Just as ‘Vulture’ was completed, there was a knock at the door. It was a young lass we had often seen riding various ponies along the seashore. I knew her dad, but never known until today that Megan was the name of his daughter.

She spent a while looking round the studio, chatting away, and it was then that I decided to change this composition, from the subtly marked, arrogant asbestos raptor, to a friendly, sea-worn driftwood head. Thus ‘Megan’ was born. Look to the body: shape and flow. Feathers rustle at a glance. Two sturdy legs. Poise and perch atop a characterful age-old branch that has been with me for years. An ironwood base gives contrast and stability.