sonia O Sullivan Statue
Sunday was a very proud day for the people of Cobh, celebrating our finest athlete Sonia O'Sullivan. We know she will inspire many generations to come. Thank you to Cobh Tourism for their hard work and dedication and I want to especially thank the people of Cobh for embracing this project.
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